NPPL Pro scores
- Thread starter Beaker
- Start date
At the Pro level, I doubt there are going to be enough sponsor dollars left from the industry to support two leagues. NPPL is more vulnerable here, as at least on the NXL side there are league owners who are team owners and have extra interest in financing the teams.
I think the new owners of NPPL are starting to realize they've bitten off a bit more than they bargained for in terms of actually running the events. And I think the PSP folks are probably willing to give up control to somebody like Bruce in exchange for out-of-industry money they haven't been able to get themselves, whereas they have been less willing to get involved with a league backed by another paintball manufacturer.
It's money, first and foremost, but not only money. There is a startling polarity amongst teams almost everywhere in the states. Teams are playing X-Ball or 7 man. The game commonality is gone, the fun is eroding, and the politics of choosing the PSP or NPPL (and the repercussions from choosing) are burduning everyone. As far as playing paintball and practicing for events go, things were much better when everybody was playing the same format for the same glory. We as a sport can't even agree who the best is because nobody knows for sure! We have so many major events now that they don't seem to be as big of a deal as they used too. Other than World Cup and Huntington Beach, nobody really gives a damn anymore because there are so many. The PSP and NPPL take up so much of the calendar with mediocre events that it has contributed to the demise of great stand alone events like Skyball, IAO, Bunkerfest, etc. We need less events that mean more that are great tournaments, not great venues.
Makes sense - I recall the recent interview with Bob where he's talking about a cost of USD$65k to run an NPPL team for a year - vs. a significantly higher amount for the PSP.
And that's the key isn't it? Having someone with no 'industry' investment own and run the league as a independent organisation, with existing 'industry' working along side as sponsors and the like. (With reflection this is probably why there wasn't the buy in to the PPP initially).
End of the day I'd love to see rationalisation. We NEED a single cost effective format to latch onto ... and have major series around the world buy into. Only then will we start seeing true global growth.
I suppose the question then is: If 7-man format is the winner (and looking likely it might be) what will the Millennium do for 2008 in terms of format?
Why would 7-man be the winner? I think that's a poor choice. The people in the states want to play X-Ball. Every PSP event this year has been bigger than the corresponding event last year. Every NPPL event has been smaller. Aside from XPSL, GPL (partially) and NEPL, the entire country is geared around 5-man or XBall. And PAcific Paintball controls XPSL and can mandate a format change, while nobody controls the rest of the country and will have to otherwise 'encourage' a format change.
And there's no reason XBall teams have to be more expensive than 7-man teams - that's already been proven in D3/D2. All the NXL has to do is clip the roster limit to 12 players and maybe drop the match time a bit and it's cost competitive. There's no reason to drag those other 6 players around anyway.
And once you look past the Pro/Open divisions, PSP XBall/5-man is *MUCH MUCH* cheaper than NPPL 7-man is.
The NPPL Kansas City event was the smallest national event since Atlantic City in 2001. And that's with many teams getting 25-50% off their entry fees.
And there's no reason XBall teams have to be more expensive than 7-man teams - that's already been proven in D3/D2. All the NXL has to do is clip the roster limit to 12 players and maybe drop the match time a bit and it's cost competitive. There's no reason to drag those other 6 players around anyway.
And once you look past the Pro/Open divisions, PSP XBall/5-man is *MUCH MUCH* cheaper than NPPL 7-man is.
The NPPL Kansas City event was the smallest national event since Atlantic City in 2001. And that's with many teams getting 25-50% off their entry fees.
Those events didn't die off because of PSP/NPPL events. Well, not because of the number of them. Events that charge $80+/case for paint (Skyball/IAO) can not compete with events that are BYOP, events that are across an international border from most of the vendors with trucks getting held up at the border can't compete with those that are not (Skyball) and Bunkerfest is mainly the result of Mondo having his hands full on his other business.
On top of that, there's the growth of regional leagues like CFOA and XPSL. Lots of teams used to go to events like Skyball/IAO because that's the only place you could play short of playing NPPL. But the big regional leagues now provide an experience close to Skyball/IAO and it's much closer and cheaper. When you can play CFOA or XPSL there's much less reason to hoof it to Toronto or bumblescrew PA.
Sorry - I should have clarified. I was referring to the games in their current formats/structure. From what I’ve read/chatted about all the top level teams have voiced that 7-man has a much lower cost of participation when compared to full X-Ball. And $’s at the moment are what is talking.
A change in game format adds a whole level of complexity to the mix. (Perhaps the CPL format would be a good compromise?)
Speaking personally I love full X-Ball (having run the only team in NZ to have tried it in Australia) … but can see both sides of the argument.
Chris, you are up to speed re the financial situation of say SP: Dave YB I would have thought is fed up with sticking his hand in his pocket; With 08 looming, do you think :-
a) If the PSP/NXL continues next year in the same financial vein as it has done, do you think the Gardners and YB are gonna back the league in terms of bailing it out every time it looks as though it's going under?
b) With team attendance dropping at NPPL, might this not be seen as a pre-cursor to an attempted integration?
For the life of me Chris, I cannot see the status quo remaining, something has gotta change mate, it just has to.
a) If the PSP/NXL continues next year in the same financial vein as it has done, do you think the Gardners and YB are gonna back the league in terms of bailing it out every time it looks as though it's going under?
b) With team attendance dropping at NPPL, might this not be seen as a pre-cursor to an attempted integration?
For the life of me Chris, I cannot see the status quo remaining, something has gotta change mate, it just has to.
I don't believe that PSP will lose money this year. World Cup is about to sell out. And I think they can make themselves mildly profitable next year with a couple key changes. And that's without any out-of-industry money.
I agree that there will be one league next year, or at least by the time 2008 comes to a close. But, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion how that will happen.
Don't suppose you're up for a jog over to Germany, Austria or Prague in the next couple weeks? I'll be around the continent and happy to buy you a beer or ten.
I agree that there will be one league next year, or at least by the time 2008 comes to a close. But, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion how that will happen.
Don't suppose you're up for a jog over to Germany, Austria or Prague in the next couple weeks? I'll be around the continent and happy to buy you a beer or ten.