The Support Hot Potato

Who wants to be left with the support hot potato?

How often does this happen when you queue up for a game of “League of Legends?” The champ selection screen pops up, everyone is eager to call out their roles and then the frantic race to lock in before you are left with something you don’t want to play begins.

In most cases, the “hot potato” that many players don’t want to fall into their palms is the support role. Oh gosh, the supposedly “dreaded” support role. Being left with support duties can compel some individuals to complain, argue and even troll their way out of the position at all costs.

I see it happen all the time. The lengths some people will go through to resist the support role can be borderline absurd. Like, they can make it into a really big deal when it really doesn’t have to be. Honestly.

Below are five random things about the support hot potato that grinds my gears. In no particular order of significance.
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1. Some people hate support so much that they will play “chicken” with their teammates in the champ select.
It is a sad sight to see. When you come across some people who do things like pick “unorthodox” champions to be the support role or they select a bad Summoner Spell pairing on purpose (e.g. Clarity and Revive) to prompt a queue dodge from their teammates. It is immature and silly.

2. Why don’t some people who get the support hot potato just queue dodge themselves?
This one honestly baffles me at times. I don’t understand why some players just don’t queue dodge themselves to spare everyone the agony of putting up with someone who really hates the role. It is a lot easier than trying to force someone else to do the deed for you. You will probably make it worse for yourself and your teammates if no one decides to dodge the queue.

3. Love it or hate it, the support hot potato is bound to fall into your hands sooner or later.
No matter how much some people dislike getting the support hot potato, it is still a vital position and necessary component toward achieving victory in a standard LoL match. Honestly, some people just need to bite the bullet and just play the role as best as they can, even if they hate it. Stomach it for a match or two. It won’t kill you.

4. Dinking around because you’re clearly agitated with having the support hot potato is reportable.
The moment you start trolling because you are upset with being the team’s support, you will probably be reported 9/10 times. I don’t care who you are. How good your skills are … Being the guy/gal who wants to sabotage their team’s chances of winning is never cool. Fine, you have to be the support role. Deal with it. There is never an excuse to game ruin.

5. Why not learn how to play support better?
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that some people who end up with the support hot potato are probably going to be mediocre or worse at the position. Support gets a bad reputation in the game, and of course getting the one person who is so “lazy” to do standard things like ward and whatnot just further hurts the support role for others.

Like, I am someone who mains support and jungle, and there are moments where I don’t want to play support for the team as well. However, there are certainly days where playing the support role is a nice change of pace because it can teach you a lot of valuable skills that translate over into the other roles (e.g. map awareness). In other words, the support role doesn’t have to be “boring” as some individuals like to think. The fun in being a support is knowing that you are helping your team win if you are doing your part. I honestly feel rewarded as a player when my teammates appreciate what I am doing as the team’s support.
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So yeah, the next time you queue up, be on the lookout for the support hot potato. If you like playing support, then there is more power to you. Otherwise, be ready to put up with those who would rather watch their team lose, as opposed to catching the support hot potato with both hands and accepting responsibility.