NXL Implosion !!

[goose]

Actually I am looking at it from a marketing point of view.

If I am trying to sell a product, and trying to tell people that the players are the best - it doesn't do any good to have the "actual best players" somewhere else.

If this thing ever gets big enough to draw the interest of publications such as Sports Illustrated, I'm sure one of the questions the reporters might investigate are why isn't Lasoya/Lang/Long whoever playing in the NXL if it is the best?

Sure you can fool the public - but for only so long - and if this hits the mainstream, then the outside publicity digging into just exactly what this called X-Ball is - will uncover the best elsewhere pretty quick.

I could be wrong - time will tell - we may actually have just wasted a lot of our Tuesday discussing something that never comes to fruition.

goose

P.S. back to one of my original statements - no one forced to players to sign on the dotted line. If they did because of promises and not hard contractual details then they are pretty naive. But they did sign a contract, and as long as all the contractual details are being lived up to, then unfortaunately they don't have a pot to piss in.

 

[TJ Lambini]

OK, we'll agree to differ, but...

NXL players can play other 5-Man events I believe, so tha exclusivity thing is bunkum anyway!

And on a separate note, if NXL were picked up now then Sports Illustrated would be wondering why last season's NPPL and Millennium Champs were playing in a different league...

 

[goose]

Now there are 2 things we can agree on

peace TJ - it's been fun as usual.

goose

 

[TJ Lambini]

 

[Lazy Terrahawk]

one question

i just wanna know, which format do you think is more fun to play?

 

[Rocky Knuth]

Since we have played all three formats I can give a little insite.


X-Ball = Its probally one of the funnest types paintball I have played. Its fast and there is alway action! It involves allot of different aspects(Proper pit crew, coach, plays ect.......)
We actually got offered a franchise, but since we already made prior commitments we turned it down.

Also I heard rumblings from some inside sources telling me that they where going to make the players sign a contract stating they COULDNT play other leagues. We really wanted to play the super 7 and some milleniums. As our first year playing "PRO" I wanted my guys to get a feel for all the formats and play different teams. We really enjoyed playing Joy Div, Ton Tons, Nexus and are looking foward to playing the Russian Legion.

7-Man = Lots of fun! The VENUES are unbelievable. It really makes us as players feel like "SUPERSTARS". I really like the finals format. I think the biggest thing that format has to offer is its really spectator friendly. There is instant "resolve" at the games end.


Both formats are fun, I think each one has a differnent "nich". I would love to be able to play both.(NXL and Super 7) I guess for now we have to settle for Div 1. No matter what league gets on TV first its good for the sport --period-- I just hope they do it soon!

 

[CockerTown]

My two cents and observations on the whole matter....

Goose,
It's true...you have to look at the situation more objectively.
"Pros" as we know them right now could be nothing more then tools for TV producers and if they feel whoever doesn't fit the mold to be a viable marketing option, they will be replaced, with less skilled players if required.
You seem to be looking at paintball as if it's a established real sport like baseball, soccer, hockey, etc.... where skill level alone will get you to the "promised-land". Remember, at this stage of the game, they have to sell the concept rather then the players or even skill level to the masses.
In order for paintball to work on TV, it's gotta have flash, pazzaz, something more then guys running around in motorcross-like clothing shooting each other with funny looking guns and yelling and screaming. They gotta do some serious TV magic to make a participation game into a spectator game.
Will X-ball be the format? Will it be 7-man, 10-man, 5-man, 3-man??? I don't know. I just hope TV doesn't make the game we love to play look like a joke on TV, just for the sake of ratings....which it all ultimately boils down to.

 

[Robbo]

Rocky I tell you what I heard from some of the X-Ball guys who were at Vegas (and you know who they were), they said that the format became boring.
Now this sounds crazy, as at first sight the format is anything but boring but they went onto explain, they said after you played something like 20 games where each one is over in less than two minutes, then even the frenetic pace of X-Ball becomes predictable and commonplace.
Most games are generally being won or lost on the throwing of a towel by the coach and so there is a feeling of a loss of a defining end, such as a flag return.

To these players, the game was now going sour and bearing in mind they are being 'told' they cannot play the NPPL's or the Millenniums, it's hardly surprising, things are about to go ass up unless something drastic happens.

I think u did the right thing in declining the X-Ball offer but I can only say that in retrospect, as I would have bitten their arm off at the shoulder at the outset.

See you guys in Chi Town I hope !

 

[Lazy Terrahawk]

ok , i know this has been said before but if x-ball tried 7 man instead of 5, and it got the same venues as super 7 would you consider it the best available format. I guess what im getting at is venue's and promoters aside, which format is best.

 

[Richard Kirke (DUPS Rocket) UK]

NXL to go?

I think that the players in the NXL are suffering from the the succes of the Super 7s. I don't think that many people could have predicted the quality of events that have been layed on (assuming that the rest of the series doesn't suffer from "Not as good as HB" syndrome).

I'd guess that players are (disregardign any contractual considerations which may or may not be relevant) unwilling to walk away from their team even if it is locked into the NXL to some other team (after all how many of the top teams are willing to pick up a player who has not played the format possibly ever?). Moving migth result in a drop in level of sponsorship etc.

If top talents walk away from the NXL, then what's to stop them going back if/when it hits the big-time? If X-Ball starts to offer superstar salleries then it will attract the top talent. If that means people who have left then so what? Teams will want the top talent becuase they will want to win. With big-bucks will (I predict) come far more focus on money (=winning basicly) and less on pride.

I have always been critical of X-ball, mostly becuase it is a format that I am increadibly unlikely to play, which removes a great deal of my interest in it. But, since I pay to play paintball, it is a format that I have to afford to subsidise.

Richard

P.s. I have always felt that the "Throwing in the towel" rule was a bad idea as it would just be used by coaches to shave time off games, removing the satisfaction of the end-game.