Jon Lunceford
Jon Lunceford (born January 27, 1987 in Birmingham, Alabama), also known by the pseudonym Phoenix or skootz, is a professional electronic sports player, coach, and journalist.
Biography
Playing Career
Lunceford began his gaming career with HaLo 2 in the Cyberathlete Amateur League. Shortly following his success as an amateur, he switched to Gears of War in late 2006. Lunceford started a gaming organization known as tsX Gaming, but dropped the organization following Major League Gaming's original announcement of no Gears of War on their 2007 Pro Circuit. However, MLG soon announced Gears of War for their second tour stop in New Jersey (MLG Meadowlands), which brought Lunceford back into the game.
After competing in MLG for two events during the summer of 2007, Lunceford took a break from competitive gaming until the summer of 2008 due to playing college football back home in Birmingham. When he started back up in 2008, he began playing in the World Cyber Games (WCG) in Carom 3D. Lunceford was injured during a summer football workout shortly after beginning his WCG career. After a grueling surgery, Lunceford was forced to withdraw from the WCG Regional qualifier in Dallas, TX. However, the WCG granted Lunceford a pass to play online from his home due to his surgery keeping him from traveling. Lunceford went on to win the regional event and healed just in time to travel to Los Angeles, California for the WCG National Championship.
While forced to stay at home for the WCG regional event, Lunceford decided to compete in the last second qualifier for Red Stone online, and qualified 2nd. At the WCG National Championship, Lunceford competed in both Carom 3D and Red Stone. After winning the Red Stone championship, Lunceford qualified for the World Finals as a member of Team USA . In Cologne, Germany, Lunceford and his Red Stone teammate, Zach Wolters, finished 4th at the WCG World Finals.
After WCG in 2008, Lunceford decided to go back and compete in MLG with Gears of War 2 during the 2009 season. After practicing in the off-season, Lunceford decided to coach, and not play due to time issues with finishing up college. Lunceford coached in Meadowlands, Columbus, Dallas, and Anaheim before retiring from coaching. Also in 2009, Lunceford competed in WCG again. Lunceford qualified in Carom 3D for the WCG US Finals where he competed and ended his group play in a 3-way tie that he lost, and finished 5th. However, one week after the US Finals, GamersFirst, the developer for Red Stone, decided to hold a tournament to choose a team to send to the WCG Grand Finals for the USA. Lunceford got his team together, Cool Runnings, and they competed and defeated over 10 other teams from the United States to qualify. They then went on to Chengdu, China for the 2009 WCG Grand Finals, and finished in 3rd place.
After the 2009 WCG Grand Finals, Lunceford decided to take a break from serious competitive gaming so that he could have time to work on a focus for the 2010 season. He also continues to maintain his personal site, and GameNation. He is also working with some fellow Carom 3D players to start up the United States Carom Association (USCA) to help promote Carom 3D in the USA.
Writing/Working Career
Lunceford's working career in eSports dates back as long as his playing career does. While playing Halo 2 in CAL, Lunceford decided to step in and be an admin as well. He worked with CAL, and eventually the CPL for a short time before its closure, for AbOUT a year and a half. He worked his way from admin to GM of all console titles, as well as a member of the console competition committee for the CPL before their final world tour.
Lunceford began working for Amped eSports in early 2007 as a console writer. Lunceford stayed with the company until late 2007 after the season was done for the year and the company had become Gameriot . Lunceford also left the CPL and CAL around the same time due to the company's failing final season.
After leaving CAL and Gameriot, Lunceford began to work for MLG as event staff in early 2008. He worked until August 2008 when he was let go after competing in the WCG National Championships (who is thought of as a rival league). Lunceford then began working with MoB Gaming, one of the major gaming organizations in the United States, after becoming a sponsored player for WCG. He went on to become the Vice President of Content for the organization, and stayed on board until April of 2009 when Lunceford left with his Gears of War team after a disagreement with the team.
After leaving MoB, Lunceford continued coaching in MLG, and competing in WCG as an independent player. While independent, Lunceford began working on a Gears of War competitive community called GoW Nation to help promote the game. He continues to operate it today, but has changed the name to GameNation and hopes to turn it into a competitive news site for console and lesser known competitive games.
He now works independently, running GameNation and working with the USCA. There are many rumors surrounding what he will do next, but most point to that he will either work on starting and managing his own gaming organization, or he will retire completely from playing to work primarily doing media coverage for gaming across the globe.
Alternate Names
Lunceford goes by the name Phoenix through most of gaming, but switched to the name skootz for WCG in 2008. He only uses skootz for WCG as an alternate name and identity for PC games. Lunceford only uses Phoenix through MLG, and continues to use skootz through WCG and all other leagues such as ESL and other online ventures.
Notable accomplishments
Carom 3D
- 1st WCG Southern Online Qualifiers, 2008
- 1st WCG Southern Regionals, Dallas, TX - 2008
- 4th WCG National Championship, Los Angeles, CA - 2008
- 1st WCG West Online Qualifier - 2009
- 5th WCG National Championship, New York, NY - 2009
- 4th ESL 2v2 Autumn Snooker Cup - [[2009]
Red Stone
- 1st WCG Online Qualifier - 2008
- 1st WCG National Championship, Los Angeles, CA - 2008
- 4th WCG World Finals, Cologne, Germany - 2008
- 1st WCG National Championship - 2009
- 3rd WCG World Finals, Chengdu, China - 2009
Gears of War
- Top 24 MLG Meadowlands (Fact or Fiction), Secaucus, NJ - 2007
- Top 24 MLG Dallas (Fact or Fiction), Dallas, TX - 2007
- 4th MLG Meadowlands (MoB Deep - Coach), Secaucus, NJ - 2009
- 11th MLG Columbus (AmazYn - Coach), Columbus, OH - 2009
- 12th MLG Dallas (vVv The Truth - Coach), Dallas, TX - 2009
- 2nd MLG Anaheim (Get Bronco - Coach), Anaheim, CA - 2009
Trackmania
- 8th ESWC National Finals - 2008
- Top 8 WCG Worldwide Qualifier #1 - 2009
- Top 16 WCG Worldwide Qualifier #2 - 2009
Modern Warfare 2
- 7th WCG Holiday Heroes - 2009
Personal Life
Lunceford has been known for his work in sports journalism around the south . He was featured in USA Today for his breaking of Tony Franklin being fired as Auburn's offensive coordinator. He has also been a writer for his school paper, and as a freelancer. He also works for a local sports radio station from time to time.
In 2007, Lunceford played football for Birmingham-Southern College before having to quit due to career ending surgery for a foot injury. He now attends the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL and is pursuing a degree in Journalism/Communications.
External links
de:Jon Lunceford es:Jon Lunceford fr:Jon Lunceford fi:Jon Lunceford tr:Jon Lunceford