First of all -- and I know a lot of people ask ex-players this constantly, but I'm sure it changes often – do you miss competing?

I am still competing, albeit in a different form. Many ex-players miss the adrenaline rush of playing on a big stage but that's not it for me -- I get that by GM'ing as we have matches. What I miss is control over what's going on -- not having it is the worst part of the GM job as opposed to actually playing. You prepare the people you have faith in as well as you can, but when you climb onto that stage all you have left is the faith that you did your job well enough. That can be scary and difficult to handle.

What do you think caused so many single point defeats in the international competition? With your win over STOCKHOLM MAGNETIK, the BIRMINGHAM SALVO's overtime win, your loss in the 2007 World Final to the CORE... is the competition that close? Are people having trouble on stage? What is your insight?

There is no doubt that there is talent in abundance in all of the teams you have mentioned above. Playing on stage is a seize the opportunity kind of thing, and as it happens it seems like people handle that differently. Even the most experienced players have off days up there and that can be the spark an opponent needs to jump at the possibility of actually winning.

We have had our share of close matches and I am conflicted about it -– I'd take a one-point win over a blowout victory any day of the week and twice on Sunday, BUT losing by one stings like you won't believe...

Who do you want revenge on more, the SALVO team for their OT win or the CORE team for their one-point win a year ago?

Both were enjoyable games, both to us and the audiences of CGS. Revenge is a word that does not apply in this context, however. We would ABSOLUTELY love to play both those teams again. I'm sure that'd inspire more great moments to further push the envelope for our sport and at the end of the day, when there is no more applause, that's what it is all about at this point -- helping to create something that can excite people and last in a space where there was nothing before "we" came along. If people talk about those matches or their re-matches years down the line, then I think we've done something we can not comprehend the reach of today.

Despite any critics' opinions, Vikan believes Mark Dolven to be a top GM.

You've been vocal about your support for Mark Dolven as a General Manager. How do you feel about the general negative view of Dolven and his CORE team?

One of the most fantastic dynamics in any sport is the fans love / hate relationship with different teams. For people to passionately love or hate a team, it means that they have to really care about the sport as well, otherwise those feelings would be invested in other things. If you consider that perspective it is actually a measure of success whether the team in question likes it or not (which I cannot speak for).

As for my relationship with Dolven -- we are friends and from where I come from you support your friends. He is also a top GM in my eyes and if we can have a league full of Dolvens we'd be in great shape, regardless of popular opinion of his role as General Manager or his team's "image" outward to the fans or haters.

If you could make three major changes to the current state of the CGS based on your experience in leagues such as WEG, and your career that has taken you across the globe, what would you change?

1 through 3:
Hold more CGS events

These events are the best I have been to, and I've seen everything eSports has had to offer since 2002, modestly speaking. There is a professionalism here that is unrivaled, from tournament set-up, attention to equipment and player needs, prize money distribution (and actual, timely payout), as well as a global reach.

I am totally convinced that CGS events will appeal to anyone with a passion for [eSports], no matter what their favorite game is, when they can see it in the flesh. My personal opinion is that we are sitting on the winning lottery ticket and I hope we get to share it with as many people in the world-wide community as possible throughout `08 and 2009.

Liefje has gone from being a weaker Dead or Alive Female to one of the strongest international players. What has changed over the past year, and were you aware that her improvement would be as drastic as it has been?

I did not have much choice last year, so it was more a question of trying to instill in her the traits you need to be a successful gamer. I did not really have to, all she needed was time -- the desire to perform, to help the team was passionately in her already and she has come a long way.

There is still plenty left "in the tank" and I'm convinced she can be one of the top contenders in Dead or Alive 4 next year, should she have the hunger to keep improving after our World Final campaign ends this season.

Your Counter-Strike: Source squad has struggled a bit for the past few weeks. Have there been growing pains with the new additions? What is holding them back from their full potential?

Their talent is undeniable. At this point they are only fighting to find their mojo. It's a difficult task but they are all strong personalities, and I have confidence in them being able to find "it" for the next match.

If you were forced to announce a successor to your General Manager position from your roster, who would you say could fill the roll?

bsl's confidence helps to keep his players on track.

I'm happy to say there are several on my team that could fit that ticket, but instead of putting pressure on them by naming them in the interview, let's just see how they can continue to learn about themselves and their personal skills. It is more interesting that way I think.

What is your opinion on the World Final bracket? There has been some fan outrage on the brackets, and a bit of light controversy, are you happy with your position?

There are eight teams. Those eight teams all have their own fans. If we figure out a way to make these eight fanbases happy with one bracket, we might sell our solution to the UN and bring peace to the world.

It's great that people are reacting to the brackets. What I'm trying to say is that someone would [react] regardless of how they turned out. As for the teams they all claim they want to be world champions, and to be that you have to beat whoever is standing in your way. It then seems futile to complain about the order of which you have to stand up to the challenge.

How do you think the ALLIANZ matches up against the OPTX?

Pound for pound we can go toe to toe with that team -- the tools are all there -- I just hope we can play to our potential. If both teams can it will be one to remember on Monday, and as I stated earlier, that's what it's all about.

On a different note, you and I had discussed last year about the difficulty of being the General Manager of the BERLIN ALLIANZ without being German. Has it become any easier in 2008?

Leading the team has become easier with the benefit of hindsight and experiences made last year. We are still doing our best to capture the imagination of the German community and show them the core values and personalities of this team. We work hard on our homepage, www.berlinallianz.com, and through different community initiatives -- some of which have opened some, but not nearly enough, eyes. I do believe we have something in our ten players that is worth supporting and following but as of right now we have not done a good enough job to convey that.

What does it mean to be a BERLINER, and where is my damn shirt?!

To us it means to support each other -- through endless hours of practice, through harsh competition, through sweet victories and bitter defeats. It is about holding our heads high and to be courteous and a force of good whether we come in contact with fans, league and TV executives, sponsors, partners, or the bus driver taking us to the studio. It is about creating a positive identity. It is about knowing that doing this, playing computer and video games for a living, is a PRIVILEGE a vast number of people would sacrifice a lot to be a part of. It's about respecting that and our profession enough to handle ourselves in a manner we can look back on later with pride. It's about creating something together that can be remembered as positive for years to come. And Bobby, you can get your damn shirt here.