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The third and final season champion for the Americas in the 2016 Hearthstone Championship Tour was decided Sunday afternoon, with Edwin HotMEOWTH Cook taking home the $25,000 first-place prize and an all-important seat in the finals at BlizzCon, which is coming up in just six weeks. HotMEOWTH bested ROOTs Jeffrey Tarei Liu after falling behind 3-2 in the final seven-game match of the Summer Championship on Sept. 17-18.HotMEOWTHs weekend almost ended early after a quarterfinal scare against Jerome Monsanto Faucher. Up 3-0 in the first match, HotMEOWTH needed just one win with his Warlock Zoo deck to advance to the semis. Zoolock is one of the more tried-and-true decks in tournament play and even with a deck built differently than the more standard template -- no Power Overwhelming, instead using Demonfires, Lance Carriers and Dark Iron Dwarves for reach-plus-bodies -- HotMEOWTH was heavily favored to grab at least one win.Montreal native Monsanto instead threatened to pull off the reverse-sweep, winning with Worgen Warrior, Freeze Mage and Anyfin Paladin, only falling short when HotMEOWTHs Zoolock held off the Yogg Druid in game 7. HotMEOWTHs unusual card choices ended up helping out in a pinch when the two Lance Carriers made a 6/2 Dark Peddler that dealt 12 damage to Monsantos Druid.While HotMEOWTH didnt previously have the extensive tournament background that a veteran like Tarei has, dont assume that hes a newbie. On a brutally competitive Americas ladder, HotMEOWTH reached the top 100 in both July and August, finishing as high as 12th in the latter month. And if youve ever caught the popular weekly Data Reaper report at Vicious Syndicate, he is their resident Hunter expert.HotMEOWTH talked to ESPN esports about his decks and the tournament meta after the full release of the One Night in Karazhan adventure.Was there ever a moment when you second-guessed the Warlock deck?HotMEOWTH: Surprisingly enough, my Warlock deck was one of the first two decks I decided to prepare and bring to the tournament along with the Druid deck. It was one of the decks that I have more faith in performing well [since] before the tournament started, mostly because of having success of ranking up to Legend this month [September] on ladder with it.However, after knowing my opponents lineups right before the tournament began, I was worried [about] its performance, mostly because of my first opponent Monsantos lineup. Monsantos lineup was all combo/control decks that tend to be really favored (70/30) against my minion-centric Zoo Warlock deck because of the multiple [area-of-effect] board clears with combo spells that those decks have.The idea behind my more aggressive variant of Zoo Warlock with chargers and minion attack buffs is that it can fare better against slower midrange decks that consist of fewer board clears and more big threats such as Dragon Warrior, Token/Malygos Druid, and Midrange Hunter, because of my Zoo decks faster/earlier board aggression. It has the potential to close out games before big minions or board threats come down. So, in that aspect, it performed as expected [i.e. winning games against Druid], which I am happy with. I think Zoo is still a strong class in the current meta, but my list is pretty experimental/unrefined, since Karazhan cards just came out not too long ago.How did you decide to go with a Warrior build thats more along the classic Control side, without the Dragon shell that is currently in fashion?HotMEOWTH: First of all, my lineup strategy was to target control, where it can fare decently against the strong meta decks currently in the game, which tend to be more midrange and aggressive in nature. After testing my lineup a few times with my practice partners, I found out that it was best to ban Shaman over the popular Warrior ban.With Shaman banned, Dragon Warrior isnt as tempting to bring, since beating Shaman is Dragon Warriors greatest strength. I feel the new Dragon Warrior list with The Curator is overrated by many pros and intermediate players alike. While Curator is a strong addition that helps the deck have more steam against control and slower midrange decks, the deck becomes more minion-heavy and has fewer removal spells early on like Slam. It is much more susceptible [to the] strong, early aggression that aggro decks often have, which makes the deck weaker overall against faster/aggro decks. In this tournament, I expected people to bring faster tempo/aggro decks, which brought me to the idea of bringing Control Warrior over Dragon Warrior.Control Warrior is known for being favored against tempo and aggro decks and also having polarizing/extremely favored matchups against combo decks such as Freeze Mage and Worgen Warrior. I feel like Control Warrior may be the best archetype out of all the different Warrior decks as it can beat anything with its stability through