I don't know how many threads we have had concerning the possibility of our sport being televised, probably far too many for my liking if only because we hear the same ole cr@p time and time again.
I've been involved with a few initiatives with production companies and all have come to nothing, as did every other initiative I have heard of.
The reason is simple, we do not have a focal point for our game in the same way as other sports have balls for example ..
We have ten guys all running out to a brightly couloured dumpling, and at varying times throughout the game, people get up and walk off .... sometimes we might even have people leaving the relative safety of their orange coloured dumpling and running toward the opposition either getting shot or shooting a couple of opponents ..
I'm readily aware our sport is soo much more than that but for the uninitiated, that's exactly what it is and is also why we haven't succeeded thus far and maybe won't succeed ... who knows?
But today, I went to a meeting with a program production company called Endemol who have recently opened up a sports arm to their business and want to expand their horizons outside of the mainstream sport portfolio most TV programs cover.
I went with Adamantum, one of our mods to this meeting as he works for Endemol and he set up this meeting today.
He's got a pragmatic handle on our sport and will prove invaluable in the next few months if indeed any option for this program is taken up by Endemol.
Is there any indication that this initiative will end up differently to all the others?
Probably not .. not at this point anyway ... but we might have a glimmer of a chance because they are looking to angle in on paintball in a slightly different way which utlilises a newish type format of placing 'celebrities' in unfamiliar circumstances or being faced with unusual trials ....
The plan beforehand though is to take a few production people to this year's Campaign Cup and I think this alone will prove crucial to whether not they decide to continue with this new initiative.
I've cleared the way with a phone call to the necessary powers-that-be in the Millennium [Steve Baldwin] and I've also lined up the industry side of things should we need any help.
Our sport now has to speak for itself but as I see it .. we live or die on the way these guys decide to initially approach how we televise our sport and what they feel about what they see at the up and coming UK Millennium .. I don't think there is any mileage in trying to go down the game coverage format whereby we focus upon games as other sports such as football or rugby are done; our sport just doesn't support that type coverage .. this leaves the 'lifestyle' angle but unfortunately nobody gives a damn about people they have never heard of and so, something new is needed.
At least those present today all know the problems we face and this in itself will prove beneficial as time goes on because there is no way we are gonna allow the same mistakes to be made.
This all might fall flat on its face tomorrow .. it may fall on its face in 3 month's time but at least it's another bite at the cherry ..
I've been involved with a few initiatives with production companies and all have come to nothing, as did every other initiative I have heard of.
The reason is simple, we do not have a focal point for our game in the same way as other sports have balls for example ..
We have ten guys all running out to a brightly couloured dumpling, and at varying times throughout the game, people get up and walk off .... sometimes we might even have people leaving the relative safety of their orange coloured dumpling and running toward the opposition either getting shot or shooting a couple of opponents ..
I'm readily aware our sport is soo much more than that but for the uninitiated, that's exactly what it is and is also why we haven't succeeded thus far and maybe won't succeed ... who knows?
But today, I went to a meeting with a program production company called Endemol who have recently opened up a sports arm to their business and want to expand their horizons outside of the mainstream sport portfolio most TV programs cover.
I went with Adamantum, one of our mods to this meeting as he works for Endemol and he set up this meeting today.
He's got a pragmatic handle on our sport and will prove invaluable in the next few months if indeed any option for this program is taken up by Endemol.
Is there any indication that this initiative will end up differently to all the others?
Probably not .. not at this point anyway ... but we might have a glimmer of a chance because they are looking to angle in on paintball in a slightly different way which utlilises a newish type format of placing 'celebrities' in unfamiliar circumstances or being faced with unusual trials ....
The plan beforehand though is to take a few production people to this year's Campaign Cup and I think this alone will prove crucial to whether not they decide to continue with this new initiative.
I've cleared the way with a phone call to the necessary powers-that-be in the Millennium [Steve Baldwin] and I've also lined up the industry side of things should we need any help.
Our sport now has to speak for itself but as I see it .. we live or die on the way these guys decide to initially approach how we televise our sport and what they feel about what they see at the up and coming UK Millennium .. I don't think there is any mileage in trying to go down the game coverage format whereby we focus upon games as other sports such as football or rugby are done; our sport just doesn't support that type coverage .. this leaves the 'lifestyle' angle but unfortunately nobody gives a damn about people they have never heard of and so, something new is needed.
At least those present today all know the problems we face and this in itself will prove beneficial as time goes on because there is no way we are gonna allow the same mistakes to be made.
This all might fall flat on its face tomorrow .. it may fall on its face in 3 month's time but at least it's another bite at the cherry ..
