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Big Mac

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Oct 19, 2006
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I couldn't think of a better title so that will do.

Is there violence in our hobby?

I know of a couple of incidents, such as the one in the derder video on the hyperball field. I know we shout and get angry at refs when we feel a call hasn't gone our way.. I wouldn't include the Joy/dynasty fiasco in this question - that was a go at the refs. Malaga - that was the audience. Some of us get angry when we feel we have been overshot.

Do we actually get the violence often seen in other sports. I mean paintball is filled full of men absolutely stacked with testosterone and adrenaline shooting and holding potentially lethal equipment, im not excluding you ladies out there but your generally in the minority and are usually more good natured than your male counterparts. Im just surprised that , at least nowadays, that there is not more violence.

This is not a complaint - its good that there is less violence. My question is am i being blind or is there actually generally less violence between us than in other sports?

In football you see "fights" well not so much fights but slaps, pushing, and attempted punches.
In rugby you see fights.
In Ice hockey you see fights
In American Football - buddha? are there often fights?

Sorry if its a stupid or pointless question, just something that has been bugging me.
 

Cetanu

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Apr 25, 2006
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I think because the aggression is taken out with the shooting, thats why there's less fights. Arguably you could say the same when you rugby tackle someone, but because there is little contact with other players i guess overshooting isn't seen as a personal attack on you, just part of the balls type thing.
 

Paris

Cheese it!
Feb 13, 2008
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Through marshalling i tend to see much more violence through the adults. The children will argue decisions and shout etc, however being able to shoot each other seems enough for them.

But with the adults its seems that just shooting isnt enough. I have seen 2 fights at work, one of which was mid game where two adults had a scrap over shooting each other too close.

I do also believe that the violence in the sport takes out the need for violent players, as in shooting each other is enough. But there will always be those who need more.
 

Big Mac

My Custom User Title
Oct 19, 2006
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York
Through marshalling i tend to see much more violence through the adults. The children will argue decisions and shout etc, however being able to shoot each other seems enough for them.

But with the adults its seems that just shooting isnt enough. I have seen 2 fights at work, one of which was mid game where two adults had a scrap over shooting each other too close.

I do also believe that the violence in the sport takes out the need for violent players, as in shooting each other is enough. But there will always be those who need more.
i assume this punter days or recball, i actually had not considered this. But now you mention it... Marshalling the big game last year their was one particular player who had a problem with a player and a comment the lead marshall of our section had made and it nearly broke out in the player throwing fisticuffs.
 

sumo89

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May 26, 2005
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i think because its non contact, there's no way people could "accidentally" punch you in the stomach like rugby for example. So there's a bigger mental barrier between getting so angry you want to hurt someone and actually doing it.
Plus if they do something to p!ss you off, like overshooting, you know you can just do it back later.
 

Devrij

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Dec 3, 2007
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I think because we're a small sport, that most of us try to keep ourselves reigned in for the good of the paintball world. I know I conduct myself differently when I feel I represent paintball as a whole, even if it's just by being there at an event. At least that's what I'd like to believe: that we view ourselves as part of a collective. Perhaps I can be pretty naive though :p
 

Buddha 3

Hamfist McPunchalot
I couldn't think of a better title so that will do.

Is there violence in our hobby?

I know of a couple of incidents, such as the one in the derder video on the hyperball field. I know we shout and get angry at refs when we feel a call hasn't gone our way.. I wouldn't include the Joy/dynasty fiasco in this question - that was a go at the refs. Malaga - that was the audience. Some of us get angry when we feel we have been overshot.

Do we actually get the violence often seen in other sports. I mean paintball is filled full of men absolutely stacked with testosterone and adrenaline shooting and holding potentially lethal equipment, im not excluding you ladies out there but your generally in the minority and are usually more good natured than your male counterparts. Im just surprised that , at least nowadays, that there is not more violence.

This is not a complaint - its good that there is less violence. My question is am i being blind or is there actually generally less violence between us than in other sports?

In football you see "fights" well not so much fights but slaps, pushing, and attempted punches.
In rugby you see fights.
In Ice hockey you see fights
In American Football - buddha? are there often fights?

Sorry if its a stupid or pointless question, just something that has been bugging me.

Since you ask...
There's not much fighting in American football. There is at least one incident per game where one guy shoves another in anger, but actual fights I see happening two or three times in our 12 game season. But there is always that "I'll get you next play" thing which might hide a lot of what's happening, camouflaging it as legitimate play (which it may well be).

The reason I think there isn't that much violence in paintball, is that it isn't a contact sport. Actual physical contact between players is very rare and it's hard to throw a punch at somebody that's 20 feet away. So you get the shouting instead.
Most violence starts in a split second. In American football, you get hit in a nasty way, the guy's still there, so your first knee jerk reaction is to punch the sh*t out of him.
In paintball, he's usually a few yards away (at the least), so it usually just boils down to shouting...

Besides those points, looking at the amount of geeks that play paintball, I don't think it really is that much of a testosterone rich sport. Just look at what is arguably the best team in the world, Dynasty consists mostly of kids of whom you just know that they got beaten up by the jocks in their schools...;)
 

cookie_834

P8ntball killed me....
Oct 28, 2004
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ive seen some violence. been in a fight myself. true it was with a team mate but still....

i think its all down to chance. u get two people with the same "im gonna hit him" attitude its bound to happen now and then
 

Big Mac

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Oct 19, 2006
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Besides those points, looking at the amount of geeks that play paintball, I don't think it really is that much of a testosterone rich sport. Just look at what is arguably the best team in the world, Dynasty consists mostly of kids of whom you just know that they got beaten up by the jocks in their schools...;)
i resent that comment :D. At least some of us put up a fight and make them regret doing it, or at least try.

Ahhh punching someone in the face has never ever felt so good, all they did was nick my pen - :eek:.