multiple removals and armor resources to gain over 30 health to play around decks with strong burst potential. It is sad that I couldnt play a single game with Warrior throughout the championship, since it was banned by all of my opponents, but that just shows how much respect they have for how the strong the deck was against their lineup.Which matchup this weekend were you most concerned about?HotMEOWTH: I was pretty confident the first two rounds of winning with all my decks except my Zoo Warlock. And [my expectations] turned out to be correct since I had a 3-0 lead against both Monsanto and [Manny dude7597 Eckert]. I think what I worried about the most was Monsantos lineup potential to sweep my Zoo deck since three of his decks (Freeze Mage, Worgen Warrior and Murloc Control Paladin) were really favored against it. But I did know he had a weak link which was his Druid deck that my Zoo deck is favored to beat. So I told myself to just play Zoolock last and not get tilted over the losses from his other decks, since I was unfavored and was meant to lose those matches anyway.The final match against Tarei was equally concerning and stressful for me since his lineup was really similar to mine, as we both brought Zoolock, the same Druid list, a Control variant of Warrior, Midrange Hunter, and a Shaman deck that leaned towards being aggressive. I felt like Tarei was the hardest to beat since he was, in my opinion, the most experienced player in the top eight. It felt like a 50/50 against Tarei with how similar our lineups were and it came down to how we queued and played our decks in the end, since I think that neither of us had an edge for prepping a better lineup because of how similar our deck choices were.What are your thoughts on the impact of the Karazhan cards on the current meta?HotMEOWTH: At first glance, I thought the cards would have a mediocre impact on the state of competitive metagame in Hearthstone. But it turns out it actually significantly impacted how the decks were were built, especially the meta decks (Yogg Druid, Zoolock, Control Paladin, Midrange Shaman). I think cards like Maelstrom Portal really improved the Midrange Shaman decks chances against aggro decks, along with tools like Lightning Storm to deal with early aggression, particularly Zoolock since the deck tends to play out a slew of early-game minions.Cards like Ivory Knight and Moonglade Portal really gave Paladin and Druid the stability they needed, as those cards heal your own hero or minion and also provide extra resources for development at the same time. I feel like the best card in the Karazhan set is Barnes, as the card gave a lot of new innovations in deckbuilding. Overall, I think the Karazhan cards tend to favor the already-strong meta decks and kind of left out classes like Rogue and Priest in the competitive metagame. As cheesy or cliché as it sounds, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer with the new cards.Many thanks to HotMEOWTH for the interview. 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At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Cheap Pelicans Jerseys China . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Call me a Cinderella cyclist. Im happy to gear up and ride anywhere, anytime -- until the clock strikes a certain witching hour. Then Im pedaling home hard to beat the sinking sun. Riding at night is an activity Ive avoided since I picked up road biking a decade ago. Id sooner hop on an indoor stationary bike to train for triathlons and even longer races, like centuries and gran fondos, than hit the road when the streetlights come on.Why am I so afraid of the dark? For starters, I dont trust drivers partly because, as a native New Yorker, I never got my license. I worry that I dont understand how folks behind the wheel think. These four-wheeled beasts feel foreign to me and my two-wheeled steed. It doesnt help knowing that more than 800 people lost their lives in a bicycle and motor vehicle collision in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. One in five of these fatal crashes happened between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m., reports the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.Bottom line: I love my life, and putting it on the line for an evening ride never seemed worthwhile to me. I know that sounds dramatic, especially to some of my daring friends who think Im being overly cautious. Theyve long told me how peaceful and fun night riding can be. I dont doubt it. I know this bustling city, particularly Brooklyn where I live, can feel calmer in the darkness when everyones winding down from their workday. And frankly, as an anxious person, a little calm would do me good. In those ways, I realize Im missing out. This is why I was open to the idea of getting the right safety gear to finally give this a go.The detailsWhen I received an opportunity to test the new Visijax