User:Ahawowow/Str8

Str8 Rippin is a North American esports organization currently fielding a team in Halo. It is one of the most prominent fixtures of Halo history, with multiple accolades tied to the name including the MLG 2008 National Championship.

Halo 2
Though Str8 Rippin is most commonly associated with Tom "Tsquared" Taylor and the other members of its most dominant lineups, the team was actually founded at the beginning of the 2005 MLG season by Alfonso "AYBFonzi" Chartier, Peter "Foulacy" Dietrich, Jason "SadPandaEh" The, and "SyNeRGy". This roster placed 4th at the first ever MLG Halo 2 event - MLG D.C.. Str8 returned in San Francisco with a revised roster, having replaced SadPanda with Ben "Karma" Jackson. They took 3rd in San Diego as Not So STR8 RIPPIN. Synergy and Karma did not attend MLG Houston, and Str8 fielded "BLACKJAK" and a returning SadPandaEh in their place. The new squad finished 3rd in Houston.

Following Houston, Karma returned and Str8 got a new member who would go on to become synonymous with the team name, Tom "Tsquared" Taylor. They took 3rd place in Orlando. In St. Louis, Fonzi, Foulacy and Karma played alongside Matthew "Zyos" Leto as MLG Rockford. They again took 3rd place. The team returned to the name Str8 Rippin at MLG Philadelphia, where a revised lineup of Fonzi, Foulacy, Zyos and Tsquared took 1st place in the all-Team Slayer event, becoming the first team to dethrone the powerhouse Team 3D squad. Following Philadelphia, Str8 picked up a sponsorship from Trademark Gamers and began attending events under the name. TmG took 1st place at MLG Las Vegas, while a diluted TmG roster of Tsquared, Foulacy, Detach and Mack took 3rd place at MLG Seattle. TmG returned at MLG Los Angeles with Carlos "Cpt Anarchy" Morales in place of the absent Zyos, where they placed 2nd. The full TmG lineup reunited at MLG Atlanta, where they again finished 2nd, losing to Team 3D in the finals.

The team returned to using the name Str8 Rippin at MLG Chicago, having replaced Zyos with Jeremy "Tupac" Hodges. They finished 3rd. Fonzi and Foulacy retooled the roster for the MLG New York National Championships, recruiting Nick "KillerN" Urso and a returning Cpt Anarchy. Str8 came out strong in the early rounds of the National Championship, sweeping the 3rd seeded LeGendZ in Round 3. They were no match for Team 3D however, who swept them in the Winners Finals. In the Losers Finals, Str8 were swept by Team Phreaks, whose roster would go on to become a formidable adversary as Carbon. Str8 took a 3rd place finish at its first National Championship.

Str8 kicked off the 2006 season with a new lineup. Alongside Fonzi and Foulacy were a returning Tsquared and a new member in Brandon "Defy" Jenkins, coming off a strong 2005 season with two event wins and no placings below 8th. Str8 proved stronger than before in New York, sweeping Carbon in the Winners Semifinals. In the Finals, they took Final Boss (formerly Team 3D) to 5 games but could not win the decider. They earned another shot at FB in the Grand Finals with a second sweep over Carbon, but FB won the extended series in a sweep of their own, sending Str8 home in 2nd place. In Dallas, Str8 again took FB to 5 games after a win over Carbon, but again could not win the decider. They needed 11 games to fully eliminate Carbon in the Losers Finals this time around, but made it to the Grand Finals nonetheless. They were swept once again by Final Boss in the Grand Finals and went home in 2nd.

In Anaheim, Str8 faced FBI Michigan in the Winners Semis, winning 3-1. In the Winners Finals, they were swept by Final Boss. In the Losers Finals, they faced Carbon, who were coming off a legendary Losers Bracket run after losing early. Carbon steamrolled Str8 3-0 and sent them home in 3rd. In Chicago, Str8 lost early against the 7th seeded Shook on3 Gaming. In Losers, they met Carbon, who sent them home in 7th place. This resulted in Defy leaving the team. Str8 replaced the departing Defy with a returning Cpt Anarchy.

With Anarchy on board once again, Str8's performance against Carbon improved in Orlando, but they were still unable to beat the powerful young squad, losing in 5 in the Winners Semis. Carbon went on to take out Final Boss, resulting in the rare meeting of Str8 and FB in the Losers Bracket. Str8 were swept in the encounter resulting in a 3rd place finish. Str8 came out flat at the New York Playoffs, getting swept by Storm Ventures in the opening round. Str8 brought it back however, sweeping Shook on3 Gaming, LeGendZ and XiT WoundZ before going home in 3rd after a 3-0 loss to Carbon. At the Las Vegas Championships, Str8 were able to defeat Storm Ventures this time around, only to walk into a sweep from Carbon in the following round. In Losers, Str8 took out FBI GamerGraffix.com and LeGendZ before being swept by Final Boss in the Losers Finals and going home in 3rd. The following month, Str8 finished 1st at the WSVG Finals.

