And so the downfall of the NXL begins....

[BigbOYALA2]

This is quoted directly from Gary Shows:


This article is long but worth reading

NXL


The NXL was originally started with the existing Pro Division Teams in the PSP in an attempt to create a League that would be able to be shown on TV just as any legitimate sport show and be able to create careers and pay players as professional players with actual Salaries.
This could be done by legitimizing the League and having a Network that would be interested in promoting such a format.
We set up rules and structure much like the NHL and began the process of seeking interest..We also in an attempt to make sure that whoever came around that may have an interest in putting this league on TV would be clear to move without baggage.. This is the reason that initially there was no filming and the like so that this party would see that they had exclusive rights to the filming and would not have a dilution factor that pre-existed. In Hind site this was a bad move with good intentions.

The Gardners had some influence and connections with in the Television Industry or at least made efforts to make contacts and they managed to get the ear of Dick Clark.
He had an interest in trying to take the NXL to a Televised League on TV and was willing to use his resources.

The NXL and Dick Clark entered into an agreement.

In general it was outlined like this.

Dick Clark would get the NXL on TV within a two year period and for this Dick Clark Productions would get 20% of the revenue generated by the production. He would further get the rights to the products generated by the league. This means the Products generated by any team and the souvenirs sold Dick Clark Productions would also get 15% of the income from these items.
It was also written into the agreement that this would after I think three years be reduced to 15% of the revenue to Dick Clark Productions and this was for any thing world wide and forever that the League existed.. It seemed a fair trade if indeed Dick Clark Productions could do what he said he could do.

Well after the first show Dick Clark had a Heart Attack/Stroke…This also meant that he was in default of his Key Man clause of the agreement because he could not represent any longer.. His entire operation was no longer interested in Paintball. This initial airing of the TV show extended his agreement and is suppose to end based on non performance in June of 2006..

This is where it gets kinda murky. Understand that the entire time the NXL had existed that Jerry Braun had acted as legal council for the NXL.

There was talk that the Gardners wanted to pursue things along with Jerry Braun and we all Oked this effort.. We were thankful they showed so much interest and expended their personal time in this effort to continue moving forward.

We heard at the 2005 World Cup that they had found the person that Dick Clark had to go to to actually get the TV time and that they were contacting him.. This persons name is Stan Moser.. They told us that things were going well and that they were making progress..

After World Cup the NXL had a meeting the first part of December in Las Vegas and we all voted to place the NXL in the PSP in an attempt to allow the teams to compete for money as prizes in a tournament format.. The NXL had always played a League format.. Nothing was mentioned about Dick Clark or anything about TV except that the Gardners and Jerry were working on it. Oh Yeah ( it was close)

We then are asked to go to New York after Texas for another meeting This was to meet with the ESPN people and the production people to put the NXL on TV.

We get there and to our surprise we have the Gardners..Jerry Braun & Stan Moser along with the Smart Parts CFO and a couple of other Lawyers on one side of the room and the rest of the NXL owners on the other.
We find out that these individuals have formed another group/company with intentions of taking the place of Dick Clark Productions.. In other words instead of allowing the agreement to become dated they wanted to revive it but with them in its place! They were going to now take the Dick Clark %’s This was our Partners & our Legal Council who are now saying they are our partners but now taking on a another role but actually have cut themselves into a larger piece of the pie!

They said they had a production budget and that a date was set to film a tournament.

This was to take place in Connetticut at the Mohegan Sun casino Resort! Taking place on May 22nd..23rd..24th

Over a three day period we would have a shoot /tournament with 10 teams and this would be aired in the fall.. Sounds good but!

What about that 20%/15% deal with Dick Clark.. If we waited this would go away and there would be more $ for the league.. Oh no! The new company they were putting together would take the place of that… How can that be if we get on TV because then Dick Clark Productions will just say they were responsible for getting us on TV because after all Stan Moser is a personal friend of Dick Clarks and the NXL would have never contacted him without Dick Clark
So there is this possibility that if we agree then we are obligating ourselves to the 15% to Dick Clark and another 15% to this new company MGB.
We refused this deal

The Gardner also wanted the NXL to guarantee their money back because they had fronted the $800,000.00 the cost of the initial production at this event. They mad a proposal that goes like this.

The Gardners would get the first $800,000.00 that came to the league.. Jerry Braun would get the next $100,000.00 and then Stan Moser would get the next $400,000.00 after this was completed the Gardners would then get the next $800,000.00 which was now $1.6 million! We do not think that Gardner should not get their money back but not in this manner.

We reminded them that the League was originally set up so that 20% went to Dick Clark..20% went to the Administration of the NXL and then the 60% balance was to be divided amongst the Franchise Teams to be paid out as the owners wanted. Most of the owners were going to pay this $$ to the players in the form of a Salary!

Now because of this new “Circumstance” this was no longer possible! We told them that it would take somewhere between 10.3 Million to 13.3 Million dollars or Revenue befor any money would reach the players. We told them that if the players found out that this existed and that they were making $$ and the Teams/Players were not that we would have a mutiny!

