It has begun............

[Intheno]

I don't see Xball disappearing. Enough teams like it for that not to happen. In any case, the World Cup is not the correct event to look at to judge the health of the PSP league. It is an event that teams have been playing for years, and has long been a staple event for teams that do not actually play any other major events, PSP or NPPL.
Many south american teams just go there every year as it is a major event that they can easily get to. Many other foriegn teams make the World Cup thier one annual visit oversea's and combine it with a vacation. Even if the PSP were to go belly up the Cup would surely remain. The Chicago event should also be an independant success (other than this year it always has been). The main threat to the World Cup would be the NPPL's HB event. I could see some of the teams I mention above being drawn to the HB event as it seems to have already taken the mantle of the No1 event in the calendar.

While I don't think the PSP is in any really serious trouble, I do think there may be one or two of the 'owners' that are seriously debating whether it is worth being involved with for 2005. What this may do is severely test the remaining owners as to whether they are prepared to commit the finance and effort into running an the extra event. The Xball area seems healthy to me. I don't think the 5 or 10 man will continue for long though. I see them either going all X-ball or finally capitulating and running 7 man to try to steal a few teams from the NPPL.

The sticky area as I see it is the relationship between the PSP and X-ball. If the rumors are right and the NXL really has repeatedly asked for the NXL events to be run at NPPL events instead, then this would indicate that there is inner discontentment between the PSP and the NXL.

The inner politics of this alliance are going to be the real threat to the PSP series (in my opinion)

 

[JtJ]

NXL @ NPPL

Would the NPPL allow NXL events to be held on site? Wouldn't this delegitimize the NPPL pro teams and professional division? Would the league be able to run both 7-man and Divisional X-ball matches at the same venue at the same time? If not, wouldn't the diffusion of effort hurt, or at least confuse, the growth and expansion of 7-man?

 

[Intheno]

The rumor is that the NPPL were asked, and said no, for those reasons amongst others. The confusion of formats was a surely a major factor in this. The question has to be asked though whether tyhe NPPL needs X-ball as much as Xball needs Pure Promotions. The answer is probably no.

 

[BOOGIE]

Wow what have i done??? I was only saying that id try to keep everyone who didnt go updated on how there teams they like were doin like i did for NE Open As for all the predictions on whats going to happen in the future of NXL/PSP/NPPL stuff i dont have a clue i feel like a mushroom most of the time kept in the dark and fed **** all the time As for today all the x-ball fields poles are up and will be cabled and readied for the net For anyone who wants me to keep track of there teams let me know who to try and keep a eye on Ill try to see the 2 dutch teams play

BOOGIE NXL EXL Referee
ps wow almost 1000 hits in less than 24hrs

 

[Baca Loco]

Boog,
Where are they putting the NXL field in comparison to everything else?

 

[Baca Loco]

Why is all the talk about the NXL possibly failing the TV test instead of being even slightly positive about the possibility? Does anyone know what the DC/ESPN expectations are? Compared to the NXL/TV talk of 3 or 4 months ago the ESPN gig is a big up yet y'all seem to be nothing but doom and gloom.

And while I'm at it, where's the campaign to promote "active" paintball community participation?

And just where is the NPPL's TV situation these days? How successful was the inclusion of NPPL event segments on FSN? Can we expect a better FSN package this coming season? The whole GRavity Games thing came and went this year with nary a peep--course Gravity Games ended up on OLN instead of NBC, but even so.

 

[BOOGIE]

Bacca the NXL field is in the same spot it was last year but faceing north south instead of east west.The field that the NXL championship game will held on with all the tv cameras will be right next to it.Basically it right in the middle of the venue as a whole.There are 7 x-ball and 4 ,5-10 man fields.

BOOGIE NXL EXL Referee

 

[BWillie]

Nick -

I agree. I have obvious reasons to pull for my side a bit more than the other. But, I pull for paintball first.

Anyone who does anything other than hope the ESPN show is a complete success is a narrow minded, shortsighted, self serving prick. And there are absolutely more than a few people out there who will want it to fail.

I agree also that most of those people fall into one of two categories

a - they have a vested business interest in the NPPL being the prime league and can't see past their own nose

b - they have backed themselves into a corner with their predictions and/or statements of impending doom regarding X-Ball, the NXL, or PSP and their ego will not let them back down from it. (that isn't intended for anyone in particular )

I hope PSP remains/becomes/is thought to be the premier league in paintball. Obvious reasons why.

But, I know that I have as much experience (or more) in every aspect of tournament paintball than anyone else on the planet. If NPPL, Pure Promotions, the Millinium, or the Charlie Brown Paintball League can take this sport to the next level -- more power to them. I feel confident that no matter who gets this thing to the big time, my phone will ring, and I'll get to have a part in helping it continue.

