EXL possibilities

[Robbo]

I think it will be inevitable, except of course for the Russian Legion, who if they elect to play in this, would more than likely finish in either first or second spots since they have been training X-Ball season anyway.

The potential sponsors would be more than happy (I would think) for their resepctive teams to be 'part of' this proposed set up as it guarantees them exposure.
Better to 8th placed in front of the camera than not in front of the camera at all I suppose would be the thinking about that...if you need an example of this, think about Formula 1.

 

[sjt19]

Sounds interesting..

Originally posted by Urban

Just curious, what with the much talked about huge talent gap between the tops yanks and the top Euros...

But playing the top teams concistently all season would hopefully narrow the gap and increase world parity. The major beef with present balling is that the top Euro sides can only play against the best teams with increasing infrequency thanks to the advent of the NXL. Playing them on a more regular basis would increase Euro skill levels and develop the game in Europe faster than anything. Just look at what competing in the States against the best 7 man teams the world has to offer has done for Nexus in terms of experience and skill levels (obviously training has helped significantly, but do you really think they would be where they are now if they had solely played in the Millennium Series?)

The recognition that the US is the place to play in, against the best teams is the way forward. Playing in an EXL with American teams present would do wonders for the level of play in Europe, as European teams would then take that skill level back to their respective country and diffuse it through the system there. This is why teams like Joy, Legion, Nexus and now Shockwave have to play in the S7, and I wish them all luck for New York and Miami.

Sam

 

[Robbo]

Pete !

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
I think you missed my point (or chose not to reply to it) ?

My point IS:
The sponsorship level is what it is in Europe.
So - teams like Dynasty, Russian Legion and Nexus have HUGE paint sponsorships that allow them to train several times a week - the rest of us do not.
That is the staus in European paintball right now.
Whether we play 7-man or EXL - we have a paint deficit.
It makes little difference to me whether we get smacked around by Russian Legion in 7-man.... because they can train more..... or in EXL.... because they can train more.
Actually - I believe that the less sponsored teams who get offered a spot in the EXL, will have an easier time maximising their current sponsorships on that account - than maximising them if they stay in 7-man.
So - the paint sponsorships are inconsequencial really - because they have the same inpact in both formats...... and as such I opt for EXL, because it is more fun and better for paintball (as I see it).
Nick

Hey Nick, I certainly did not deliberately miss the point, I leave that kinda soft shoe shuffling to mr raehl, so my apologies for not picking up on it sooner.

I suppose I was half answering this point in the last post but here goes :-

I agree about the paint differentials being transferred across to the EXL, I hear you guys have sorted some sort of deal with SP to support you guys in this venture if it takes off.
So theoretically, we have, RL, Joy (I wonder how WDP feel about backing them in X-Ball ????? ), Nexus, Ducks, Ton Tons, Tigers, Shock and so on.

Now, if the two American teams do come across, this changes the goalposts from my original posts in this thread for obvious reasons.

As for the financially less able teams who elect to play in the EXL, whoever they may be, and there will have to be some, I can't think they will want to stay in such a pressure cooker environment getting their ass handed to them month after month by the self same teams........the lure of drifting back into Millennium Land to what would be now relatively uncontested (for these teams that is because the big hitters and now in EXL).

I just couldn't see the league staying together under those conditions.

But, with Nial's pre-condition for the introduction of two American teams, this now determines that only 6 Euro teams fill the remaining spots thus alleviating the problem of natural wastage I think we would have had if we had tried to fill 8 spots with Euro teams.

I spoke to Sonny (WGP and Naughty Dogs) the other night and asked him if he was gonna play NXL, he told me 'Pete, we won like 70,000 dollars so far this season playing in front of thousands of people, why do we wanna go and play a format where we win no money' ?

The promise of TV dangles tantalizingly in front of some people over here, it makes them do peculiar things, we shall see what happens

 

[raehl]

So the lower-level European teams won't stay in the EXL if they're getting their butts handed to them by the better European teams all the time, but the European teams wil stay while getting their butts handed to them by the 2 American teams all the time?

With possible exception given to RL.*


Either teams want to play the EXL to improve their game, or they don't. If there are only 8 teams, competing is it's own prize from the publicity angle alone. I think you should be looking at this not as something you can't do because of lack of sponsorship, but something you SHOULD do to ENCOURAGE more sponsorship. Seems to have worked for at least one team.


Now, to combine threads....


What if the EXL was partially financed by the EXL teams providing reffing services to the Millenium every event? Kill two birds with one stone. (I suppose that still leaves one wondering who refs the EXL matches, but probably easier to get 10 people to do that than enough people for a whole millenium event.)


- Chris


* Note that I really have no idea which European teams are really the "good" ones, I'm just repeating what I've picked up as general consensus around here, so feel free to substitute your "best european team" of choice.

 

[TJ Lambini]

So lemme get this straight, just as NXL drops its constraints on its teams coming over to play Millenniums, Millennium is gonna remove 'em from 7-Man play by its own volition and stick em in a Euro X-league?

I can see tha rank and file Euro ballers rebelling from here...

So tha Pro 7-Man finals next season will be Dynasty, Hardcore, Ignition and Baltica?

I see Dynasty getting mighty bored...

 

[sjt19]

Originally posted by TJ Lambini

I see Dynasty getting mighty bored...

And hugely rich!

 

[Robbo]

Tj !

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
Pete:
I see your point, I just think any serious and ambitious team would rather play EXL with too little paint, than 7-man with too little paint, because of the long term possibilities.... and you CAN always drift back - after earning a LOT of experience !
Also, I think the price package would HAVE to be different than in the NXL, so that teams won something when winning a game, and there were overall prices as well !
Nick

Hey Nick, I just think there may well be some teams who like the 'idea' of playing X-ball but are all ill-equipped on many levels to take part, not least of which are , financial, organisational, motivational and so on.
These are the teams I believe will fall by the wayside as the season progresses and therefore erode the stability of the league as they depart.
After all, if I were one of those teams, I would rather take my chances in the Millennium than continually getting my ass kicked in the EXL for obvious reasons.
We shall see what happens if the present proposals are upheld and just how many teams (and who) wanna get involved.

 

[ChuckC]

Also, I think the price package would HAVE to be different than in the NXL, so that teams won something when winning a game, and there were overall prices as well !
Nick

Don't forget that NXL players get paid salaries in lieu of prizes. That's the whole point - to develop a league that is exciting to watch so we can get on t.v. etc, etc...so that pro paintball players can be actual paid professional atheletes. Let the amateur, novice and rookie players battle it out for prizes while the pros get paid win or lose.

 

[Robbo]

Player salaries.....

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
X-Ball is a marketing tool for the promoters, and I do NOT expect them to let the participating teams carry the entire cost, why they sit back and wait for the spoils to drop into their laps !
Nick

You're kiddin me right ????????

 

[TJ Lambini]

Hey Nick, chill - I ain't slammin' anyone...I picked 3 Pro names that ain't one of the 'big 8' or so who Robo keeps mentioning with regards to possibly being EXL.

Jeez, you Euros get so uptight about nothing sometimes...