EXL 2k5????

[gaff]

7 man Rules!!!!!!!

Originally posted by PEBBLE
word

words of experience...i think not!! XBall is the format to play if you wanna have serious adrenaline kicks and really have to sharpen those skillz!

so i suppose we will all have to talk about the best seasons balling we had back in 2004! and keep playing 25mins of paintball in 12 games (if lucky) for an entire tournament until someone revives the best format again! at least with XBall we were guaranteed 80mins of ball

 

[irons69]

got to admit that if i was not such a fat git i play x-ball deff more fun

 

[Wadidiz]

There is no question that X Ball is THE FORMAT of the day, by far. It is better for teams, players, media, refs, spectators and has obviously great potential for sponsors.

Every player I've asked who has tried both prefers X Ball. It is easier on teams compared to short-game tournaments because there isn't all that running between fields and air stations and staging areas. Everything is laid out on a silver platter: staging area, air stations, chrono boxes, scoreboard, grandstands, playing field; all within a few steps.

It is obviously easier for fans and spectators because there's more continuous action compared to short-game formats. That makes it more worthwhile to find a good seat and sit back and enjoy for a spell. X Ball lends itself to a festive, entertaining atmosphere since there is a scoreboard which can be complemented with commentators, music and effects. And the breaks between rounds of play are great for commenting and ad spots on radio, TV, or video. (We saw what can be done with it in Stockholm and London last year and at the exhibition game this year at Campaign Cup.)

It is also a format which gives more consequential penalties for cheating and fouls. In the short-game formats it is often worth the risk to roll the dice compared to X Ball. And often worth the penalty even if you get busted. Not so with X Ball.

We all know the benefits of X Ball and it would be very sad to see it go away from Europe, even for one season. And I personally obviously would hate to see it go after all the work I put into it the last two seasons. I think this season’s Millennium X Ball series and last season’s Nation Cup had many positive highlights and that it brought many skill-developing benefits.

I know this may be a vain hope but I wish somehow we could keep X Ball going in Europe. And promote it properly for the long haul. Since X Ball is growing substantially for PSP (in the face of strong competition) why not hook up with their series and share points? If X Ball gets the doors opened wider after next week's ESPN broadcast then there will be more wind in the sails.

Think of the possibilities: we could have totally open X Ball events where EXL, NPPL and Division X Ball teams could pitch themselves against NXL teams; with great reffing, commentators and atmosphere in some beautiful European city.

And the lower divisions could play more affordable X Ball “Lite” with shorter game times and the team that gets five points first winning. That would bring turn-around times to around 40 minutes and teams would use less paintballs than with short-game 5-man. PSP Division X Ball teams play 16-minute halves and use around 12 cases per game on average. Is that any more than short-game 7-man?

The NPPL Super 7 is a great league with great people who are quality and promotion oriented (pure promotion, dude). They have done wonders with the short-game format. Maybe they have a new format for their elite division; that remains to be seen. And I’m sure they have some magnificent plans for European PB.

So I wish NPPL all the best but I really wish we could keep X Ball in Europe because IT RULES.

 

[gaff]

word......

 

[Intheno]

The format changes in the NPPL will make it more exciting, and will bring many of the poplar facets of X-ball into play, although obviously not all. It will be great to see how the Ducks do.
The problem seems to be that Euro teams don't actually have another option, which I think is a shame.
The bit I don't get is the loyalty to X-ball the franchise. The format itself could just be changed to circumvent licensing restrictions, then Nick could call it Z-ball or whatever, and run some events so that teams would be able to play the type of format they like so much. That way you don't have to promote the people that stiffed you with 12 inched in your jacksies...
Bet it's still a bit sore even now.

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

Intheno

You get me the budget, and that league is up and running tomorrow

- That possibility was on the table already a year ago...... but it seems there is no political will with promoters to make it happen.... and although it is a beautiful notion that I or the Ducks could just go make such a league on our own, that league would be going nowhere fast, without some serious financial backing OR the full cooperation of the MS..... Serious teams want to play the major events....

I (as always) have to focus on my teams best interests, and playing some Mickey Mouse league that we run ourselves, is not really in the teams best interest, as long as the ambitions are there to make it to the top of the sport.

So, as you say.... we have only one option..... and choices are thus quite scarce

BTW - I'm not promoting "people" - I never did.... I promoted the format I truly believe to be the best for the PLAYERS...... it kills me that the majority of the players cannot see that they are giving all the potential of our sport to the promtoers, instead of to the teams.

