WE has seen more victories than naught lately, and their rise is due largely in part to the addition of 2009 and 820 as the team's coaches. The duo has also taken on the challenge of shoutcasting, and their partnership has been amicably referred to as "2829".
While teams were preparing for GK, 2009 and 820 had the task of shoutcasting the tournament while managing WE. Replays.net reporter approached the duo for a short but insightful interview.
Tell us a bit about how it feels to have each other as a shoutcasting buddy; the two of you look like you have a lot of chemistry on stage.
820: "In the past, when we were still opponents, I have always admired 2009. He even stole our championship title away from us. It feels great that I'm able to shoutcast at his side now; a few years ago, something like this would never have crossed my mind. He's much more experienced than me, and so I'm looking to learn much from him."
2009:: "820 is too modest. I just hope our partnership and what we're doing will make everyone happy. I feel that he's the most knowledgeable shoutcaster in China at the moment, and I feel in good hands when I'm casting with him. I wish our partnership will last and continue for a long time."
Do you guys privately arrange or split parts of the shoutcast to focus on?
2009: "There's nothing specific that one of us have to cover or can only cover. Perhaps I will be more inclined towards offering second-by-second reports of what is happening on the map as well as managing the audience and stirring up the atmosphere. 820, on the other hand, will be more inclined towards analyzing the game from a strategic perspective as well as talking about rhythm and so on."
820: "Yup, there's no specific division of focus. All I want to do is to share my competitive experience with everyone."
820, you can be considered a newcomer in the shoutcasting industry. Share with us your experience so far.
820: "I still have a lot to learn in this business. I think my key learning point has been to remain objective and neutral with my casts, particularly so that I respect the players and not go overboard with my evaluations of them during the game.
Professional players are playing at a standard much higher than mine [or ours], and while at times they may do something that we do not immediately comprehend, there'll always be a logical reason for their choice of actions.
Furthermore, the experience of playing at a grand tournament is way different than that of playing pubs. Committing mistakes during the game is relatively common, and for us shoutcasters, pointing them out is more than enough and we shouldn't be spending too much time harping on their mistake.
Lastly, I feel that while I may be good pals in real life with most of the competitive players, I shouldn't be mixing my relations with them with what I say during the cast. It will affect what I say, and rightfully so, because at offline tournaments we shoutcasters really look up to these players as our idols."
You guys must be exhausted from GK - on one hand you're juggling the shoutcasts, while on the other, you're handling your team WE. How do you balance these two responsibilities?
820: "While I'm casting, my mind will only be thinking about the game itself, and while I'm managing WE, I make sure I give them my full attention."
2009: "Nope, there's virtually no stress on my side."
WE has been improving a lot lately. Do you think it's because the two of you stepped in and managed them well?
820: "Well, our contributions were minimal. The key thing was that the boys trained diligently, and even though there were a few hiccups and distractions along, it was still okay in general. All I can do is offer my take on things and hopefully guide them. After all, DotA is constantly evolving, and once you have stepped down professionally, I feel you should not be imposing too much of what you know (or think you know) about DotA on the players."
2009: "Essentially, the players worked extremely hard. They're still young individuals, so what I do is to get them in the right frame of mind - especially when you compare us to the players from DK and iG.Y in terms of LAN experience."
The two of you is China's most luxurious pair of coaches/managers a team can ask for. Are you confident of taking WE all the way to the top?
820: "As long as there's hard work, anything is possible."
2009: "I'll cooperate well with 820 and live up to King's, the team member's and our sponsors, i-rocks's, expectations of us. While I'm on this matter, let me also add that the tag that is displayed on our crew shirts, i-rocks, rather aptly fits us. So, last but not the least, I hope everyone will continue supporting WE and i-rocks!" 
Links
Replays.net - Original Article
