NPPL Rankings post-Vegas

[JtJ]

Probably ill advised to enter this but....

I agree with Mark in that attendance should be compulsory but also limited to a certain number of events. 5 NPPL events, you must attend them all and you cannot get seed points elsewhere. If that results in regional leagues (NPPL US, NPPL Europe....) that feed into a year end "Tournament of Champions" so be it. If that results in fewer matches of Dynasty v Arsenal (west v east) or Joy Division v Infamous, so be it.

The problem with the system that exists right now is that the wealthy teams have a very significant advantage in maintaining their pro ranking and, pro or otherwise, not all teams are funded equally.

Take the Hurricanes as an example: we are probably about middle of the pack in terms of funding. We have to manage our budget and as long as we do, all is well. We can't afford 3 trips over the pond to collect points. We are making one trip, Malaga, so that we can replace our Tampa Bay DQ with some points. This trip is not in our budget, though. Luckily we have a great sponsor who is stepping up and helping us out. The generosity of Redz, and the team's fiscal conservatism throughout the year, are making our chances for 2005 much better. However, the fact that we can afford this trip does not in and of itself make us a better team than all the pro's who can't afford it.

jeff

 

[woz]

Originally posted by Mark Toye-Nexus
Woz well reasoned BUT

I have said this before, maybe not to you but I have.

I have argued that there should be a certain number of compulsory events in a year that ALL top teams attend - in a genuine league format (like X Ball has tried).

At the moment the 'sport' of paintball is lead by money, sales, entry fees, paint bills etc. Like you most ballers cant attend 6 or 7 events and should you be penalised? How many can you attend? 5? Well 5 is a fair number to assess the top team in a league. But the league should be compulsory, that is each team enters to play all legs to decide the winner. The 5 events would then have all the teams in attendance.

I would have pro teams enter this under these conditions and everyone else carry on the same. There would be no entry fee for the pros, but no prize money either. The money would be distributed at the end of the season according to league position. I realise this isnt working too well in NXL but it makes sense (paintball is not ready for it maybe?).

Other events could be arranged around this schedule on the basis of 'cup' formats. These would not be compulsory but would involve ca$h and kudos.

I may have been a bit harsh re the sport doubts but I HAVE always said that paintball is not the sort of sport where you can go buy a ball and kick it around the park ie a one off cost sport. It is a consumer sport (past time ) that costs and costs as you consume and consume. Until the top teams can exist with no financial output (other than paying wages, insurances etc), playing a league that can finance itself (staff ec) then the world will look at it as an exciting side show where most who play are those that are lucky eough to be able to afford it.

And Woz - this is a debating forum, we have our own opinions, I enjoy reading yours and replying - so no worries

Hey Toye,

I totally agree, if the league is to be taken seriously (from a non paintballers point of view at least) it needs to have at the very least all pro teams playing all legs.

On the other hand i also think it is very important to try & secure a true world league (Millennium & NPPL) in which all the best teams compete in.

In an ideal world we would have a world league say 10 or 12 events per year & all pro teams can afford to play all legs & spend the rest practising (kinda like the Russians). Moves are being made & the future looks brighter for sure, but like i said it aint over night.

I suppose the question is what gives paintball more kudos a true world league or a locked league with all teams playing all legs?

WOZ

 

[woz]

Originally posted by JtJ
Probably ill advised to enter this but....

The problem with the system that exists right now is that the wealthy teams have a very significant advantage in maintaining their pro ranking and, pro or otherwise, not all teams are funded equally.

jeff

Hey Jeff,

I couldn't agree more, if i told you the Tigers sponsorship package for 1 year you would probably die laughing, i tell ya its truly unbelievable we got this far.

I think that's why i get so upset sometimes when we dont receive the respect i sometimes think we earn. I actually heard some English guy at Campaign saying how crap british paintball is & that we aint got no good teams etc & then he says well Tigers there all right i suppose, which is probably why i reacted to marks post earlier. I just wish people would try & realise the hugh disadvantage we have when trying to compete with the very top teams.