Prior to the start of the 2007 season, Str8 Rippin were awarded a $1,750,000 contract guaranteeing exclusivity to MLG competition. Before Anarchy and Fonzi could reap the benefits however, they were dropped from the team and replaced with Storm Ventures power-duo Bryan "Legit" Rizzo and Brett "Naded" Leonard. At the season opener in Charlotte, Str8 were defeated in the Semifinals by the new Final Boss, now featuring StrongSide. In Losers Round 7, Str8 were taken out 3-1 by Carbon and sent home in 5th. Legit and Naded left the team after this less than stellar placing, leaving Tsquared and Foulacy to recruit the relatively unknown "BigTimer" and Mason "Neighbor" Cobb. At the Meadowlands, the 5th seeded Str8 were defeated in Round 3 by #4 seed 5K. In their first Losers match, Str8 were upset by Nice Like Rice, resulting in a new low placing of 11th for Str8.

Tsquared retooled the roster once again, dropping BigTimer and founding member Foulacy in favor of Gavin "Havok" Smith and Leland "Mimic" Jones. In Dallas, the now 8th seeded Str8 were swept by Final Boss in Round 3. They then faced Perfect Storm in Losers Round 6, and despite a valiant effort, lost 3-2 and went home in 7th place. As a result, the roster was changed yet again. This time, Havok and Mimic were replaced by Kyle "ElamiteWarrior" Elam and a returning Legit. The 7th seeded Str8 shocked the world in Orlando when they swept Carbon in Round 3. A 3-1 win over FBI The Agency put them back in the Winners Finals after a long absence. In the Winners Finals, Str8 were defeated 3-1 by Final Boss. Str8 completed their series against The Agency to earn another shot at FB, but were swept in the ensuing series and finished 2nd.

In Orlando, Str8 faced early adversity from 5K but were able to win 3-2. In the Winners Finals, Str8 turned it up, finally taking down Final Boss 3-1 after 2 years of losing to them. Str8 completed the victory in the Finals, winning 6-2 and taking their first event win since Philadelphia 2005. Str8 struggled early at the Las Vegas National Championships, narrowly beating Nice Like Rice in the opening round. This was followed by a 3-2 loss to Carbon. In Losers Round 2, Str8 swept 5K before narrowly avoiding a loss to The Agency. Carbon completed their victory in the Losers Finals, sending Str8 home in 3rd. At the MLG Canada Open 2007, Str8 finished 2nd to Final Boss.

Halo 3
Str8 made no roster changes going into Halo 3, but they did bring in a new coach in Joseph "xXx" Festinger, well known for his success with Carbon. At the Meadowlands opener, the 1st seeded Str8 were defeated in the 3rd round by Carbon. They were then defeated by Final Boss in Losers Round 6, resulting in a poor 5th place showing to kick off Halo 3. In San Diego, Str8 came out looking dominant, sweeping Triggers Down and Believe the Hype back to back before beating Instinct 3-1 in the Winners Finals and sweeping them in the Grand Finals to take their first Halo 3 event win.

In Orlando, Str8 were upset early by the 9th seeded Ambush. They went on a Losers run, taking out PSF, Carbon and Final Boss before meeting Ambush again and reversing the series to 6-3. In the Losers Finals, Str8 swept Instinct and headed to the Grand Finals against Triggers Down. Str8 won the opening series 3-2, but needed a second win to secure the event. TD won the replay in a sweep and Str8 went home in 2nd. Following Orlando, Neighbor unexpectedly left Str8 to take a spot on Final Boss. Str8 responded by picking up young phenom Eric "Snip3down" Wrona, coming off a win with Triggers Down at his second ever event. Str8 also replaced xXx with former coach Zac "Lammie" Lammie. Str8 faced adversity in Toronto, needing 5 games to get past both LeGendZ and Final Boss. In the Winners Finals, Str8 beat Instinct and their new member Walshy 3-1. Instinct looked to turn things around in the Grand Finals but Str8 beat them 6-2 overall.

