NXL Off-Season Rumours, Transfers, Shens, etc......

[Missy-Q]

It's a conflict of interest.
Happens all the time. I don't get the outrage.
If you take a sponsors money, you need to commit to that sponsor. You can't do that if you work for their competitor. This is a given.
Also, I think it's twisted a little. Do you think APX want their sales guy endorsing a competitive product, or winning with it? Of course not.
"oh yeah, he sells it, but he doesn't use it himself..." This does not read well and he would be doing a dis-service to his employer.

Bobby made a life-choice. He would have known going in that taking that job would most likely have meant leaving a GI/KEE sponsored team in order to keep his employer happy. He would also have known that he would not be able to properly commit to GI/Kee as a sponsor if he stayed with his team.
This is just part of growing up. Nothing to do with GI being evil, or sucking. Bobby wants to work in paintball and have a career. That should come first, shouldn't it?
If anything, this speaks to Bobby's professional awareness more than anything else. He is doing the right thing and so is Infamous. If they didn't need sponsorship dollars they wouldn't have to do it, true, but if you take the money you have to give value for it.

The alternative is sponsors give the teams money and ask for no commitment in return. Anyone think that's the right way to do it?.

 

[Missy-Q]

...also, I think it's great that the European teams will be made up of more European players, and not hired guns.
Seeing the top US players at events is great for the fan-boys out there, sure, but it isn't healthy for the standard of European ball in general.
If the US guys don't come, and different teams win/place, we would be seeing the best teams in Europe emerge, wouldn't we?

 

[onasilverbike]

...also, I think it's great that the European teams will be made up of more European players, and not hired guns.
Seeing the top US players at events is great for the fan-boys out there, sure, but it isn't healthy for the standard of European ball in general.
If the US guys don't come, and different teams win/place, we would be seeing the best teams in Europe emerge, wouldn't we?

I agree that not having hired/sponsor placed guns on European teams is good for the development of the players in those teams. However, do the North American teams not bring a higher standard of game to the table, raising the bar European teams have to compete at?

 

[Missy-Q]

I agree that not having hired/sponsor placed guns on European teams is good for the development of the players in those teams. However, do the North American teams not bring a higher standard of game to the table, raising the bar European teams have to compete at?

OK, I think there was merit to that at the start. But how much longer do you feel the Euro teams need to learn and pick this up? Its been about 20 years already... I would argue that if the teams have not worked this out in the past 20 years, why would we expect them to get it this year, or next year?
For how much longer do you feel European teams should pay American players to 'take them to the next level'? Are they being taken to the next level, or are they just having a bit of a laugh, and enjoying the company of someone they may have seen in the magazines? The absence of some top US players may actually show us that.

 

[onasilverbike]

I think you may have misread my post, take the 'pros' off the rosters of the European teams. Those teams that have them rostered are often liable to tank when, for whatever reason, their hired guns can't play an event. Obviously, their second line/European counterparts aren't learning from them in these cases.

But, doesn't having the likes of Heat and Impact in the Millennium Series raise the level of competition so the all European teams have to raise their game. If you stopped them from flying in for events would the level of European 'pro' teams be the same?

 

[Marc0]

I always felt teams that were using US pro players were basically playing paintball Top Trumps.
I take your Ryan Smith and raise you an Oliver Lang ..... or a Ryan Greenspan ..... or a Kyle Spicka.

 

[Missy-Q]

I would argue that for the top teams to get better they also need confidence (comes from winning) and funds (comes from prizes), and more sponsorship (comes from winning). The top euro teams would get more sponsorship as they would actually have more chance to win, and by winning they would be delivering to their sponsors. Why would the industry sponsor a European team when their top US sponsored team can just fly out and win the event? This negates the need for a strong euro presence in the sponsorship stable.
If the team that had Ollie and Ryan playing with them for years tanks this year without them, what does this prove? What did that investment buy?

Also, do the European teams actually raise their game if the Americans come play? Show me the evidence of that. The evidence I have seen shows me that for the European teams to raise their game, they need to play in the states. Every successful and dominant Euro team has done this. Preds, Banzai, Nexus, Ton-Ton, Joy. Show me one that has emerged as a euro-power-team (winning events) by playing the Americans in Europe and not making the trip to play in the US leagues...

 

[onasilverbike]

Valid points, except for the one about prizes, seeing the MS did away with Cash Money prizes a few seasons back

The counter argument to the sponsorship point is, would the big industry players bother, if they thought there was just as much exposure to be had backing the US pro teams at home? There has been a noticeable drop off in the corporate presence of some companies at MS events over the last few years.

But, I fully take on board your point about euro teams playing in the US.

 

[Missy-Q]

For sure the industry would need to see a European team successfully pulling product through their channels in order to consider sponsoring them. A European team needs to get noticed.
Do we think this is more or less likely to happen if a US team always wins the event?
How does a Euro team get noticed when all attention is on the hired guns?
Since the last dominant Euro team (Joy, who played NPPL), how has the existing situation worked to elevate a European team to 'sponsorable status'?

In reading the thread it seems people are more annoyed that the pro's won't be coming to hang out and have beers. I didn't read any concerns about the quality of play. I get it. I like to see my friends from the US too. I don't expect an industry 3rd party to pay them to come visit me is all...

 

[Missy-Q]

I know I missed out the Russians, but the Russians only prove my point harder, and with more penetration.