Is Reunification still in the cards?

[Baca Loco]

Aight, kids.While I's got nothin' against all the Campaign talk it's kinda hard to get too excited about it. However, it could be, depending on how you read the tea leaves, that reunification isn't as dead as a door nail. The thing is this: recently Dye signs on, late in the season, to be a platinum sponsor of the rival paintball league. Hmmmm. Making this more intriguing is the rumored factoid that the PSP has also recently reorg'ed in such a way that Dave D. (the Dye guy) has operational control of the league for ownership decisions. Hmmmm.
Okay, so this doesn't mean anything necessarily but ... c'mon. Why would Dave shell out to help out the "other" league? Is it a gesture? Is it more than that? Has something unsuspected been cooking on the back burner unnoticed?
Your guess isn't as good as mine but take your best shot. What's it all mean?

 

[Robbo]

Aight, kids.While I's got nothin' against all the Campaign talk it's kinda hard to get too excited about it. However, it could be, depending on how you read the tea leaves, that reunification isn't as dead as a door nail. The thing is this: recently Dye signs on, late in the season, to be a platinum sponsor of the rival paintball league. Hmmmm. Making this more intriguing is the rumored factoid that the PSP has also recently reorg'ed in such a way that Dave D. (the Dye guy) has operational control of the league for ownership decisions. Hmmmm.
Okay, so this doesn't mean anything necessarily but ... c'mon. Why would Dave shell out to help out the "other" league? Is it a gesture? Is it more than that? Has something unsuspected been cooking on the back burner unnoticed?
Your guess isn't as good as mine but take your best shot. What's it all mean?

Don't read too much into Dye's decision to hook up as a platinum sponsor, the PSP's disposition toward the NPPL and Dave's decision to become a NPPL sponsor have got nothing to do with each other and Dave's move certainly doesn't represent the other members of the PSP.

Dave decided to become a Platinum sponsor for two reasons, firstly because it was beneficial to Dye and secondly because sponsor conditions were made extremely attractive.

I can say this much, if the integration of the two leagues was left to the respective personalities from each league to sort out then it will NEVER happen.

There will only be one reason these guys work it out and one reason only, money ....or rather lack of it.

One might think that politics, commonsense or even vendor logistics might have provided sufficient motive to get these guys to come to some sort of resolution but recent history has self-evidently proved otherwise.
That age old essential of finances will prove to be the main dynamic and in my opinion, it's just a matter of time and circumstance; the only thing that really changes in this is the number of aces people hold by the time the deal is done.
It amazes me just how strategically incompetent this whole affair has been and would have Sergey laughing all the way back to his bank in Moscow.
Still, it's comforting to know these guys have the fate of Paintball in their hands......

 

[ChuckC]

Next event is in San Diego.

DYE is in San Diego.

DYE wants a big presence at a big event in their hometown.

DYE did the same thing at the same time last year.

 

[MissyQ]

While I don't feel we are any closer to re-uniication at the moment, I still think it is the natural and sensible way to go, for all concerned. Personally I was disappointed it didn't happen last year and I am even more disappointed this year.
I won't mince my words, I blame Smart Parts and believe they are holding the whole job back, yet again.
First they starve the industry of funds by suing everyone that they can - setting things back 2-3 years, then they ruin a legit free-airtime deal the industry had already secured to produce info-mercials with thier own corporate slant (which isn't even a cool one).
I think it's a real shame, and my personal opinion of those fxcks is at an all-time low - which believe me, is really something!

Dye stepped up for the last 2 events because they are in CA. They can up the sponsorship and still save money from not moving the trucks across country.

 

[Chicago]

Are you seriously suggesting that a free airtime arrangement was ruined by SP's willingness to buy an infomertial?

One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. The network has airtime. The network wants to monitize that airtime. The network will PAY MONEY to get programming as long as they can sell commercials during that programming to cover the programming costs and the airtime revenue. They will air absolutely anything and everything for free *IF* they can sell advertising during that program to get the airtime revenue they want.

You seem to think that the network won't air your programming for free because Smart Parts will pay to have their programming aired. This is not true. The network won't air your programming for free for one reason ad one reason only: They can't sell enough advertising during your program to make it worth it.