At the Dallas playoffs, Str8 came out hot, sweeping LeGendZ and beating Classic 3-1. They then swept Final Boss in the Winners Finals, but lost to the new Triggers Down lineup in 10 games in the Grand Finals. At the Las Vegas National Championships, Str8's status was confirmed when all four members of the team were elected as 2008 All Stars. Str8 kicked off the tournament with a sweep over LeGendZ, followed by a close 3-2 win over Instinct. In the Winners Finals they met an unlikely opponent in Carbon, who'd struggled all season. Str8 won 3-2 over Carbon and advanced to the Grand Finals, where they beat Instinct 6-3 to take the 2008 National Championship.

Str8 predictably avoided making changes going into the 2009 season, and made it to Meadowlands with an identical roster. After a close call against Carbon in Round 2, Str8 were taken out in 5 games by 11th seeded Believe the Hype. In the Losers Semifinals, Str8 were defeated in 4 by Triggers Down's new lineup, kicking off a rivalry that would span the remainder of the season. Str8 came out renewed in Columbus, taking out Carbon and Instinct before getting one back against TD in the Winners Finals with a 3-1 win. In the Grand Finals, Str8 manhandled Triggers Down, winning 6-1.

In Dallas, Str8 seemed to lose a step, as they were swept out of Winners Round 3 by Carbon's new lineup. They beat Classic in Losers Round 4, but could not outlast Instinct in the Losers Semifinals, losing 3-1 and going home in 4th for the second time in 2009. In what was becoming a theme, Str8 came back looking better than ever after their poor placing in Dallas, breezing their way to the Winners Finals in Anaheim. There, they were defeated 3-2 by Triggers Down and faced back-to-back event losses in Halo 3 for the first time. They responded with a 6-3 win over Carbon and advanced to the Grand Finals, putting on one of the most lauded series in competitive Halo history - an 11 game thriller that ended in favor of Triggers Down. At the Orlando National Championships, all four Str8 members were again chosen as All Stars. In their first match, Str8 were upset 3-2 by Believe the Hype. They were then swept in their first Losers Bracket match by Carbon, resulting in a highly disappointing 6th place finish for the team looking for back-to-back National Championships.

Following the Orlando disappointment, Str8 made its first team change since acquiring Snip3down, replacing ElamiteWarrior with 3-time event winner Richie "Heinz" Heinz, formerly of Triggers Down. Things did not go well for Str8 to start, as they were swept in Winners Round 3 by Final Boss at the Orlando kickoff event. In Losers Round 7, Str8 were beaten 3-2 by Status Quo, resulting in an 8th place finish. Str8 stuck it out through Columbus, where they were again beaten early in a close match with Believe the Hype. In Losers, they were again eliminated by Status Quo in 5 games, this time resulting in a 10th place finish. Instinct, featuring former Str8 member ElamiteWarrior, won both Orlando and Columbus.

Following the poor placings, Str8 effectively disbanded, with Heinz and Snip3down going to Believe the Hype and Legit retiring. Alone with no seed, Tsquared joined the 4th seeded Classic, who immediately changed their name to the more prestigious Str8 Rippin. With a new roster comprised of Tsquared, Kyle "Chig" Lawson, Eric "GH057ayame" Hewitt and Marcos "Soldi3r187" Sanchez, Tsquared looked to lead an all new Str8 Rippin to the top as he had done many times in the past. Things went badly in Raleigh, as Str8 were swept in Round 2 by the European Power Gaming squad. Power continued their assault on Str8 in Losers, winning 6-1 and sending Str8 home in 14th place.

Following Raleigh, Chig and Soldier left Str8 for Carbon, leaving Str8 to bring back two former members in Defy and Naded. After a 3-2 loss to Final Boss in D.C., Str8 were then swept in Losers Round 6 by Status Quo, resulting in a 9th place finish. Str8 did not accumulate enough points to qualify for the Dallas National Championships and disbanded after D.C.. Defy went on to retire after the event.

Halo: Reach
At the 2011 kickoff event in Dallas, Str8 was absent for the first time in years as Tsquared instead played on team Instinct, finishing 6th. Str8 returned in Columbus, with Tsquared assembling a new lineup consisting of himself, Naded, Legit and Ryan "RyaNoob" Geddes. Str8 finished 2nd in their pool, losing only to the newly formed Instinct "God Squad" lineup. In Losers, Str8 battled their way through Active Rush, Status Quo, Soul, Capital Punishment and Dynasty before meeting Instinct in the Grand Finals. Instinct won 6-0, sending Str8 home in 2nd.

