a question for Robbo

[soul19]

Pete,


I have been noticing from various sources that players have been leaving their respected NXL teams to go back to past practises. Individuals (i would hate to generalize for i have no means to support it) seem to be showing a strong resentment towards the NXL and feel that it is a flawed system. Now i am in no means trying to cause discord (i actually hope that the NXL is highly successful) but is the NXL on the brink of folding? Can they retain players to stay within the league for it appears that a larger portion of high named pro's are leaving and who is coming in to replace them (ex. SC Ironmen). You are a man in the know and it would be nice to hear your thoughts on a rumor that is being spoken.

Thanks in advance,

A fellow Robinson

 

[Robbo]

The main dynamic behind the NXL is its TV deal.
Players in this sense are but pieces on a chessboard that more powerful people move around.
The chessboard is the TV, the real players are the franchise owners / industry etc and the chess pieces are the team individuals.

The viewing public when it finally gets on TV won't know a pro from an amateur, think about it, how will Joe Public be able to tell the difference between two top am teams going at it and two pros ?

If every single pro NXL player left now and all went back to the NPPL to strut their stuff, the NXL would still be televised with replacement young, keen, dedicated players just waiting for the opportunity to get their ass on TV doing the thing they love best, playing paintball.

Players are expendable, especially at this early stage in Paintball's development.

I know of a fair few top players who are pissed off with the NXL, most are pissed because none of them have gotten paid and have at the same time been barred from playing NPPL's and thereby having no chance of getting any prize money.
Now it's all well and good getting pro players to sign contracts that disbar them from playing other circuits, what is stoopid, is not paying them.
You can't tell somebody they can't do this or that and at the same time give them fcuk all.
It makes no sense and breeds discontent, such as has been exampled by the Ironmen players who have quit and also players like Max Lundquist who have had enough and gone back to Joy Division.

But make no mistake about it, the NXL won't fail because of players leaving, it has more serious fracture lines than that.
In-house personality problems, in-house power struggles, ratings problems when they finally hit the airwaves and so much more.
But these are just growing pains that any emergent sports has to go through, it just remains to be seen if we are able to get to our first TV birthday.

 

[IL=Tim the Yank]

Originally posted by Robbo

The viewing public when it finally gets on TV won't know a pro from an amateur, think about it, how will Joe Public be able to tell the difference between two top am teams going at it and two pros ?

If every single pro NXL player left now and all went back to the NPPL to strut their stuff, the NXL would still be televised with replacement young, keen, dedicated players just waiting for the opportunity to get their ass on TV doing the thing they love best, playing paintball.

If the the top players leave there will no doubt be new guys lined up to take their place but will that lower the quality of the game to the point that no one will watch it? You suggest that they will have ratings problems even with most of the best players in the world anyway. If the level of play isn't balls to the wall exciting, will Joe Public tune in? I see the argument that the public won't know the difference b/w 2 amateur and 2 pro teams playing but 2 amateur teams aren't going to be as exciting to watch. When NFL players went on strike in the States, the football games continued but nobody watched them or really cared about the results because the quality of play wasn't there and the games weren't fun to watch. Maybe I'm underestimating the skills of the amateurs (Diesel did beat Dynasty) but there are a hell of a lot more football players in the US than paintballers to fill in the pro's shoes and still the level of play dropped so much people stopped tuning in.

 

[Cannibal_Soup]

btw, will there be a team replacing the ironmen for this season? this may be an oportunity for strange or the dogs to become a new (but not expantion) franchise.
also, if PSP, NPPL, and Millenium can allow teams to play other leagues, why can't an NXL team play outside (from what I understand, it's one thing keeping Dynasty from signing on)
NXL players are supposed to get paid this year, but then they were last year, too.

Growing pains, or death throes?

 

[Beaker]

Originally posted by IL=Tim the Yank
If the the top players leave there will no doubt be new guys lined up to take their place but will that lower the quality of the game to the point that no one will watch it? You suggest that they will have ratings problems even with most of the best players in the world anyway. If the level of play isn't balls to the wall exciting, will Joe Public tune in? I see the argument that the public won't know the difference b/w 2 amateur and 2 pro teams playing but 2 amateur teams aren't going to be as exciting to watch. When NFL players went on strike in the States, the football games continued but nobody watched them or really cared about the results because the quality of play wasn't there and the games weren't fun to watch. Maybe I'm underestimating the skills of the amateurs (Diesel did beat Dynasty) but there are a hell of a lot more football players in the US than paintballers to fill in the pro's shoes and still the level of play dropped so much people stopped tuning in.

We aren't in quite the same scenario as that NFL strike. There teh public already had team/player allegiance and knowledge of the game. For NXL we are presenting a new format/game with the (general) public having no prior histroy of the sport. If Dick Clarke get this on mass media TV and says it's the best, no one out there will know different.

True is that if you have a bunch of great players that leave 5 or 6 yrs down the line when paintball (hopefully) has some TV history then that might be more like the situation you describe, when viewers turn off.

Cannibal - the franchise for SC still existsn and still held by DYE, just the majority of the players from the roster have left. So you'll still see an SC team, just without the names/faces you're used to seeing.

 

[IL=Tim the Yank]

True, it's not a direct comparison. My point was if its not an awesome level of play, people won't watch it no matter what Dick Clark tells them. You're competing with hundreds of different channels for viewers, it has to be top notch play to succeed.

 

[Matski]

Your under estimating the ability of 'nobodies' aint ya

There are plenty of players out there ready to play fast, aggressive, crowd pleasing paintball.

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by IL=Tim the Yank
If the the top players leave there will no doubt be new guys lined up to take their place but will that lower the quality of the game to the point that no one will watch it? You suggest that they will have ratings problems even with most of the best players in the world anyway. If the level of play isn't balls to the wall exciting, will Joe Public tune in? I see the argument that the public won't know the difference b/w 2 amateur and 2 pro teams playing but 2 amateur teams aren't going to be as exciting to watch. When NFL players went on strike in the States, the football games continued but nobody watched them or really cared about the results because the quality of play wasn't there and the games weren't fun to watch. Maybe I'm underestimating the skills of the amateurs (Diesel did beat Dynasty) but there are a hell of a lot more football players in the US than paintballers to fill in the pro's shoes and still the level of play dropped so much people stopped tuning in.

You are not underestimating the skills of the amateurs, you are just overestimating the observable differences (leastwise from the point of view of a new TV spectator) between the top pros and any of their replacements should they bugger off to the land of NPPL.

 

[shamu]

Originally posted by Robbo
You are not underestimating the skills of the amateurs, you are just overestimating the observable differences (leastwise from the point of view of a new TV spectator) between the top pros and any of their replacements should they bugger off to the land of NPPL.

IL - You're also underestimating the power of TV editing. As they'll most likely be showing highlights, not complete games, the way shots are selected and cut together will probably have more of an impact on the final TV product than the level of skill.

 

[IL=Tim the Yank]

Originally posted by shamu
IL - You're also underestimating the power of TV editing. As they'll most likely be showing highlights, not complete games, the way shots are selected and cut together will probably have more of an impact on the final TV product than the level of skill.

Good point. Time may tell.