LED Cycling Jacket with Turn Signals from Sharper Image ($154.99, sharperimage.com), I initially wrote it off for the aforementioned reasons. But it stayed with me. Truth is, the best story ideas scare me a little. And I really do wish I were brave enough to bike at night for fun. A few days later, I returned to the website to watch the video on how it works and then read reviews on Visijax.com. One customer comment in particular gave me some hope: The lights are really, really bright and even when theyre not on, the yellow is unmissable. So I ordered one.Unlike my other cycling jackets, this unisex model had 23 built-in LED lights and reflectors strategically placed throughout, including the chest, arms and back. It comes with a small, lightweight, rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack that lasts roughly 30 hours. It discreetly plugs into the jacket via an inside pocket and hidden cable.Flicking the lights on or off is easy. You just push the power button sticker on the front of the jacket, which connects to the battery, and choose from three operating modes: one tap to switch on front and rear lights (slow flash), a second tap for quick flashing mode, and a third to display all lights with no flashing. A fourth tap turns it all off and youre back to just a regular, no-frills neon jacket.The coolest part: Motion-activated turn signals in the sleeves (on the front and back, just below the shoulders) flash for about 5 to 10 seconds when you indicate youre heading left or right. This way, youre better able to communicate your riding intentions to others at all times.The testOn an unusually warm night this fall, my friend Tishon met me outsidee my Brooklyn apartment at 7:15 p.ddddddddddddm. to bike about eight miles round-trip, heading north towards Williamsburg. I felt good about this little adventure because its a route Ive done many times in daylight and Tishons one of my badass friends who enjoys pedaling after hours. The minute I walked outside and switched on the jacket, I lit up like a Christmas tree. From the look of surprise on Tishons face, it really felt like Xmas, too.We laughed over my light show, then hit the road, down the highly trafficked street of Vanderbilt Ave. Using the well-marked bike lanes helped ease my nerves. My jacket was so bright that I didnt even use my standard mounted bike lights. When it was time to make a right turn, I happily flung my arms out to signal my plans. So far, so good.Once in Williamsburg, we veered to the left (arm up!) to this hidden little park overlooking the East River and Manhattans twinkling skyline. Then, after about 20 minutes of star and skyscraper gazing, we headed back south, toward home, but first we stopped for tacos. This afforded me another half-dozen brilliant turns onto main roads and side streets. By the time we got to my apartment around 10 p.m., I felt like a bonafide night rider. The cherry on top was when my neighbor Pepper, who was standing outside the building, looked at my shining armor with envy and asked where she could get one.What I likedFull disclosure: I love bright things. I own a fluorescent pink bike helmet and snazzy white sneakers. So I was kinda excited to wear this highlighter-yellow number out in public. That said, even I was a little self-conscious (see cons below), but I did feel very hard-to-miss. Knowing that my fashion statement would stop traffic did make me feel extra safe. This ultimately allowed me to enjoy stepping outside my comfort zone and expand my little world.What I didnt likeAs much as I love all that glitters and glows, I still felt a little shy in this hello-high-beams number. Its hard not to feel geeky in safety apparel in general (looking at you, knee pads), especially something this eye-catching. Also, I was pretty warm under all of these lights. The rainproof fabric, coated with Teflon to keep you dry, is breathable thanks to air vents, but on this temperate night it felt toasty. I had to roll up the sleeves to my elbows to let in the cool breeze as we rode, and that seemed to do the trick.Another concern: The motion sensors didnt always pick up on my turn signals. As the night wore on, my gestures became a bit more elaborate to set off the flashing. That could be because I only charged the battery for an hour beforehand. It probably needed a few more hours to be fully charged.Worth it?Yes, though I havent completely gone to the dark side. Riding on a cool, sunny day in a car-free zone will always be my preference. But with this jacket, I feel less vulnerable, more protected and truly open to opportunities to experience my favorite activity in a new way. In fact, I already have evening plans with another friend to hit the town on two wheels next week. Yup, Im officially taking this dazzling show on the road, and would recommend it if visibility is one of the key reasons holding you back from riding at night too. ' ' '