Tournament overload for some maybe.
Now before someone blows a gasket and starts the ol'flambe (again), a discussion on what it is may help.May I make a constructive suggestion for the PA cup.
Perhaps the PA cup should be pitched at a higher level than for everybody / anybody? i.e. a National Championship for the creme de la creme (similar to Nations Cup X Ball). And as Duffy aleuds to to, not quite the US model either (so you don't have to do everything they do if you like).
If you want a national series that represents geographic regions, towns or cities; you contact the best team in each area and ask them to field a team. Or organise a trial for the best players in that area. You could do this through their local site or whatever, but with teams made up of players that are geographically diverse how do you pick an area to represent?.
It also throws up potential issues were multiple teams are **based** in a single area. At present we are seeing teams saying "we are representing an area", but may not be the best team in that area. No disrespect to Iron Lions, but unless they are all made up of say Tigers, or Shock (as the best teams in this area), can they lay status to this claim. You also have UK Marshals **based** in this area as well, so what you could start doing is pushing the geographical relationship down from cities, to towns to villages to hamlets, as each team HAS to represent a town. This means that sponsorship is surely more difficult to come by (esp for the smaller teams) when you've only get the local greengrocers to ask.
If say London as a team name is taken by a novice team, the series is going to have a credibility problem if the biggest location names (and by extension sponsorship draws), are playing bottom league and the Steeple Bumstead 7 (i.e. a pro team, who couldn't get a city cos a nov nabbed it) are top Div.
Next point to make it hugely credible you need the best names in the country playing it. Now these players are going to be under contract to their teams and current (probably PB orientated) sponsors who are expecting results in the NPPL, Millennium etc. The success of this league is wholly dependent on getting these players in, if you ever want it receive wider publicity. You will have to work with the Paintball companies to allow these players to possibly shoot paint that is outside of their contact, or is the PA cup going to be a one Paint only Tourney (now they're a big win for whoever gets that).
Unfortunately Paintball does not have a wide target group, and there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (or TV millions as in Football). Sponsorship is given when the sponsor believes they will get something in return - increased sales (say Vodafone and Man Utd, whereas the names always on TV and a brand association is formed). Expecting sponsors to cough up cash, and by brand association only reach a small target group is asking a lot. However if the PA cup was to limit team entry to Cities or large identifiable towns, encourage the best players from an area or even representing that area, to play the series, the sponsors may get something out of it. It should also be a bigger media draw than having small town local rags covering it.
By doing this you eliminate the current pressure on teams to play lot's of series, and also lets we forget our current sponsors expect us to play the current events on offer.
A national series such as the PA cup is an obvious extension and a great concept for Paintball, however it's packaging and delivery must be absolutely spot on, otherwise it does just represent another tourney to play. I think the PA cup has raised a lot of questions for players, that are maybe unfair for a fledgling tourney. I think a lot of players would be interested in representing say Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, London etc, but they have to 1) be good enough 2) receive significant backing (probably only available at this level and 3) do so without alienating current sponsors.
Now probably some of you are going to bitch at me, but's it;s just an observation on how it currently appears. I've made a suggestion as to what I think is a good idea, and this is what your aiming for, well excellent (and if it goes down like that I'd be will in for trying to make Team London). If not then take it at FACEVALUE.
