ZooMaa criticizes “excuses” from amateur CoD players not in the CDL

Jacob Hale
ZooMaa New York Subliners

New York Subliners’ Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto has criticized amateur Call of Duty players making “excuses” about why they haven’t been picked up by a Call of Duty League team.

ZooMaa is fast becoming considered a veteran of the Call of Duty esports scene, having been around for a few years and picked up some championships for the trophy cabinet, so he knows about the grind and he knows the traits that help amateur players become top-tier, pro-level talent.

So, while the CDL teams are once again trying to establish the best rosters they can and preparing for the forthcoming season, the Italian Stallion had a few words for the amateurs on their way up.

ZooMaa has seen a lot of success in CoD — but clearly doesn’t have the patience for amateur players’ excuses.

There has been a lot of discussion about which players should occupy which spots during this rostermania period, especially with the reduction of roster sizes from five to four and a number of top amateur players looking like they’re ready for the big leagues.

It looks, though, as though some may be getting a bit ahead of themselves, at least according to ZooMaa.

In a series of tweets posted on September 23, he called out CoD amateurs “making bulls**t excuses,” telling them they need to stop.

He advised them: “Get yourself in Challengers this year & prove to people why you should be on a CDL team. If you’re a good teammate, talented, right attitude, etc… you’ll get picked up.”

OpTic Gaming’s Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat even backed ZooMaa by saying that it’s “easier now than it ever has been” to get a chance.

When one person responded with what ZooMaa would probably consider to be an ‘excuse,’ he bit back, making it clear that nobody had it easy coming up through the scene, saying that he played academy soccer, held down a job, and went to college while trying to go pro, so he knows how much it takes.

Tommy is the type of player that doesn’t hold his cards too close to his chest and isn’t afraid to share his opinion and, since he’s been there and done it all already, is probably a player worth listening to when he offers advice.

It’s possible we see more amateurs coming up in the next CDL season, but it remains to be seen who makes the list of new contenders.

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About The Author

Jacob is Dexerto’s UK Editor and Call of Duty esports specialist. With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing, he previously worked as an Editor at Ginx TV. Jacob was nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Contact: jacob.hale@dexerto.com.