Some people only think about what they will look like if their chosen side "loses". And it apears to me, the more vocal and public people are with their opinions, and the more one sided their statement shave been, the more they seem to want the other side to fail. It's silly. It's just one more in a continueing string of big dick contests that only serve to limit the possibilities of us all. (thankfully I was blessed with good looks, wit, and intelligence as opposed to being well endowed - or I may well be right in the middle of those contests)

Mark my words - following the ESPN TV show there will be people who have claimed to be after "whats best for paintball" that will waste great effort trying to tear down the quality of the show, the choice of commentators, the fact that it wasn't in a prime time slot, etc. It is absolutely infuriating to me.

I've watched every NPPL show on Fox TV and even wrote to them to thank them for the show and try to put in a good word for the continuation of the program.

But if half the people who try so hard to tear down others would spend half that time trying to do whats best for everybody, this sport would be a lot farther along.

I hope that this ESPN show is the best thing to ever happen to paintball. I hope it is the catalyst for the Nxl to prosper beyond my wildest imaginations. I hope that the pro players of today get more than I ever dreamed of when I was playing. I hope the success takes PSP so far ahead of the rest that there is no longer a dispute. And I hope we are able to continue to push forward even then. But, I don't tear down anyone elses attempts. And, if this doesn't work, and PSP doesn't advance the ball -- I hope someone else does. I have enough confidence in myself that I feel 'WHO' gets this sport to the forefront is irrelevant - I'll still be in a better position because of it.

 

[Baca Loco]

Thanks, boogie.

Nick--I was just recalling all the excitement of the initial XBall display and all the immediate TV talk it generated but beyond that the widespread interest (and if it isn't too corny) hope engendered right at the beginning.
I can understand the responses of people with a financial stake in the near term success of one project or another but what I was curious about was the seeming pessimism of the great unwashed.
Obviously this is, in parts, due to the "new" NPPL superceding the paintball public's attentions, the NXL's lousy self-promotion, the poor pball media coverage of the NXL compared to the NPPL and so on. But I still don't get why peeps don't care. Of course, there hasn't exactly been a huge hue and cry Euro-side over the PB2X shows either if the forums are at least broadly representative.
So much for miscellaneous ramblings.

PS--Hey, a BWillie sighting. Two within a day. Wow! Good post. C-ya (whether you like it or not ) in a week or so.

 

[Robbo]

I can't believe all this crap I am seeing here !!!

Just because 'some' people don't have too much confidence in the NXL's ability to transform their DC opportunity into success has nothing to do with bias and everything to do with the track record and history laid down by the PSP / NXL guys thus far.
If you look back to the beginning of the NXL enterprise, it's been one problem after another.

Lane, the only reason it's still hanging together is because this last ditch presentation is all that is left, the last tenuous link to mainstream opportunity.
The NXL hangs, whether you like it or not, on this one production, you don't get the ratings, the house of cards comes crashing down, not just my words mate, the words of one of the people at the top of your NXL tree as expressed to me several weeks ago!!!
There is no way the PSP / NXL are anywhere near a coherent body, there are just too many chiefs, too many egos, too much infighting and too much distrust, these are not the ingredients needed for a successful enterprise.

If you read what I have written about XBall Lane, you would have seen I have been one of the media's staunchest advocates and if the success or failure of the NXL venture relied upon just the format, then it would undoubtedly be a success but there is an infrastructure that surrounds XBall and it is that causes concern and lack of confidence.
In fact, Joanne, Mike and Richmond all took the trouble to thank me for what I had written and continued to write about XBall !!
What you may see as bias toward the NPPL is just recognition and acceptance of a professionally run tournament circuit and for the past two years or so has been in stark contrast to what the PSP have put on especially when it comes to marketing and promoting paintball, this point has been acknowledged by many people's within the PSP Lane including yourself to me.

Now let's cut thru all the bollocks here, there is no point in trying to polarise people here, it serves no purpose other than to smokescreen the real issues and they are, the NPPL are the best promoters by far, XBall is the best format by far, neither are preclusive and I certainly don't want XBall to fail !!!

And Lane, I ain't got any vested interests in the NPPL and I ain't backed myself into any corner !!!!!
You have vested interests in the PSP, they pay yer frikkin wages mate, PGI pay mine, nobody else !!!

And I just love this comment you made,

But if half the people who try so hard to tear down others would spend half that time trying to do what’s best for everybody, this sport would be a lot farther along.

Oh my God, Lane, you gotta be kiddin me mate.
You say that when look at the past history of what's been going between the PSP/NXL and the NPPL?
Now without going into too much detail, I find that comment a little niaive to say the least.
Lane, ask around (if you don’t already know), who was at the Vegas NPPL trying to buy people’s loyalty and got absolutely nowhere?
Anybody with half a brain in their head wishes success for the NXL but the pessimism displayed by the vast majority is not borne out of self interest, bias or ignorance but out of an observance of recent history and knowledge of who's involved.
Peace Lane, this is my last post responding to you on this one, I tend to value my friendship with you a lot more than all this cr@p.
Pete