Overwatch League: Dennis Hawelka Award Prospects
| Tags: Overwatch
| Author Joseph Shay
Dennis Hawelka Award: The award that means more than any other.
There is only one award that speaks to who you are as a person, and not just a player. The award that commends you for your hard life's work, and not just the work you do at the mouse and keyboard.
There was no better personality to have on an Overwatch League player than Mickie. Hawelka, also known as INTERNETHULK or just Hulk, was a mentor and close friend of Mickie before he passed.
Mickie did not win this award simply for friendship though. Mickie truly promoted sportsmanship at the highest level and was never seen without a smile on his face. In the second season of the Overwatch League, now caster Scott “Custa” Kennedy won the award for his personality on stream, in the league, and in person. He is an extremely friendly person, and is always quick to remind people that even though it is competitive, it is only a game. At the end of the day every other player in the league should be your friend.
Outside of all this, he also raised over $6,000 in charity for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Season three was quite different though. The focus of the award for that year when given to McGravy was based on his outreach and forwardness when it came to his beliefs on social issues. This was strange to some, as not everybody agrees with McGravy’s social issue stances, but the Overwatch League certainly had only good intentions in mind when giving him this award.
Saebyeolbe
This year, there is truly only one choice. One player who stands above the rest. Before talking about him though, there is a player that many believe should win the award not only because of his outspokenness this year, but because they think he also should’ve won in 2019. Saebyeolbe is a fan favorite player who led the New York Excelsior in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 seasons. His best demonstration of who he is are two defining moments.
The moment captured of him with the picture of his wife that he keeps in his keyboard at every game, and the moment where he took a rookie teammate’s hand during a match when he began to cry as they were moments away from losing and ending their season.
The reason people believe he should win the award this year is due to the comments he made about freedom of speech with some teams and the league in general, specifying that it was about China. Causing the Chinese teams to boycott him for slandering them, while many teams took to spamming, “we stand with SBB” in any chat they could. This is much more controversial than McGravy’s supposed controversy, and the league would never touch it with a ten foot pole.
Now to the man that will very likely take home the well deserved Dennis Hawelka award this season.
Super
Everybody’s favorite player, streamer, content creator, personality. It’s much easier to just say “everybody’s favorite” and leave it at that. Super leaves every room a happier place than when he entered it. Over the last almost two years where people have been quarantined, stressed out and just plain bummed, Super has given a central location for lovers of Overwatch and the Overwatch League to gather and have fun.
Even with his hard work streaming and entertaining, he consistently plays at the highest level in the league whether he plays a full series or a single map. There are many amazing people in the league, but Super has allowed everybody in the community to also be their best, and that is what embodies Hawelka for most of us. The two time Overwatch League Champion will likely be standing in front of a huge crowd with at least a single trophy on the last day of the season.