From Liquid`Nazgul:
It's safe to say the past couple of weeks have not been pleasant for Tyler as well as his fans. I want to address the things that happened and release a small statement from us on the situation.
It goes back to a situation where he was unable to play MajOr, in the originally scheduled timeframe, for the GSL World Championships. Tyler reacted emotionally and unprofessionally, tweeting about boycotting the tournament for planning to replace him. Tyler was wrong to do so, as Team Liquid was fully responsible for the scheduling situation. I do not blame the organizers in any way.
After getting back in communication with IPL about it, we were able to re-schedule the match with MajOr on a later date. On the day of the match, when Tyler lost the first game, he left despite the series not being over. I believe there is no excuse to leave in that situation. It is extremely unlikely that such a tournament would be best of one, and information about the format would have been easily obtained by asking either the opponent, organization, or our own management. In fact, information about the format was sitting in our team forum in a thread dedicated to this tournament.
Our team manager Robin had no blame in the situation. The information was passed on, and confirmed to have been passed on to Tyler, as well as documented in our team forum in an obvious place. Any speculation that this was the fault of team management is incorrect.
Unfortunately this isn't the first time Tyler has made questionable decisions regarding his tournament participation, and he had not always acted professionally in the past. As many of you may know, Tyler has been suffering from depression. While it is an explanation for his behavior, it is not an excuse. I feel that it is unfair to tournaments, other players, and viewers to condone such behavior to continue.
After talking closely with Tyler we have decided that he will not be participating in the tournament circuit for a period of two months. Both Tyler and I agree that this is an appropriate course of action. Liquid will keep supporting Tyler as a part of the team, and I believe that a time away from tournaments may also have a positive effect on Tyler. We're hoping to reduce his stress and expectations, which will allow him to play without pressure and enjoy the game.
From Liquid`Tyler:
I apologize to MajOr, the tournament organizers, my team and my fans. I know the situations that tend to bring out my poor behavior and I intend to do a better job at avoiding them.
I believe Nazgul's decision to prohibit my participation in tournaments is disciplinary in the most positive sense of the word. I have found participating in competition with insufficient practice to be extremely frustrating. For years now I've continued to compete under the thought process that I'll just do my best and try to prepare better next time. It's time to try something different. I do not want to compete without the comfort and confidence that a healthy practice routine provides. I daresay I was known for my mental strength and strong competitive attitude in BW. I will try my best to return to that state, not only for my benefit but because it's what is good for our community and what the fans and my opponents deserve.
