Lane Wright talks smack

[Justin Owen]

Not having been to the PSPs or NPPLs this year I can't offer a first-hand subjective opinion, but from what I've been told by people I trust who HAVE been there...

(1) Vegas reffing was apparently "questionable." I don't put any stock in Smacktalk-style debates regarding this so when I want opinions I trust there are a few select people I go to and the unanimous opinion on this front was that it was pretty inconsistent and definitely lacking in some areas. On the other hand, at times it was said to have been spot-on. My take from what I was told: IMPROVEMENT ON THIS FRONT HAS NOT BEEN AS QUICK TO DEVELOP AS VENUES, STAGING, ETC.

Now on to other things:

(2) I'm not a "close friend" of Lane's and Barney knows him better, but I've known him for a while as I was coming into the MSPA around the time he was leaving and I've continued to talk to him at every opportunity when our paths have crossed at the NPPLs/PSPs. One thing I can say is that I hold him in higher esteem than anyone else with whom I've had such relatively light interaction. He may or may not work for the PSP but what has always impressed me with him beyond all else is his steadfast "trueness", a quality I respect greatly. He's straight up, doesn't beat around the bush, and sticks to his guns and sticks to what he sees as right. That being said, he's also easy to talk to and I've never found him to be closed-minded...he's more interested in the truth, and is happy to discuss things and examine a point of view that, at outset, he sees himself as disagreeing with. I have always found him to be a person of integrity, whose confidence is often confused with arrogance by those insecure enough to have trouble differentiating the two.
I thought his message (first post) was surprisingly fair; not at all the typical political-minded b.s. you get from leagues when messages are put out to the masses. Bottom line: Based upon what I know of Lane, if he says it I believe it or believe that he believes it. I will continue to see it this way without hesitation until he demonstrates that what he says should be treated otherwise (although I don't expect this to happen).

(3) Barney is a sexy beast...even Alabama in-bred as he is.

(4) A couple of teams on the PSP ten man front seem to be seriously considering Div 1 or 2 X-ball, and thus leaving the 10-man format. Their opinion is that while 10-man rocks, X-ball rocks more and they want to play it. I would like to play it and see for myself, but I kind of think once I played X-ball I'd be addicted. Perhaps this summer? We'll see...

(5) I rule...like poodles...poodles rule.

Lotsa love to all,
~J~

 

[Baca Loco]

Re:

Originally posted by Justin Owen
1--Bottom line: Based upon what I know of Lane, if he says it I believe it or believe that he believes it. I will continue to see it this way without hesitation until he demonstrates that what he says should be treated otherwise (although I don't expect this to happen).

1--I'm sure Robbo would agree with your assessment of Lane and I feel comfortable speaking for Pete 'cause he's said the same thing numerous times (and I am completely shameless) but Lane's character isn't at issue. What's open for debate is just what the PSP is doing and what the ultimate results could be.

Originally posted by me but it's Lane's words
1--I have spent the last couple of days reading various posts around the Internet with regard to the “demise” of the 10-man format. I want to assure everyone that PSP has no intention of doing away with 10-man so long as there are enough teams wanting to participate to justify the format.
2--With that in mind, we have every intention of continuing our efforts in X-Ball. It is our belief that it offers the brightest future for tournament paintball. We are not doing this at the detriment of 10-man. We are doing it separately, and in addition to the 5 & 10-man format.
3--If at some point there are only a handful of teams interested in playing other formats, PSP will make a decision based on that fact. But as of today, and based on the fact that most 10 man teams are still very interested in playing 5 & 10 man, we will continue to offer those options to the teams.
4--Until there are no longer enough teams interested in other formats (be that 5-man, 10-man, or X-Ball), this will remain the case.
5--I would like to address the reffing option briefly. Teams and players who are obviously not pleased with reffing have the option to step in and show how it should be done. PSP pays more for a day’s reffing than our competition. Teams are the best refs. Teams have the option of reffing and setting a precedent for others to follow. Adam Gardner (Smart Parts) is the person in charge of getting referees for the events. Rather than post on Smack Talk about how it should be done, why not give Adam a call and show everyone that you are willing to put your actions in place of words.