Following Columbus, Tsquared and Legit made a shocking move, replacing Naded and RyaNoob with former members ElamiteWarrior and Neighbor, reuniting the 2007/2008 lineup with two event wins to its name. Str8 had a rude awakening in Anaheim, finishing 4th in their pool and ultimately being swept in Losers Round 5 by Dynasty, resulting in a 14th place finish. In Raleigh, things deteriorated even more, as Str8 finished last in its pool and was eliminated in Losers Round 4 by NBG Pure for a 20th place finish.

Tsquared formed a new Str8 lineup following Raleigh, bringing in Timothy "Adrenaline" Keane, "TheOnlyToxic" and "Merkage". The team emerged undefeated from the Open Bracket in Orlando, placing them in Pool A as a result. They finished 4th in Pool A and were eliminated from Losers in Round 5 by apex Revolution for a 14th place finish. At the Providence National Championships, Str8 were defeated early by Active Rush in a sweep. They were immediately knocked out of Losers by the 27th seeded Rhythm, resulting in a 20th place finish for Str8.

Following the conclusion of the 2011 season, Str8 disbanded and Tsquared formed a new Str8 lineup, recruiting the legendary Michael "StrongSide" Cavanaugh and rising stars Austin "Mikwen" McCleary and Tyler "Ninja" Blevins. Str8 made it to Winners Round 5, where they were swept by Ambush. They were eliminated shortly after by Fnatic Classic and finished in the top 16. Str8 then attended EGL 5 Blackpool in Europe, where they finished 1st, defeating apeX Devastation in the Finals.

Halo 2: Anniversary
After a hiatus of over two years, Str8 Rippin returned at the ESL Master Chief Collection Launch Invitational 2014 with a roster of Tsquared, Justin "Roy" Brown of Instinct fame, Cory "Str8 SicK" Sloss of Fnatic Classic fame and a returning RyaNoob. Str8 finished 2nd at the event, losing to Believe the Hype in the Finals. On December 10, 2014, Tsquared announced Str8's new roster for the inaugural HCS season, with RyaNoob and Roy replaced by Ezekiel "Prototype" Martinez of Fnatic Classic fame and a returning Naded. At the first event of the season in Columbus, Str8 made it to the Winners Semifinals where they were defeated in 4 games by Evil Geniuses. In Losers, they were swept by OpTic Gaming and sent home in 6th. In St. Louis, Str8 were solid early, taking out Cloud9 before being swept by Counter Logic Gaming in the Winners Semifinals. In Losers, they were immediately swept by Evil Geniuses and finished 6th once again.

After St. Louis, Prototype was dropped from Str8 Rippin and replaced by a returning Legit. At Gamers For Giving, Str8 were swept by EG in the Winners Quarterfinals. This was followed by an upset loss to Legendary in Losers, resulting in a top 12 finish. Nonetheless, Str8 qualified for the HCS Season 1 Finals as the #6 seed. Here they were defeated in Winners Round 1 by Denial eSports. They beat eLevate 3-1 in Losers Round 1, but were stopped dead in their tracks by Cloud9 in a 3-0 sweep in the following round, going home in a top 6 position once again. On April 3, Tsquared announced his retirement from competitive Halo during his Twitch stream, effectively disbanding Str8 for the remainder of Halo 2: Anniversary.

Halo 5: Guardians
Despite his short retirement, Tsquared competed in the majority of the NA Online Qualifiers during the fight to qualify for the 2016 Halo World Championship NA Regionals. Players to play for Str8 during this time included, but were not limited to: Josh "Tragic" Linenkugel, Tomell "Nerdy" Day, Casey "Sargoth" Current, Thomas "Domey" Loffredo, Emanuel "Hoaxer" Lovejoy, Jason "Scaryotic" Ortiz, Michael "Falcated" Garcia and notably, a returning ElamiteWarrior. Str8 were ultimately unable to accrue enough points to qualify for Regionals.

Tsquared brought the name back a short time later for the inaugural HCS Pro League. Initially fielding a roster featuring Abel "Rammyy" Garcia, Brad "ShaZaM" H. and a returning Domey, Str8 were unable to place in the top half of their group in the Online Invitational Qualifier. The roster disbanded shortly after. Tsquared then joined a team called Indecisive alongside Blake "Mr Blakerz" Kottke, Ian "Chaser" Contorelli and former Str8 member Prototype. The team promptly changed its name to Str8 Rippin. In the Last Chance Qualifier, Str8 came out strong, winning their group, but were swiftly 4-0d in the bracket stage in a rematch against Crowd Control, who they had defeated 4-1 in group stage. In the losers' bracket, Str8 were defeated 4-1 by French Toast Mafia, putting an end to their Pro League hopes. Str8 disbanded shortly after.

