As I said in the previous post, the top contributing factors are most likely Starcraft Brood War pros showing up to play SC2, and also the inclusion of League of Legends and its absolutely mammoth fanbase.

FORBES: MLG Demolishes Viewer Records at Spring Championship

But by the weekend before the taping, I decided not to study up, or even brood very much.

CNN: Talking Race With The President

Brood X, it seems, is splitting up, and a new 13-year cicada population is evolving.

ECONOMIST: The 17-year cicadas are about to emerge in force

Over the past month, the periodical cicadas of Brood XIII, native to the area, have crawled up roots, through the earth's surface and onto tree trunks everywhere, to moult and spread wings.

ECONOMIST: Cicadas in Illinois

The subspecies of cicadas known as Brood X has been underground for the last 17 years, tapped into tree roots, feeding and fattening up.

NPR: Roar of the Cicada