Is tournament paintball heading in the right direction?
- Thread starter Tony Harrison
- Start date
So they realised in the days where money is tighter, the only people who can play in the times when sponsor money is harder to come by is the players with money ( 25-35 bracket per se!)
Stongle, break out the AMEX cards, we are hitting Europe!
Stongle, break out the AMEX cards, we are hitting Europe!
Have I missed something? No - one has said where paintball should go? How can you ask if paintball is going in the right direction if you have no idea where you want it to go? What the fu(k are you guys chasing?
ALL is see is "seven man this, five man that, expensive, expensive" I dont see any answers on the direction paintball should go.
I tell you what as well, it was more expensive back when I started than it is now. A tourney gun and air system for what £300? A case of decent paint for £25? I was 13 when i started. I paid for everything myself. I didn't get anything free and yet i still made every practice, every tourney I committed myself to. No doubt i had help (from two men in particular) getting around, and advice, and mentoring. But why do people continue to imagine they deserve anything? You are nobody. Nobody looks up to you, except (if you're lucky) those around you. Get real.
I tell you the direction paintball should go. The exact same one it's been on for the past ten years. Those who run the big series dictating what everyone else does. Players don't have a clue whats good for them and when someone tries to help them out, not one can be bothered to join in and make a difference. None of you deserve to have a say in the direction paintball is going. Tourney paintball is declining...Boo hoo. Cry me a river. You people are the reason it's declining. Not it being too expensive. Not because it doesn't offer 'value'. Because most of you can't (or won't) commit.
ALL is see is "seven man this, five man that, expensive, expensive" I dont see any answers on the direction paintball should go.
I tell you what as well, it was more expensive back when I started than it is now. A tourney gun and air system for what £300? A case of decent paint for £25? I was 13 when i started. I paid for everything myself. I didn't get anything free and yet i still made every practice, every tourney I committed myself to. No doubt i had help (from two men in particular) getting around, and advice, and mentoring. But why do people continue to imagine they deserve anything? You are nobody. Nobody looks up to you, except (if you're lucky) those around you. Get real.
I tell you the direction paintball should go. The exact same one it's been on for the past ten years. Those who run the big series dictating what everyone else does. Players don't have a clue whats good for them and when someone tries to help them out, not one can be bothered to join in and make a difference. None of you deserve to have a say in the direction paintball is going. Tourney paintball is declining...Boo hoo. Cry me a river. You people are the reason it's declining. Not it being too expensive. Not because it doesn't offer 'value'. Because most of you can't (or won't) commit.
You're right, Mario.
The IPPU showed us as much, despite sterling work from Renton.
As far as events are concerned, the MS will take its lead from the PSP, and the teams that play the MS will continue to do so.
This will continue unless an organisation or individual that has serious money organises a new Euro circuit offering VFM and quality of competition, much like the NPPL split in 2002.
WDP have aleady done it once, but why should they do it again?
Planet would make a good job of it, but why should they?
Sergei (RL) could do it, but why should he?
The IPPU showed us as much, despite sterling work from Renton.
As far as events are concerned, the MS will take its lead from the PSP, and the teams that play the MS will continue to do so.
This will continue unless an organisation or individual that has serious money organises a new Euro circuit offering VFM and quality of competition, much like the NPPL split in 2002.
WDP have aleady done it once, but why should they do it again?
Planet would make a good job of it, but why should they?
Sergei (RL) could do it, but why should he?
Jonathan, a new euro event isn't going to solve anything. The messiah with the big bucks you are holding out for is not going to stop the decline in the European market. It would only spread the teams and money thinner.
Teams and players overstretching themselves would be better committing themselves to the leagues in their countries with the ms becoming a showcase of the top teams with an open div 1. It should also be held in one country so long term deals with travel providers and hoteliers can be made.
Playing the leagues in the countries would enable a proper structure to be formed in each country. If these leagues followed the same format as the ms albeit with some minor changes, limited paint etc, the promoters would probably make more money in the end and do the industry a favour in terms of providing a proper player base buying their premium products. Only those teams in the ms league should receive any form of sponsorship.