On November 3, 2016, Str8 Rippin was revitalized once again, this time as an esports organization, acquiring the LOL roster of Aaron "Ace" Elam, Bradley "APG" Laws, Kevin "Eco" Smith and former Str8 member Heinz. At the time of signing, Str8 sat in 6th place in the Fall 2016 Pro League standings with 4 wins and 7 losses. Going into Week 7 with a 5-7 record, Str8 needed a miraculous week to qualify for the Season Finals, not only needing to win their own remaining matches, but requiring 4th place Luminosity Gaming to lose their final matches. Things worked out for Str8, as Luminosity lost their final two matches while Str8 defeated Team Liquid and Enigma6 Group to slide into the 4th spot and qualify for finals with a 7-7 record. At HCS Las Vegas 2016, Str8 came out flat with an early 3-0 loss to Team Allegiance. To clinch top 6, they defeated European champions FAB Games eSports 3-1, followed by a 3-2 victory over Evil Geniuses. Their run was stopped in a rematch with Team Allegiance, who defeated them 3-1 to send them home in 4th place. At the Season Finals, Str8 came out flat with a loss against Team EnVyUs, followed by a loss, albeit in a very close series, to Team Liquid. Str8 placed 4th out of the four teams in attendance.

During the offseason, Eco left Str8 Rippin to join Team Liquid, leaving Str8 needing a player. After an extensive period of time, Str8 announced the acquisition of Jonathan "Renegade" Willette, a player who had served as a substitute for the Str8 roster prior to their joining the organization. At their first event - UGC St. Louis 2017 - they came out hot with victories over Team Allegiance (3-1) and Luminosity Gaming (3-0) before a very close loss to defending champs Team EnVyUs (2-3). In Losers, Str8 had another close match against the young Inconceivable squad, narrowly defeating them 3-2 and clinching top 4. In the Losers Semifinals, Str8 met Team Liquid, who defeated them 3-1 to end their event with a 4th place finish. At the following event - ME Las Vegas 2017 - Str8 had its first opportunity to qualify for Halo World Championship 2017. They did so quickly, with a 3-1 victory over Wise Gaming and a closely contested 4-3 victory over Luminosity Gaming. As the tourney continued, Str8 then suffered a humbling 4-0 loss to OpTic Gaming. In Losers, Str8 were upset in a 4-2 loss to Pnda Gaming, going home with a top 6 finish. At Worlds, Str8 were placed in a group with FAB Games eSports and SoaR Gaming. They finished 1st in their pool after victories over both teams and met TMMT Crowd Pleasers in the first round. This time, they beat them 4-3, only to run into Team Liquid and get swept out of the Winners Bracket. In Losers, Str8 were placed against Splyce, who they defeated in a monumentally close 4-3 series. They were then swept by Team EnVyUs and sent home in 4th place.

Highlight Videos

 * Str8 Rippin Montage - youtube.com - Edited by Zola Media

Interviews

 * Back On Top: MLG Interviews Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 06/17/09
 * Meet the Champs: MLG Interviews Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 12/05/08
 * Letting the Competition Rest in Peace: MLG Interviews Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 08/28/07
 * Hammering Out the Kinks: MLG Interviews Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 04/23/07
 * Str8 to the Point - majorleaguegaming.com - 03/22/07
 * Contract Killers – MLG Interviews Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 01/04/07
 * Trying on the Crown: The Str8 Rippin Interview - majorleaguegaming.com - 08/04/05
 * MLG St. Louis: Str8 Rippin Interview - majorleaguegaming.com - 07/18/05
 * Str8 Rippin Interview: MLG Orlando - majorleaguegaming.com - 05/04/05

Articles

 * Dr Pepper Unveils MLG Themed Bottle — 175,000,000 to be Sold Nationwide! - majorleaguegaming.com - 11/19/08
 * Gamer Gets Sports Star Treatment From Dr Pepper - nytimes.com - 11/18/08
 * Snipedown Officially Acquired by Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 07/28/08
 * Neighbor Leaves Str8 Rippin, Joins Final Boss - majorleaguegaming.com - 07/25/08
 * Dr Pepper Teams up with Str8 Rippin for 2008 Pro Circuit - majorleaguegaming.com - 06/13/08
 * Ripping Through the Chicago Field: Str8 Rippin’s MLG Chicago Trek - majorleaguegaming.com - 08/27/07
 * MLG Awards $1.75 Million in Contracts for Top Pro Gamers - majorleaguegaming.com - 12/18/06
 * Pro Team – Str8 Rippin - majorleaguegaming.com - 09/08/06