They still cheated anyways. >:/

@Background Pony #982D  
Overall agree with all points. (Though this if it were possible for all pegasus or earth teams it would be tolerable as overcoming their limitations would still celebrate the race and prove them balanced. Unicorns are “balanced” by the rarity of those who can preform more than telekinesis, but that’s proven too easy to disregard when the plot calls for such.) Glad we could reach consensus.

@Background Pony #4FC3  
I think the only reason the team was allowed to play was because Celestia wanted them to be able to, and she was the ruler at the time (plus Twilight wouldn’t know how to say no to her). My guess is that (hopefully) this is just a special case, and that in the pro-leagues this is not allowed.
 
I’m not trying to compare this to real life, because it is a very different situation since the pony types have their own unique abilities. I think the game’s incorporation of each species’ magical ability is a really neat gimmick, and that it sets this game apart from the other sports of Equestria.
 
To be honest, I think a big part of it that the writers themselves made unicorns way to overpowered. They are very far from balanced, and it makes the other two species look obsolete. I think this all could’ve been avoided if the writers did a better job at balancing out all three types of pony.

@Background Pony #982D  
I agree with your points, but all unicorn-teams being against the original intent and spirit of the doesn’t mean it’s against the rules. They would not have been allowed to compete if it was against actual rules. There are problems with their competing and winning but rules are just a symptom of them.
 
The rule is “speciesist” because it doesn’t allow, but forces, ponies into a specific role thereby limiting them. If a sports rule stated only certain genders or ethnicities were allowed for a specific place on the team would that not be considered offensive? (Or since it’s about magical powers causing such allegories not to apply why is this a big deal? If it’s unicorns being OP than artificially imposed rules won’t fix it, see Starlight’s village, only overhauling/establishing the magic system to make them balanced will so anger at this Buckball match is anger at the wrong issue.)
 
If it were possible for all pegasus or earth pony teams to participate would that be as objectionable?

@Background Pony #4FC3  
In Buckball Season, it is made pretty clear that each team must have one pony of each type. It’s they way the game was made, and is meant to be played that way. Common Ground also states that the point of the game is that all ponies (Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi) can enjoy both playing and watching the game. Having teams be composed of a pony from each type ensures that that can happen.
 
Plus, I don’t know how this rule is “speciesist”, for it literally allows all three types of ponies a chance to play on a team. It is a neat little concept, which helps make the sport cool and unique.
 
Lastly, the fact that the unicorn team won makes me think it wasn’t all that disadvantageous for them after all. It was mostly the fact that they were even allowed to play, being a unicorn team, that would be considered cheating. This is especially so due to it being impossible for an all earth pony or pegasus team. If all-unicorn teams were allowed, it would make it so that fewer earth ponies and pegasi would be able to play the game. The rule was created so that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.

@Background Pony #DE3B  
How’s it unfair as the all unicorn team is at a disadvantage lacking earth strength or pegasus flight (the wing spell works no better than natural flight)? Are you referring to something else as unfair?
 
The one pony of each race thing was never an official rule, and the game wasn’t created for the sake of equality. You could even argue unicorn overcoming the speciesist rule made the game more equal.
 
I can see and agree with how unicorns being more equal than others is objectionable, but that was a problem long before this. Buckball is a band-aid for that problem which only giving unicorn magic clear weakness/limitations compared to others can fix.
 
If an all earth pony or pegasus team won would that be as objectionable?

I really don’t like the idea of an all-unicorn team. It breaks the first rule of buckball, and just defeats the point of the game. The idea is that this is a game where the three pony types have to work together to win the game. Having an all unicorn team not only ruins this, but it is unfair to the other team (and non-unicorns as a whole). The fact that the all-unicorn team actually won, just adds insult to injury. I hope that this was just a one-time exception, because it really ruined the dynamic of the game.

@Background Pony #4FC3  
It’s also speciest at best.

@Background Pony #F599  
They apparently changed that rule or it wasn’t a hard and fast rule. That also sounds like a racist rule they’d want to do away with and the sort only brought up by those salty about the outcome.

@Incursor  
SO WHAT?!!! It’s still cheating because they are still all Unicorns. AND THAT’S NOT ALLOWED IN BUCKBALL!

@Background Pony #F599  
That’s the opposite of cheating as said unicorn were handicapping themselves going up against earth and pegasus ponies without using magic to compensate for the former and merely break even with the latter.

@Incursor  
Ponyville’s Buckball team are the true winners because they have the right kind of ponies: Pinkie Pie (Earth Pony), Snails (Unicorn), and Fluttershy (Pegasus).
 
Princess Celestia’s Team however is not because despite the glimmer wings and magic suppression items, THEY ARE STILL UNICORNS!

Best episode ever

@Background Pony #F599  
How?

That buckball team is nothing but cheaters. CHEATERS!

Show is called Friendship is Magic. It’s not called Friendship is Flying or Friendship is Farming, is it?

They’re from the School For Gifted Unicorns. They’re ability is above average as opposed to indicative of overall superiority.

Just another piece of flawed writing that we can ignore; don’t get too up in arms about it.

Unicorns are ubermaresh

Was there ever any doubt?

As if there was any doubt.

@Background Human  
I don’t think so. Rarity certainly didn’t use her magic when she had those wings in ‘Sonic Rainboom’.

Unity. Unity wins.

Why doesn’t the defender have a horn ring? You don’t need magic to maintain the wings, do you?

Twilight’s team was put together at the last second, had only a week of practice, and only lost by one point. Not too shabby.