Jeff Bergen of The Gaming Goat escorted from Gencon

Joey2k · September 15, 2021, 02:44:05 PM

https://www.boardgamequest.com/the-gaming-goat-ceo-jeff-bergren-escorted-out-of-gen-con/?fbclid=IwAR0AXqg1h7sfeNEpEBM5pRTDwFeEW1TMUhI_B-xwNt84QzsmQ3N4PS0UXTk

No information about why yet.

Apparently he has ruffled some feathers in the past, there are a couple of (too) lengthy threads on BGG with something about a frog and a white power symbol, but does anyone know anything more about this guy?

Google has not been my friend in this matter.

Ghostmaker · September 15, 2021, 02:55:19 PM

Quote from: Joey2k on September 15, 2021, 02:44:05 PM
https://www.boardgamequest.com/the-gaming-goat-ceo-jeff-bergren-escorted-out-of-gen-con/?fbclid=IwAR0AXqg1h7sfeNEpEBM5pRTDwFeEW1TMUhI_B-xwNt84QzsmQ3N4PS0UXTk

No information about why yet.

Apparently he has ruffled some feathers in the past, there are a couple of (too) lengthy threads on BGG with something about a frog and a white power symbol, but does anyone know anything more about this guy?

Google has not been my friend in this matter.

Well, your link talks about his picture of a frog making the 'OK' gesture, which 'has a long history of being a white power symbol' -- which is complete dogshit since that meme came out of fucking 4chan.

Looks like it might be tied up in this: https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/09/15/the-gaming-goat-condemned-by-ttrpg-community-after-being-accused-of-using-white-supremacist-symbol-in-new-tournament-fishing-game/

Which is, of course, more dogshit (not on BTC's part, but the whole 'ermahgerd, OK is white power!' bit).

oggsmash · September 15, 2021, 02:57:54 PM

Long history of white power symbol.... what a fucking crock of shit. Why is it, the people who are so woke know every fucking dogwhistle/conspiracy theory that has ever existed? It seems to me people just make shit up and roll with it. I have no doubt he is trolling their dumbasses with something that exists only in their minds, but if meme trolling people is uber racists, we are doomed as a culture.

Mithgarthr · September 15, 2021, 03:05:25 PM

Quote from: oggsmash on September 15, 2021, 02:57:54 PM
Why is it, the people who are so woke know every fucking dogwhistle/conspiracy theory that has ever existed? It seems to me people just make shit up and roll with it.

That's literally what happens, haha. The beautiful autists on /pol/ make up something ridiculous (like the whole OK/white power thing) that is just believable enough, then they spread it pretending to be SJWs and acting like it's a "real" thing. Then real SJWs latch on to it thinking it's real, effectively making it real, with the chans laughing about it the whole way through. 4chan memes shit into reality often, it seems. Weird (but hilarious) timeline we're in, lads.

Joey2k · September 15, 2021, 03:12:10 PM

Honestly looks more like that frog is playing the circle game to me

Mithgarthr · September 15, 2021, 03:17:30 PM

Quote from: Joey2k on September 15, 2021, 03:12:10 PM
Honestly looks more like that frog is playing the circle game to me

I'd wager at least 90% of people who've been called out for making a "white power" symbol were doing just that, not even realizing there was a group of insane people waiting just around the corner to pounce and yell "RACISM!"

As for the frog, I literally just Googled "frog hands" and it takes zero effort to see THAT IS JUST A WAY THAT FROGS HAPPEN TO HOLD THEIR HANDS.

Thorn Drumheller · September 15, 2021, 03:34:01 PM

Well who said that things are supposed to make sense lately. Sometimes I think I'm living an episode of The Twilight Zone when it comes to gaming related stuff.

Oh and anyone who's at GenCon. Has John Wick picked a fight yet?

Ratman_tf · September 15, 2021, 03:45:37 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on September 15, 2021, 02:55:19 PM

Looks like it might be tied up in this: https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/09/15/the-gaming-goat-condemned-by-ttrpg-community-after-being-accused-of-using-white-supremacist-symbol-in-new-tournament-fishing-game/

Melan · September 15, 2021, 04:03:57 PM

Am I to understand that you can now rent a stand at GenCon, then get thrown out (without a refund?) due to an Internet-based hate campaign? How is that not breach of contract? How can you do business with GenCon after one similar event? I mean, even if it does not happen to you. Would you invest your time and money in participating?

Mindboggling.

RebelSky · September 15, 2021, 04:07:54 PM

Quote from: Thorn Drumheller on September 15, 2021, 03:34:01 PM
Well who said that things are supposed to make sense lately. Sometimes I think I'm living an episode of The Twilight Zone when it comes to gaming related stuff.

Oh and anyone who's at GenCon. Has John Wick picked a fight yet?

We skipped Twilight Zone and went full Idiocracy when people fell for the Toilet Paper Apocalypse of 2020.

Thorn Drumheller · September 15, 2021, 04:42:40 PM

Quote from: RebelSky on September 15, 2021, 04:07:54 PM
Quote from: Thorn Drumheller on September 15, 2021, 03:34:01 PM
Well who said that things are supposed to make sense lately. Sometimes I think I'm living an episode of The Twilight Zone when it comes to gaming related stuff.

Oh and anyone who's at GenCon. Has John Wick picked a fight yet?

We skipped Twilight Zone and went full Idiocracy when people fell for the Toilet Paper Apocalypse of 2020.

True, true. smh

lordmalachdrim · September 15, 2021, 04:49:44 PM

Quote from: Melan on September 15, 2021, 04:03:57 PM
Am I to understand that you can now rent a stand at GenCon, then get thrown out (without a refund?) due to an Internet-based hate campaign? How is that not breach of contract? How can you do business with GenCon after one similar event? I mean, even if it does not happen to you. Would you invest your time and money in participating?

Mindboggling.

This is where GenCon has been for a while now, and why anyone still spends money on the thing is beyond me.

DM_Curt · September 15, 2021, 04:52:18 PM

Quote from: Thorn Drumheller on September 15, 2021, 03:34:01 PM
Well who said that things are supposed to make sense lately. Sometimes I think I'm living an episode of The Twilight Zone when it comes to gaming related stuff.

Oh and anyone who's at GenCon. Has John Wick picked a fight yet?

I really hope he has.

Ghostmaker · September 16, 2021, 08:51:29 AM

Looking at the GenCon post, they may have ejected Bergren but opted to leave his company stand/stall/whatever there for others to run it.

As far as getting turfed, GenCon does have the obligatory blurb:

"Gen Con LLC Event Management reserves the right to deny entry or remove from the Event facilities any person who in Event Management's sole and absolute discretion is behaving or threatening to behave in a manner which Event Management reasonably considers to be disruptive of the Event."

That being said, I'm not sure if you can play that card as easily with business vendors as you can with simple con attendees. There may be complications. However, take that with a grain of salt; I'd want to see whatever contracts got signed.

Ocule · September 16, 2021, 12:17:00 PM

He really should keep quiet for the moment and speak to a lawyer. Really why the hell would anyone actually agree to such arbitrary terms without a conditional refund.