1--not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? First game times are arbitrarily reduced from 15 to 12 minutes and the intent was to reduce it further (10 minurtes) until it was loudly questioned. It was also suggested in a number of places that offering divisional X-Ball would impact 10-man registration, particularly at the top of the heap, and that would errode part of the appeal for Nov and Rookie teams to play 10-man. LA proved 10-man Pro unviable and so it's gone.
2--Regardless of the legalities or even the best of intentions when X-Ball gets the bulk of the experienced refs in disproportionate numbers event after event, it is plain, in piggy-backing X onto "old" style events the "old" tourney is playin' second fiddle.
3--again with the reactive approach that only states the obvious. If it ain't financially feasible it goes. No surprise there. What is a surprise--since supposedly the only way to make X cost effective in the short term is to attach it to the regular road show--is that more aggressive efforts aren't being made to keep the "host" tourney(s) up to speed.
4--so far 10-man Pro and Am 5-man are gone in two events.
5--there is no reason for teams to ref anymore. It's not like they used to ref out of the kindness of their hearts or to "step up" and show everyone how to do it. C'mon. Hardly any top Pros left, no series points to earn, no unified, recognized Pro division. It ain't rocket science to know this means trouble.

 

[Barney]

Sorry, I've had two replys dumped. First I'd like to say I live in Alabama I am not from Alabama. Next ten man. Reffing. I think its funny that some of the "good" judges that the X-ball got are the same incompetant PRO judges that alot of people spent all last season bitching about. I do se the problem with getting pro teams, put Vegas had a pro team to judge and they are the ones I've heard the most complaints about. I hear that another division one x ball team will ref in Chicago. So the well hasn't run out just yet. I would also like to point out that the Vegas NPPL was not a model for judging either. It had the most inconsistant judging I've seen in a while. Apparently dragging all the Euro teams over is not a solution either. Both leagues realize the importance of an independant judging group, but finding them, training them and paying them what the deserve will take time. It also seems that people have forgotten how biased reffing was in the old days and how far things have come. As for 10 man attendance, the PSP can not make teams sign up. I also think teams are not leaving because the PSP is messed up, or they hate Jerry or they love Camile or any other reason I keep hearing. The truth is there are new options this year. Its not that people don't like 10 man, but they'd like to try something new. I loved playing 7 man it was new and exciting. I am also dying to play X-ball. That doesn't mean I never want to play another 10 man game. No format is going to be everyones favorite. We are begining to see players leave x-ball to play 10 man(and vise-versa). I also beleive that as teams realize new isn't always better(and one team doesn't make a pro division) that we will see teams leave 7 to return to 10. Wait till next year, I think 10 man will rebound. Remember everyone says Jerry is a money grubber, so if the demand(and money) is there you'll have a division. Rather than choose sides, I see more paintball than there has ever been and I just want to play as much as possible. After having my first to messages dumped, this may not be my best message but I hope I hit the high points.
Barney
PS, Justin rules and so do poodles

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by Barney
1--Sorry, I've had two replys dumped. First I'd like to say I live in Alabama I am not from Alabama. Next ten man.
2--Reffing. I think its funny that some of the "good" judges that the X-ball got are the same incompetant PRO judges that alot of people spent all last season bitching about. I do se the problem with getting pro teams, put Vegas had a pro team to judge and they are the ones I've heard the most complaints about. I hear that another division one x ball team will ref in Chicago. So the well hasn't run out just yet. I would also like to point out that the Vegas NPPL was not a model for judging either. It had the most inconsistant judging I've seen in a while.
3--As for 10 man attendance, the PSP can not make teams sign up. I also think teams are not leaving because the PSP is messed up, or they hate Jerry or they love Camile or any other reason I keep hearing. The truth is there are new options this year.

1--failure to "depress" the submit button will cause all your posting efforts to disappear. No conspiracy to silence ya, Barn. The more the merrier. If not Alabama, West Virginia, maybe?
2--the point isn't the quality of the refs as such--cus you won't find anybody harder to please on the reffing issue than me--but the fact that despite past "problems" staffing 10-man fields every X-Ball field practically has a ref per player or more while 10-man fields remain understaffed. So the refs were found to put on X-Ball fields but not on 10-man fields.
3--more options for the player means it's that much more difficult to convince a percentage of the teams to play yours---and that's exactly my point. If PSP wants to keep 10-man viable they will have to do more than simply say, if you wanna play and there's enough of ya, we'll do it. Not a recipe for success.

 

[BWillie]

I'm not going to get too deep into this, but I have to ask you Baca -

Hasn't PSP done more than just say - if you want it we'll have it.

