From the "Dale's Journal" section of my site...I thought about just linking it, but that'd be too flagrant...
I was bouncing around at work today on the internet (during break!) and on one of my usual websites (
www.flagpull.com) I caught the "Breaking Story" headline at the top of the page. Flagpull is a new website, and Phil is alot like the infamous Matt Drudge, who runs the "Drudge Report" website. Just out of curiousity, I hit the link and was taken to Warpig.com which had the story about Warped Sportz pulling out of the World Cup this year.
Suffice it to say, I was pretty surprised to see Warped pulling out of the "Big Show" this year. Their main complaint seemed to center around the consumption of alcohol at the event venue:
quote:
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“We had some big things, some really cool things planned for this year,” said Warped CEO Ed Poorman. “Seriously. We were looking at crazy stuff, like midgets and cage- dancers. We were even in talks about having a huge FREE concert featuring Unwritten Law. However, with the new policies regarding the zero tolerance ban for alcohol, even for those of age, and the ‘lewd behavior clause’ it just became far too much effort and too sticky. What’s lewd behavior? My mom thinks its women not wearing bras or bands that swear on stage.”
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I have to admit that I'm NOT a fan of the NPPL/PSP in general and as a general rule I'm a fan of Warped Sportz and Ed Poorman. However, I don't see how cage dancers and a free concert could add a whole lot to an event the size and scope of World Cup. Maybe I'm just old or something. In this case I don't see the point of taking paintball as a sport to the level of Professional Wrestling. Granted, Professional Wrestling has ALOT more fans and brings in ALOT more money than professional paintball, but at what cost? Paintball is a sport, a legitimate sport while Professional Wrestling is more properly termed entertainment.
From the NPPL/PSP rebuttal on Warpig:
quote:
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Paintball is growing. More families with small children are attending our events. Companies, such as Disney, are beginning to view paintball in a serious and favorable light. We are subject to greater scrutiny by applicable governmental agencies. We have to act, as an industry, in a manner that takes the foregoing into account and does not jeopardize our tournaments, our sport or the growth of our industry.
Hopefully, Warped Sportz will understand the significance of our policy as it relates to the protection and growth of our industry. Until they do, however, we must with regret wish them well and move ahead without their presence or support.
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Despite the normally arrogant and somewhat condescending pitch to the rebuttal (as seen on Warpig) I have to agree with the position that the NPPL/PSP is taking. The type of sensationalistic, bottom feeding behavior being encouraged or at least tolerated at large tournements needs to stop. Paintball IS growing, and as such it WILL be coming under greater scrutiny in the future. The misguided legislation that's on the table in Baltimore is proof of this greater scrutiny. There are people in this world (especially in America) that go out of their way to be offended, and they have an uncanny talent for getting elected to office, where they can take their oversensitivity and turn it into bad law. Having topless teenage girls at a concert or a few drunken twits shambling about an event venue are PRECISELY the things that the sport DOES NOT need in this new age of exposure and scrutiny for the sport.
I'll miss checking out the Warped Sportz booth at World Cup. They make some really great products. I won't miss seeing players, vendors, AND attendees drinking at 11AM and conducting themselves poorly. Time to grow up, boys and girls
