I think you all better read this !

[Micah]

Originally posted by Beaker
I can see that happening, to spite Chuck if nothing else!

IF Chuck can keep the name and get the thing going
IF Chuck can get the venues & promoters
IF Chuck can beat the PSP at the events (as the Euro's do)
IF Chuck can sort out the reffing mess
IF Chuck can keep enough big names with him to validate it with Joe public
IF Chuck can keep the events affordable for the up and coming teams

Then the NPPL will be home free and the PSP will be hurting.

But I'm well aware of the scale of those IF's !!!

There is so much here I want to respond to ... I don't even know where to begin, so this'll hafta do. (see what happens when you go snowboarding for a weekend in the middle of a paintball scandal(?)

If Chuck can't keep the name, he can come up with something else. The Great Western Series turned into the Pan-Am series, and it's following increased. Now, I'll admit, alt of that had to do with the quality of events going up. And that's what chuck will have to do.

Chuck will be able to get promoters. There are ALWAYS people with money who want to make more money. Those people will be able to find Venues. I don't see that being all that difficult.

Inorder for chuck to beat the PSP events, he'll have to have better reffs (like the euros do) That's the most straight forword way to do it. As I see it, there is basically a template to be made of what the Euros do at there events. Those things need to be implimented at US events. Problem solved.

If there is a void of 'Big' Names, people will stand up, go on some sick bunkering frenzy, be reported in mags, and *poof* new celebs. The reality of it is, the Big names are the ones that the media creates. No one would know who Fred Schultz was if people didn't talk about him. Same goes for LaSoya and Ollie Lang.

I think inorder for the 7-man NPPL to take off in the coming years, the promoters aren't going to be able to take as much gross profit from the events, they will have to have reasonable entry fees, and put alot of that money that would have been profit back into the tourneys.

This 'void' created by these Pro teams moving to the NXL is just going to create a space for new 'Pros' to rush in and say, "HEY, LOOK AT ME!!!" and we will.

Personally, I don't care who's running the tourney or what it's called, I just want to play. Especially if there are bragging rights on the line. But again, that's a very subjective thing and easy to create with some hype.

Well, this was all my opnion ... mayby (and quite possibly) I've been wrong here, but what ever.

-Micah

 

[raehl]

I think....

IT doesn't matter whether you, or I, think in hte backyard with an m98 is paintball or not.


It's still a paintball gun, and it still consumes paintballs, so for what matters for sponsors (selling product), that's paintball. In fact, most modern paintball is still very much like old school paintball, no matter what tournament players would like to tell themselves.


- Chris

 

[Robbo]

I think....

Originally posted by raehl
IT doesn't matter whether you, or I, think in hte backyard with an m98 is paintball or not.
It's still a paintball gun, and it still consumes paintballs, so for what matters for sponsors (selling product), that's paintball. In fact, most modern paintball is still very much like old school paintball, no matter what tournament players would like to tell themselves.
- Chris

Chris, renegade ballers, as you describe, are not the definitive 'average baller' !!!!

And that lack of interest you extend to other sports, you are confusing interest with effects.
True, the high end of any sport, just like soccer, doesn't necessarily mean that whatever happens to the top teams will affect the average player but that does not mean they are not interested at some level.

Robbo

PS Chirs, no wussing out on your views of the PSP / NPPL !!!
Go for it

 

[Rich S]

robbo, are you constantly connected to the forum, you seem to be on it all the time. it is 5.30 in the morning and you are putting in a message already. only students getting in late, or yanks would be up at this silly hour

 

[raehl]

I disagree.

Most US soccer players don't care about top-level soccer. And most "renegade ballers" don't care about NPPL either. And they're WAY more your "average baller" than tournament players are. Probably not so much the case in Europe where there isn't so much rural area, but around Chicago, places that have stores and fields sell 1/3 to 2/3rd of their paint OUT THE STORE. It's an even bigger ration up here in the backwoods. More paintball play happens in renegade locations than happens at commercial rec locations which is more than happens at tournaments. Tournaments are NOT where the players are. And most rec players seriously don't care about NPPL - they play in the woods, what happens on concept fields is of no concern to them.


I think you need to get over to this side of the pond and play some paintball at some rec fields. Not CPX or SC Village, but one of the many local deals.


And NPPL/PSP - I have nothing to say that isn't either tipping my hand or going to piss people off, and I have nothing to gain from either.


- Chris

 

[raehl]

Oh and...

How'd the UK College tourney go?

- Chris

 

[Rich S]

hi chris,

if i had the money i would spend a summer on a road trip around america - taking in the paintballing from state to state - but i don't so i can't.

the inter uni thing went well, i don't know if anything has been written up for pgi, - perhaps one of the pgi emplyees who are on the forum can enlighten us- if so then you can get the details form that, if not i'll speak to gillie and see if they are going to wirte one. if not i will not thread hijack but will start a ne one for you to read.

 

[Robbo]

I disagree.

Originally posted by raehl
Most US soccer players don't care about top-level soccer. And most "renegade ballers" don't care about NPPL either. And they're WAY more your "average baller" than tournament players are. Probably not so much the case in Europe where there isn't so much rural area, but around Chicago, places that have stores and fields sell 1/3 to 2/3rd of their paint OUT THE STORE. It's an even bigger ration up here in the backwoods. More paintball play happens in renegade locations than happens at commercial rec locations which is more than happens at tournaments. Tournaments are NOT where the players are. And most rec players seriously don't care about NPPL - they play in the woods, what happens on concept fields is of no concern to them.
I think you need to get over to this side of the pond and play some paintball at some rec fields. Not CPX or SC Village, but one of the many local deals.
And NPPL/PSP - I have nothing to say that isn't either tipping my hand or going to piss people off, and I have nothing to gain from either.
- Chris

Chris, I agree, the tournament player is not your average baller but to pitch renegade ballers (players who do not attend recognised fields but play in back yards etc ) into the frame as your 'average' baller is just not true.
I have been over to the States coming up to fifty times now, although I do not go around visiting your average site, I do have a handle on what the industry generated demographics are (SGRM and BE's survey figures) concerning paintballers.
And remember I am talking about serious paintballers here not the occasional !!!!!!
And I'm not saying serious paintballers are tournament ballers, I'm referring to an umbrella description that has within it, tournament players, and regular recballers and all those in between.
Those people who play in their own back yards with no regulations and no marshalling staff are fools and should in no way be represented as the average baller, they're all mugs in my opinion just waiting for an eye to be shot out !!!

Nah, Chris, no matter how you wriggle on this, it may well come down to your circle of experience but I'm afraid that experience is not representative of what's going on but then again like a lot of threads on here, the protagonists may well have to agree to differ
Robbo

 

[raehl]

Well that's the thing...

Those backyard ballers are probably the most regular. Who do you think buys all the equipment sold at walmart?

I didn't mean to imply that they were THE average, just that if you were going to pick an "average" baller, it'd be them - there's probably more paintball-days played by backyard ballers than any other group.

The spectrum with renegade players on one end and tournament ballers on the other is also a gross oversimplification - it's more one big messy ven diagram. You ever tried taking the average of a ven diagram?!?!?!


- Chris

 

[Micah]

1,942?