Players wanted fruit and got it
Players wanted a more secure staging area and got it
Players wanted nicer venues and got it
Players wanted grass and got it
Players wanted a better prize package and got it


They got it without raising the cost per player to enter, and without charging a "membership fee" on top of an entry fee.


It's just the judging that naysayers can hang their hat on now. And I don't mean this as a blast at the Super 7's in anyway, but Joy Division isn't going to be available to ref every event, and compared to them, most other refs will be "sub-par".

I will say this - PSP is discussing an entirely new plan for reffing that may be announced any day. It would be radically different than in times past, and although it would not necessarily guarantee quality reffing at each event, it would definitely put the players/teams in a better position to control the destiny of the reffing the events have. We'll see if PSP thinks it is doable, and then I am sure someone from PSP will try to get the opinion of some teams. It may work, it may not. But there's a chance a different approach will be made soon.

 

[knobbs]

The problem is that the only reason PSP is doing this is to play catch up. If the NPPL never came about, they'd still be resting on laurels.

They may be doing what players want now, but it's tainted.

 

[JTHM]

Originally posted by knobbs
They may be doing what players want now, but it's tainted.

True, but better tainted than not at all.

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by BWillie
I'm not going to get too deep into this, but I have to ask you Baca -
1--Hasn't PSP done more than just say - if you want it we'll have it.
Players wanted fruit and got it...a more secure staging area and got it...nicer venues and got it...grass and got it...a better prize package and got it
2--They got it without raising the cost per player to enter, and without charging a "membership fee" on top of an entry fee.
3--It's just the judging that naysayers can hang their hat on now. And I don't mean this as a blast at the Super 7's in anyway, but Joy Division isn't going to be available to ref every event, and compared to them, most other refs will be "sub-par".
4--I will say this - PSP is discussing an entirely new plan for reffing that may be announced any day. It would be radically different than in times past, and although it would not necessarily guarantee quality reffing at each event, it would definitely put the players/teams in a better position to control the destiny of the reffing the events have. We'll see if PSP thinks it is doable, and then I am sure someone from PSP will try to get the opinion of some teams. It may work, it may not. But there's a chance a different approach will be made soon.

Hey, BW. Georgia's in the hizzouse!

1--playin' Devil's Advocate it might be said the appearance of those features--all good things--could be, not unreasonably, attributed to comp with the new NPPL. Regardless, yes, those are all definitely good things and in other threads I've mentioned most of them one time or another.
2--now that is a good point. (Particularly as I've howled repeatedly about the lame NPPL membership nonsense.) But while we're on the subject maybe PSP and NPPL can actually organize a useful player membership--though in PSP it's less relevant than it used to be.
3--and I won't argue with ya on this one either. The real issues aren't who, but how and how many--and that applies across the board.
4--glad to hear it. Glad to hear an alternative is under consideration and I, for one, would and will give the PSP full credit, success or failure, for making the effort.

Now see, if Lane would come on here and respond to various issues and talk through the process a bit I think it would only help the general perception of the PSP and their intentions. (The same applies to the NPPL who generally only act with Press Releases but they are presently golden so it doesn't matter as much.)
The simple idea that the league wishes to be responsive, even when it can't or won't do certain things, goes a long way to making both the process and the results acceptable to players. Not easy when dealing with difficult posters but still worthwhile.

 

[raehl]

Man...

If you want to talk to Lane, do what I do - pick up the phone and CALL him.


Personally, I don't want fruit at my tournaments, or water, or anything other than quality fields, staging area, and reffing. If you want fruit, bring your own stinking fruit. If you don't want to pay $2 for water, bring your own stinking water. If you want a massage, bring your own stinking girlfriend. At some point we have to decide if we are ATHLETES, in which case we go to compete, or if we're on VACATION, in which case we get fruit and massages and beauty pagents and rap groups.

I'm not doggin' on S7 here, just pointing out that S7 provides some extra thrills at some extra expense. Maybe that's worth it to you, maybe it isn't, but it's pretty cool for the players to have the ability to choose.

- Chris

 

[Baca Loco]

Man...

Originally posted by raehl
If you want to talk to Lane, do what I do - pick up the phone and CALL him.

As usual you aren't paying any attention to anything but you're own pronouncements. My point isn't that either Lane or Camille aren't available on an individual basis but that both organizations would find it in their public relations interest to be more communicative and open generally. The unwillingness to communicate broadly except in very limited ways or privately is merely a means of controlling information and attempting to stifle debate.