Paintball needs sustainable long term growth. Unfortunately everybody in the industry needs to make money and keep their businesses afloat, so don't expect any change for the forseeable future.
Teams and players overstretching themselves would be better committing themselves to the leagues in their countries with the ms becoming a showcase of the top teams with an open div 1. It should also be held in one country so long term deals with travel providers and hoteliers can be made.
Playing the leagues in the countries would enable a proper structure to be formed in each country. If these leagues followed the same format as the ms albeit with some minor changes, limited paint etc, the promoters would probably make more money in the end and do the industry a favour in terms of providing a proper player base buying their premium products. Only those teams in the ms league should receive any form of sponsorship.
Paintball needs sustainable long term growth. Unfortunately everybody in the industry needs to make money and keep their businesses afloat, so don't expect any change for the forseeable future.
Mario speaks the truth. You and 90% of tournament players are just displaced Rec / hobby Ballers. Sport Paintball can only support a handful of teams globally (a bit like the original nations X Ball cup in 02 (or 03?). You and others should re-align your expectations in line with your actual commitment levels. Only then will Paintball head in the right direction (oh, and MRRP might actually mean something so we re-introduce some sensible retail economics but that's another thread).
So you appear to be saying that the majority of us are displaced rec/hobby ballers.
So where do tournament players come from? Or are you just reinforcing the stereotype that tournament players look down on recballers?
Or are you saying that rec/hobby ballers have no business playing tournaments? This seems to be the opposite of what Lane Wright is saying in his recent e-mail.
If there is some sort of Aryan master race of elite tournament players in the UK, perhaps you can direct me to them, because if you are saying that Nexus and Shock are the only pro teams in the UK and we should aspire to be like them - by virtue of the fact that they are the only UK teams playing CPL in the MS - then they aren't living the rockstar lifestyle.
As far as I know, all of their players have day jobs and last I heard, Nexus have to pay for their paint. I'm not clear on Shock's arrangements for paint.
And let me make my position clear - my playing skills suck. I need to shoot people point blank in order to hit them, and I'm too old, too mortgaged and have too many bills to pay to compete seriously. But paintball is a game to be enjoyed, and I'm planning to take my 4-year-old to a couple of events next year. Nothing like starting them young.
So where do tournament players come from? Or are you just reinforcing the stereotype that tournament players look down on recballers?
Or are you saying that rec/hobby ballers have no business playing tournaments? This seems to be the opposite of what Lane Wright is saying in his recent e-mail.
If there is some sort of Aryan master race of elite tournament players in the UK, perhaps you can direct me to them, because if you are saying that Nexus and Shock are the only pro teams in the UK and we should aspire to be like them - by virtue of the fact that they are the only UK teams playing CPL in the MS - then they aren't living the rockstar lifestyle.
As far as I know, all of their players have day jobs and last I heard, Nexus have to pay for their paint. I'm not clear on Shock's arrangements for paint.
And let me make my position clear - my playing skills suck. I need to shoot people point blank in order to hit them, and I'm too old, too mortgaged and have too many bills to pay to compete seriously. But paintball is a game to be enjoyed, and I'm planning to take my 4-year-old to a couple of events next year. Nothing like starting them young.
Don't be asinine, I'm saying the exact opposite. Tournament Paintball will only improve when the Rec / Hobby player base increases and people make the transition across. If anything, you, this site and others should be promoting the Rec Scene much more actively. To me they are much more important than any opinions a lot of the more vociferous here post.
Tournament Paintball is a format variation, but the vast majority do not have the resources or inclination to make it truly a sport. It certainly does not represent good value (at present) due to rules, field sizes, format restrictions and peripheral expense (hotels, flights etc etc). Until we reach a critical mass of players, tournament has to recognise a ruleset and format that supports hobbyiests (sp???), at an appropriate price point. The economic rot is in partly because a massive amount of players think they should be subsidised because they play tourmament paintball and it should be cheap!
As for Lane Wright, he is reinforcing this view that the certain developments to make Paintball mor sporty is a step too far. Take paintball back to the days when it was fun for all (something people here have been saying for years). I can't be arsed to write anymore, it's been said enough times before.