Even a team like Dynasty would have a much bigger potential as a brand in an X-Ball format, than in 7-man..... In 7-man, they will always be "just" another of the 100's of teams at the "festival", whereas in X-Ball they would be the same reaccuring team to get extensive exposure..... to sponsors outside paintball, X-Ball makes them want to make deals with teams, and 7-man makes them to make deals with the events.

Alpine skiing and showjumping are excellent examples of this principle, where atheletes get very limited sponsorships from outside their sport, compared to what the events pull in (and then let trickle down to the athletes, because the atheletes have strong organisations represent them)..... Trouple is, in paintball there are no strong organisations, to ensure the players get their piece of the pie (which is still in the sky ).....

I baffles me that so few team owners get that simple truth..... but then again, few team owners have experience in professional sports... so they will have to learn the hard way

Obviously I am upset that we were promised 2 seasons in writing, and now look to not get that..... but there is a limit to how much you can bite the hand that feeds you.... and I am already not known as the least vocal captain out there....

Anyway - bygones - I or the team is not in a position to seriously impact what will happen next season, and baring any as of yet unforseen circumstances, 7-man will be the format we play.

Actually - I'm quite exited to see if we have gained the aggressive edge our 7-man game lacked yesteryear, through our complete focus on X-Ball for more than a year.....

 

[Fat-Frank]

Intheno

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
Anyway - bygones - I or the team is not in a position to seriously impact what will happen next season, and baring any as of yet unforseen circumstances, 7-man will be the format we play.

Relax Nick!
The MS will inform you what is going to happen AT LEAST 2 weeks before the 1. event

 

[Intheno]

Nick, your points are mostly valid, but Naive in my opinion.

There is no point moaning about the fact that the leagues pull in sponsorship for the leagues, and not the players. Do you pay the leagues a fee for pulling in money for you? Does any team?
Are you saying that (for example) the NPPL, which needs sponsors to survive, should redirect that sponsorship to the teams?
Here's an idea. Why don't the teams get thier own sponsors? Dynasty hired an agent to do that for them, and they have benefited from that.
Pure Promotions employs several people to generate sponsors. Yes, they do want that sponsorship for the league, because the PP employs them to get it in the first place.
Nothing is for nothing in ths world and the sooner teams stop holding thier hands out and expecting sponsors to come to them, and actually get proactive about marketing themselves outside of paintball, the sooner they will get the level of finance they deserve (depending on the team).
I suppose my point is that complaining that minimal dollars 'trickle down to the teams' is a moot point. Sponsorship generated by the league should not trickle down to the teams at all. They should get thier own sponsors.
The benefit to the teams is not financial. The benefit of the leagues sponsorship to the teams is that they have a decent league to play. The best they have ever had. The other benefit is that with a good series being marketed to corporate America the potential value of the teams grows. If the league gets high level sponsorship and good TV exposure, the teams will be sought by sponsors. That is when they get thier payday and of course it will be performance related. The best teams will get the first and highest sponsorship dollars. Even then, sponsors will not just drop in your lap, you will still have to work to get them. When teams do get big sponsors, do you think the bulk of that money should be donated to the league?
Probably not huh? Like I said, a bit Naive.
I know its Christmas, but PP never pretended to be Santa....

ps, before you get even more Naive and claim that the entry fees of the teams are what keep the league alive, you should do some math, because I can tell you with absolute authority that the Entries are a drop in the ocean when you look at the overall cost of running the NPPL series. Maybe if the events were held at SC village or Badlandz you would have a point. But that is not the case.

 

[trummar]

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff

Alpine skiing and showjumping are excellent examples of this

Taking Alpine skiing as an example - is nice for a guy coming from the land that has a good tradition of just that.

T.

 

[jotajotaZ]

Intheno

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
Even a team like Dynasty would have a much bigger potential as a brand in an X-Ball format, than in 7-man..... In 7-man, they will always be "just" another of the 100's of teams at the "festival", whereas in X-Ball they would be the same reaccuring team to get extensive exposure..... to sponsors outside paintball, X-Ball makes them want to make deals with teams, and 7-man makes them to make deals with the events.

What is the difference between being one of the x teams that play the closed league called NXL or being one of the y teams that play the closed league called NPPL Pro? In terms of getting noticed it only depends on the success of each league. In terms of being "unique" it only depends on the success of the format (and you advocate XBall for all, so XBall teams should be another of the 100s teams at the festival...). I just don't see your point, in case you have one there