NPPL Huntington Beach: Who's going?

[Wadidiz]

TJ,

I would still be interested in some reasons, speculation or otherwise, as to why NXL teams should be excluded from NPPL Super 7. I could be wrong, but it looks like another attempt at SPITE. Was any rationale given at the Chicago meeting? And I hope no one tries to compare the NFL, NBA, NHL, etc. with PB. The comparisons don't hold up.

 

[TJ Lambini]

We're trying to get an official quote...

Doing our best...

 

[TJ Lambini]

As for speculation...

Well, if I was NXL I'd say that this was a further attempt at professionalizing the sport, distancing the real Pros (for want of a better term) from the masses and trying to create a proper professional league with the attendant glamour and exclusivity.

You could argue this is cart-before-horse, and I know many NXLers wanted to play both series, but maybe this is a sacrifice that needs making for the greater good.

Or maybe not.

 

[Magued]

Tj.

Damn, that was some bad news!
I guess this mean that some people dont want to compete there 2 different legues on equal basis. And to hide it behind a argument that they need to isolate the pros is just BS.

Im getting feed up with all the politics in this small small sport, we are not going anywhere as long as people is acting like this.

We should concentrate to make the cake bigger instead of fighting over the small peices thats todays paintball.

Ahh Fuc*ing pathetic!

Magued

 

[Wadidiz]

Right said, Magued.

I can't help but feel that the "exclusivity" contract is just another example of beedy-eyed vengeance-seeking. One could look at such ploys as just business people using whatever leverage is at their disposal to gain advantage. But sometimes such actions just build up resentment and create a desire to see certain people get their come-uppance. Just more fuel to the fire IMO, like the name-game and the Website shizit. Someone please convince me I'm wrong.

Steve

 

[raehl]

Or...

You could just look at it as one less team in the way of getting NPPL Pro Cash.

You guys are so negative all the time.

- Chris

 

[Wadidiz]

Or...

Originally posted by raehl
You could just look at it as one less team in the way of getting NPPL Pro Cash.

You guys are so negative all the time.

- Chris

There is the theoretical and then there's the personal. Magued and I were looking forward to getting to hang with some friends. I guess they will just have to come and watch now. (Wonder if they would be allowed to ref? They are excellent.)

By the way, the team count is back up again without the South Carolina Ironmen.

Steve

 

[raehl]

It's not personal, it's business.

A sponsor pays $250k in league franchise fees alone. On top of that, they pay the player's expenses and maybe even pay the players.

The whole point here is to build up teams with brand equity and publicise the players themselves to create a better league with some better identity. Why?

Because when people want to see these teams and players play, they'll have to pay the $5 or $30 to go to an NXL game and see them, or watch the advertiser-funded TV programming, because that's the ONLY way to see these players and teams.

It makes ZERO sense to spend millions of dollars developing these team and player identities - and then have them go play somewhere else where some OTHER guy charges $30 (or even charges nothing) for people to see the product YOU spent millions building up.

This is not a mean or spiteful action. It is a NECESSARY step if you're trying to build a league that can be at least partially supported by spectator attendence and advertising dollars. The product is the players and the teams, and the NXL is paying the players to have them be their product and paying to increase the players' value. It makes no sense for the NXL to give their product away.

You wouldn't expect NPS to allow a player on one of their sponsored teams to play on a PMI team at the same time, would you? Sponsored players are assets for hire, and when you allow yourself to be hired, you play where and when the sponsor tells you to. NXL is the sponsor. You want their money to play, you play in the NXL. Expecting to get their money and then give it to the competition just doesn't make any sense.


- Chris

 

[Wadidiz]

As usual, Chris, you excel at logic and reason. The only problem is, has anyone ever paid to watch anyone play paintball (except for buying a DVD or a video tape)? Maybe you'll surprise me and say that they pay to watch college PB. And I didn't know that the players were (really) being paid yet.

Since you're so keen on sponsorship, then what is the name of the game there? Obviously EXPOSURE and a lot of it. Therefore it made total sense for the 'Men to both play Xball AND play whatever NPPLs or anything else they can. More opportunity for peeps to see the superstars sporting their Dye duds, etc. I'm sure they accepted the terms of the contract with leanness of heart to say the least. I'm sure many others felt the same.

All of what you describe is well and good WHEN paintball starts commanding a paying audience and TV viewership. We ain't there yet and a long ways from it. Like TJ said, "cart before the horse". Then the restrictions might start making sense. IMO.

Steve

 

[raehl]

The horse IS before the cart.

If people are going to invest their money in advancing paintball to a spectator sport, they're only going to do so with certain things in place to give them a reasonable expectation of making their money back.

Players are free to come up with their own millions of dollars to pull this off, and then they can decide to play whatever they want. Of course, as soon as it iss THEIR $250k on the line, they wouldn't want to be giving their product away to other leagues either. "Ok, guys, we just each spent $250k to create our own pro league. Now lets go pay someone else and play there."

You can't have your cake and eat it too. You're right - paintball isn't a spectator funded sport yet - but if the restrictions arn't there, it never will be, because spectators could just go to a different event and watch the same players and teams for free, thus undercutting the other league's attempt to become profitable.


And the deal is obviously worthwhile to the players, or they wouldn't be taking it. They can be a Pro player in NXL, or not. Their call. I really don't see how them bitching about the terms of their employment is any different from the rest of us bitching about the terms of ours. Everybody WANTS more, but that doesn't mean it's reasonable to expect it.


Anyway, you guys have lots of "It's better for me if it's this way" and 'It's not nice' reasons, but you've got zero economic reasons to allow players to play elsewhere, and those are really the only reasons that count. Until someone can tell the NXL et. al. why NXL players being able to play elsewhere is going to help the NXL league be successful, it ain't going to happen.

Of course, one way would be for all the pro players to collectively refuse to play the NXL under the current conditions - but I don't think the players really care that much, nor am I terribly sure the NXL really cares that much if they have to go to other players who ARE willing to play under their conditions, so that might not work. And if it wouldn't, that just illustrates the economic reality of the situation. Free enterprise does a nice job of giving people what they're actually worth as opposed to what they think they should get.


- Chris