If ESPN COULD sell enough advertising because of your program, they would much rather let you air your program for free than they would let Smart Parts buy an infomertial. Why? Because if they let you air your program for free, they get to keep most of the ad inventory, and they get all the money from selling the ads. If they let Smart Parts buy the infomertial, Smart Parts gets most of the ad inventory.

IMG/TWI gave paintball a shot. They made the program. They tried to sell the program. They didn't get enough interest to warrant doing the program again. That's all there is to it. Maybe someday, a Pro league with a clue will put together a marketing machine worth some money and run a format that isn't totally boring and get a producer who knows what they are doing and spend enough money on editing ALL ON THE SAME PROGRAM and we'll get somewhere. Until we manage to do that, we're not providing advertisers with something they want to buy and we can't expect free airtime.

 

[MissyQ]

Yes Chicago, thats what I am saying. I admit that your post makes 'some' sense - of the common variety - but then this morning my stool had 'some' corn in it - don't mean I want to smear it with butter and throw it on the BBQ...
But yes, trust me on this one. The reality is that SP buying the airtime did scupper the NPPL deal, or rather put it on hold. Its not over, but its a fxck-load more difficult than it was before and it will likely cost money now. And yes, I am seriously saying this. I'm not sure you totally understand the way all this works. You appear to be talking as some kind of authority, and yet nothing you say ties up with what IMG/ESPN say to us. Maybe you know something they don't.....

 

[Robbo]

While I don't feel we are any closer to re-uniication at the moment, I still think it is the natural and sensible way to go, for all concerned. Personally I was disappointed it didn't happen last year and I am even more disappointed this year.
I won't mince my words, I blame Smart Parts and believe they are holding the whole job back, yet again.
First they starve the industry of funds by suing everyone that they can - setting things back 2-3 years, then they ruin a legit free-airtime deal the industry had already secured to produce info-mercials with thier own corporate slant (which isn't even a cool one).
I think it's a real shame, and my personal opinion of those fxcks is at an all-time low - which believe me, is really something!

Dye stepped up for the last 2 events because they are in CA. They can up the sponsorship and still save money from not moving the trucks across country.

Whilst me and you agree on almost all things Missy, I gotta differ with you here because although what you said has probably affected proceedings, I think there are other things that have been bought into play that equally affected integration, if not more.

The NPPL recently had a unique opportunity to cleave a wedge between the Gardners/ Braun and the rest of the guys on the PSP and that lost opportunity was the biggest strategic mistake of all time if we view these last 5 years or so as some sort of conflict.

If the NPPL had upheld what was talked about around the table in terms of what was formalised by email, then you know as well as I do mate, the Gardners and Braun would have been marginalized.

And worse, because of that lost opportunity and the way in which it was lost, the NPPL put those same guys you could have had as bedfellows, against you, and they are now ironically in league (pun intended) with Billy and Adam which makes things doubly worse, so the NPPL has now managed to slap itself in the face twice ...

Now this strategy is fine, but for one slight consideration, you can only adopt it from a position of strength and I'm afraid that is not the case unless you have one of two things :-

a) A commissioned TV deal or
b) A significant outside sponsor

because without either of those, the NPPL is now reliant upon vendor and team revenue streams and I'm afraid the vendor portfolio has already contracted.

And so, it's a frikkin' mess Missy, you know it, I know it, we all do.
Billy and Adam are no more to blame than anyone else here mate, it's just that you are pitched on the other side because I am sure if I went knocking on their door, they would aim the blame at Chuck and Co.

In my opinion, you all need a f'kin good hiding
And then I'll go get Sergey and let him run the damned thing coz looking at it all from here, u guys couldn't run a bath let alone a unified league

 

[Baca Loco]

Chuck--very boring. I seem to recall a big Dye set-up in HB. Do they get a bigger one now?

Missy and Chi-town--way to go, ladies, keep up the good work. That's what I'm talking about but you're getting off track a bit. By all means don't let that stop you.

EDIT ADDED: Whoa! Atomic drop from Robo! It's a clean knock-out! Ba-boom. Now whose having fun?

 

[MissyQ]

Pete - so what was it we had different opinions on then?

 

[Robbo]

Pete - so what was it we had different opinions on then?

Missy, you seemed to infer SP were the prime reason unification wasn't happening, am I wrong to read that into what you posted?