We wanted no part of this deal but would rather let the Dick Clark deal pass and then start on our own looking for other avenues…

This new Company consisting of Jerry,,Gardners and Moser wanted to continue and they said if we did not want to sign the new deal that they would form their own league and continue themselves..

This Film shoot at the Mohegan Sun has been fronted by the Gardners and even up till the Vegas event they were trying to get the NXL to go.. They gave us each a contract that had to be signed in 72 hrs while at the PSP Vegas Event! We refused to sign.. Aftershock Refused! Ironmen Refused! Trauma Refused! Legacy Refused! Assassins Refused! This is five of the ten that refused to sign such a deal and extend an agreement that was not necessary and would end the agreement if they only waited another 30 days and also we would not sign a agreement that basically made it impossible to get any money to the Teams & players!!!! The Boston Legion had already told the League they were not going to the event because there was not budget to go there
Then at Vegas they said they were going to form another league if we did not sign! We asked if they were going to have these other Teams sign such a deal and we were told no! That with the new league they would have 100% control.. We asked who they were inviting..

And again were told.. Dynasty..Philly..Strange..Miami..New York..Naughty Dogs..Boston..XSV THESE ARE ALL SMART PARTS TEAMS! They were going to pay for all the teams! This is not a tournament this is a Smart Parts Advertisement with XSV in there for appearance sake..Boston is going because now someone is paying for them to attend…

Again I have to say.. It is really easy to get on TV.. You just purchase it but this was never a goal of the NXL.. We want it to be a legitimate league with legitimate Teams and players who are getting a salary…just as the NFL..NHL..AFL..XFL or any existing professional League has..

I might also add that this production taking place has no performance agreement! There is no contract for airing the Event in the Fall! We asked to see the contracts and they could not produce them…

We asked why would they not ask these teams to sign an agreement that they have asked their partners to sign?

There is much more to this story that is just not being told…

The NXL is still moving forward as part of the PSP’s and from the last event in Vegas is stronger than ever with the best competition in the World taking place..

So in Summary.. 5 of the 10 NXL teams are not attending this “Smart Parts Event” for the above mentioned reasons…

 

[KOHI]

sure this is like manike thread

 

[WKD]

Doesnt surprise me

 

[Chicago]

There is nothing more predictable than the paintball industry ****ing up a good thing.

 

[Baca Loco]

There is nothing more predictable than the paintball industry ****ing up a good thing.

Which is practically a paintball truism but I would beg to differ. Seems to me this is about personalities and is, in many ways, an extension of the long and acrimonious personal battles that have been going on in Paintball for years. And almost has to be viewed as such if the basic information currently available is fundamentally accurate otherwise it is very hard to comprehend the intractability of some of the parties involved. It's almost as if it was designed to create a break--

I expect the rest of this season to go forward regardless since the result of this TV venture won't be known until the Fall at the earliest but if there's any real sign of success things get could interesting very quickly.

And, as is the norm in paintball, the timing is impeccable. (That would be sarcasm btw just in case you weren't sure. )

 

[Missy Q]

Thought you would have been happy Loco, you get your team on TV because they are allowed through the 'Smart Parts only' blockade, and strike a blow for your illustrious and respectable sponsors. 'Course, you will no doubt have a few things to say about this 'league' that perhaps said sponsors would not appreciate, or at least I hope you do. Knowing you as an equal opportunity anarchist I wait with baited breath for your veiws on this....

We should start with whether it is a bonifide competition or whether you are merely being used as pawns in a marketing campaign?
Or ahow about: Who do you think will be allowed to win?

 

[Missy Q]

OK, I just got some hot news on all of this. The title of the thread is now a lot more accurate than it was.....

Certain people are really living up to their reputations!

 

[Baca Loco]

The TV thing? Been there done that. Personally I couldn't care less. Done right in ways that promote Paintball and the world's best players, sure, I'm all for it.

For one portion of my opinion see the next issue of PGi's View from the Deadbox.

As to legit comp vs. marketing pawn? Don't think it's an either/or proposition. After all, the 8 (?) teams involved are, undeniably, among the eight best Xball teams in the world. Is the competition invalid because it doesn't represent ALL the best teams? One might make a similar argument regarding the U.S. Paintball Championships. We will make every effort to win and we will also be a marketing pawn after a fashion. Then again, so is every other Pro team regardless of their affiliations, d'oh. The only thing that invalidates the competition is if in some form or manner an effort is made to direct a result. If that happens you can be sure I'll let you know.

 

[Missy Q]

Hello Loco, I am sure that if you represent SP in a way they agree with, don't rock the boat and basically be a good boy, then you will be featured in the show - no problem. You need the show to work, as your sponsor may choose to pull out of the NXL altogether soon, which could facilitate a 2-league situation again. One 'league' containing Smart Parts teams only, the other as a legitimate Paintball event.

 

[Missy Q]

I'm sure its not true that Philly have already been practicing the feild layouts for Connetticut for over a month already. I mean, there is no way that's true, is there Loco? Would that make you a bit uneasy, you know, if it was true?

I wonder how long NYX have left on their Dye contract?