I just found this thread.
I'll confess that at the beginning I wasn't sure I wanted to listen to two hours of you guys...
but I am glad I did. I really enjoyed it, and I have been thinking about similar issues with paintball for a while. It brought back a LOT of great memories.
I stopped playing tournaments for many of the same reasons you guys discussed. I'm too big, old and slow, and it sucks getting lit up and overshot by some little kids that don't know how to control or look after the technology they have in their hands.
I find myself back in the woods (more often that not playing with a pump) and enjoying myself again. I'm only playing recreationally but have been itching to play tournaments again.
Some part of competition paintball (local and national level, I know Tom Cole is doing the UWL) needs to recover that aspect. We need more local woodsball tournaments all across the globe.
I also found it interesting when he mentions taking care of his equipment and looking to have a competitive advantage.
That's so rare nowadays. Most lower division players and rec players know more about their equipment and how to make it work at it's best than the pro players do.
I'm so often stunned by how badly the Pro's have their equipment. Sometimes it's amazing that they even win. Teams that have support and look after their equipment do have an advantage, but from the time I spend working in the pits it often seems to be an afterthought for many of them.
EDIT: p.s. I have for the last year or so been looking to pick up a nice Predator Cocker. If anyone knows of one, or wants to work out a trade let me know.