Woz

 

[sjt19]

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
anyone else think Bobby might be heading to Malaga?
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No sadly, they have practice Just talked to one of the guys in Zachs shop

 

[Booya39]

Other than for a lack of equal financial backers, I would say that playing in whichever of the event you choose is a good idea. We the sport of paintball are far from being the NBA, NFL, or MLB. I think we are better off taking an approach similar to NASCAR, for lack of a better comparison. Every team (driver and crew) in NASCAR knows what races count for which series. They also have to qualify prior to each race. I guess you could say that this past year has been the qualifying for paintball.

It would be great if the NPPL had an incentive for teams to play all the events other than the prizes at each event. Maybe something along the lines of TV.

Afterall is there a big need to have a unified world league??? Maybe I'm just blind to this whole concept b/c I'm from the US but what's wrong with having a separate US league and European league???

 

[noop]

I hate Nascar.

Do you guys have a full roster for Orlando?

 

[repairman]

Well I don't agree.................

There are many in here that state the opinion that costs are cause teams to not be inovlved. Well right now teams like the Hurricanes, Brimstone Smoke, Brass Eagle, Tigers and others have the opportuntiy that they never would have had with the old system. I am talking about the times when Avalanche, Sc Ironmen, All Americans, Aftershock had all the best players and all the money. Before only the guys with the money could buy up the best players. Well now you guys are all going to be part of an exclusive club.
IF the PROs out there want to play against the best then they have to play on somebody's team. Dynasty, Arsenal, XSV can't hold on to all the players. 7 man teams are too small. People are going to want to play. Sure it cost money to go to events I am not saying they are free. But realize If Sponsors want to sponsor PRO teams they must come to you.
Don't sell yourself short. The other thing that owners have to realize is that you have to market your team to Sponsors, New Players and to consumers.
Dynasty got what it got not just because we were winning. It is because we spend the time at the JT trailor signing autographs with young kids. You have to put in the time. Tony Hawk doesn't just Skate and then go home. He spends his time signing autographs and taking pictures. This is what makes him marketable to Sponsors and that is why they pay him the money he gets.
Team owners need to have a game plan for the next 3-5 years. If this sport is ever going to change for the better then this time
for people to step up. Realize the NXL teams are going to take years to get to the PRO division. Only 2 teams per year will be allowed to move up. That means there is a lot of players sitting on the sidelines.

 

[JtJ]

Well I don't agree.................

Originally posted by repairman
teams like the Hurricanes, Brimstone Smoke, Brass Eagle, Tigers and others have the opportuntiy that they never would have had with the old system.

I agree 100% with you. However, the opportunity you are speaking of will exist next year even if they fix the existing points & seeding system. I am not saying that they shouldn't limit the pro's. I am just saying that under the current system, a team can effectively buy points.

_______________________________________

I don't want to hijack this thread, but something else you said raised my eyebrows:

Originally posted by repairman
Realize the NXL teams are going to take years to get to the PRO division. Only 2 teams per year will be allowed to move up. That means there is a lot of players sitting on the sidelines.

NYX is only a few hours down the road from me. Ex-Hurricanes play on NYX and ex-NYXers' play on the 'Canes. There's a lot of interaction between the two teams. From what I gather talking to them, they feel that their future is bright. They believe that TV money is about to start pouring into the league and they are about to start collecting checks as players. In no way, shape or form do they seem to feel, as you indicate you feel above, that they are about to be relegated to the Amateurs. (I don't mean to put words in your mouth, if I misread your thoughts on the NXL, I apologize. Please enlighten me.)

I am sure you have a lot more interaction with NXL teams and players than do I. Do those people you are in contact with not share the optimism of the people I am in contact with?

jeff

 

[Booya39]

Originally posted by noop
I hate Nascar.

Do you guys have a full roster for Orlando?

I never said I liked NASCAR. I just think its an example of teams needing to qualify for events and also choosing which events to attend because I'm fairly sure that there are teams who do not have the financial backing to race in every NASCAR event they host.

I don't know if you'd consider 11 people a full roster but since we're playing novice and already have 3 ams on the team we don't have any room for pro or am players.

 

[repairman]

Well I am still of the belief that the NXL is smoke and mirrors

The NXL has been saying this stuff for how many years? They had to allow players to play in other leagues or all the teams were going to leave. The have nothing to show period.