NXL on ESPN2....

[Grendel-Khan]

Allright here's my take on it. It wasn't the gloom and doom that everyone seems to think it was. Granted it could have been a lot better, but there are several easy fixes that would make the show the shizznittlebamslipslapappy. This is all it would take......get ready for it.......the madden pen. That's right the John Madden highlight pen would solve evry problem. For the Euros who don't know, John Madden is an American football commentator who popularized using an electronic pen to focus attention on key areas. Imagine between points, the commentator analyzing the break outsd of both teams, their key lanes and running alleys. have somebody that coached X-ball break down what each team was trying to accomplish and how they did it. For example "here we see Biker Paul holding down the snake side back taco. Watch here as Frank Connell tries to run to the taco to cover that side, but gets waxed as he makes his move (cue slow motion replay of said waxing). With Frank out, the snake side now has this lane open for a runner (cue shot of someone supermanning into the snake) From there he has clear shots across the field at the reamaining players, while Paul continues to hold his lane, thus preventing his snake man from getting hit from the back." With a liberal dose of the pen, each action and reaction could be put into perspective, so that all the jumbled action you just saw makes more sense. Sort of like when Madden highlights a tackle pulling around the side to pancake a linebacker, freeing the back for a sixty yard run. You don't really notice it during the play, but in the replay it all makes sense. I think this show has a lot of potential, with a little spit and polish it could be spectacular. As fo rth ebad camera work and editing, they need to hire guys that have experience in shooting paintball, or let their crews get experience on a smaller scale before attempting the big games. Just my two cents, I'm going to get drunk, smell you later.


Oh, I forgot to mention, ditch the commentators, fast. Fereal, how many times did they have to say "orange juice" and "the red guy"?I'm an RTF major and just finished two courses in sports broadcasting, I could have done better chewing on a jawbreaker. I did like the New York accent, though, I live in Texas and have to listen to chumps yelling ya'll and howdy all day. It was a pleasant change.

 

[Lucky.One]

grendal u just ripped it apart much like i am saying i am just trying to void the particulars. Its like using an anology in the arguement, then everyone argues about the anology, not the issue at hand.

Boogie... instead of trying to be a cog, your right, i guess instead of making people money in the industry, i should just go out, make the cash for my self and show them how to do it. Paintball is still a crap industry. We have yet to find our tony hawk or matt hoffman those guys share a few things.
They were completely in touch with the majority of the market.
They built reptutaions and influence and then exicuted a vision they had for their sport. Greg Hastings has done more for paintball than the nxl. And he did it without screwing up the entire pro scene and all the politics that went with it. And hundreds of guys didnt waste time money and energy waiting for the big TV deal.
And for the record, i am not bitching I am pointing out that a lot recreational guys are gonna just say Yeah, paintball is on tv... that is not good enough. If pete had never blasted the WC after a horrible event, the split would have never taken place. with out people demanding more we would all be still shooting pump guns.
go ahead, attack me... cause you can't defend that piss poor performance.

 

[Wadidiz]

I think it's a question of high expectations. Since we had all heard the hype about thirty cameras, Dick Clark's marketing prowess, ESPN, blasé, blasé, we thought we would get a state-of-the-art presentation of elite PB. Quality video productions such as those done by Derder and those doing the NPPL series (among others) had also raised the bar.

I'm glad I saw the NXL final after all the criticism because my expectations were brought way down and because of that I wasn't disappointed.

I'm with Grendel-Khan and Boogie; I didn't think it was so bad and I think it might have got the job done.

I thought the commentating was pretty good. I didn't have any problem with Fritz's Nu Yoak accent (maybe a drinking session with him at Sun-of-a-beach at the World Cup acclimated me). And the couple of references to red and blue didn't bother me and may have helped those newly initiated.

I just hope that it was good enough to get a second chance. In that case we should definitely expect more. I too would like to see after-play diagrams and clearer following of the action. I would also like to see more explanation of what the game's all about: teamwork, communication, various plays, distraction moves and all the other good stuff.

 

[BOOGIE]

I agree Greg has done probably one of the greatest things for us by comin out with his game.But dont play this holier than thou crap with me.You say you can show them how to do it right then do it .Walk the walk son i got to see this and if i can be of help ill be glad to lend a hand to make our sport better.Grendal i think its 720 that has the field diagram in the corner of screen to show players pos. and such .These are things they need to do for the next one.I had another idea while i was there.Make a bunker that has a clear front and put camera inside of it say like the x or perhaps back corners?? Stuff like this is what we need as for attackin you evil im just sick of you armchair critics, what have you done for our sport lately???? have you spent months building the sites for us to play at?? have you spent months reffing it to make it better??? have you had to work 14 hr days so that hundreds can have a great weekend???how many days have you gone back to a hotel room to take a shower and the water is black runnin off ya???****s easy from a armchair!!!

BOOGIE

ps and evil i dont have to hide who i am and if you want to discuss this further man-o man BOOGPRO@aol.com is how ya reach me

 

[BWillie]

You know what guys? The best thing that could happen is for 250,000 paintballers to email ESPN and tell them how bad the show was.

It would probably get us a show 10x this good on the air before Spring time.

I thought the show sucked. That's the truth.

But it doesn't matter at all.

Aaron if you are who I think you are, then you have more sense than to think the way you say you do. You are not so simpleminded.

ESPN doesn't care whether paintball is exciting, or whether that was a good show. They don't care because Coke doesn't care. Coke cares about how many people watched the show. PERIOD. So ESPN's sole concern will be the Nielson ratings. Nothing else matters.

If the show gets .5% rating. It will be a total and absolute success. ESPN will know they can sell commercial time based on that rating.

Now, if the future shows continued to be as lacking as this one (my opinion), then the whole thing wouldn't last very long. Because no one would continue to watch that. But, ESPN knows this as well. They would have very good reason to pump money and effort into the idea of tournament paintball on TV. They's need to make it what we all want it to be, so that we would all continue to watch, and so they could continue to sell commercials to Coke.

And, again - COKE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT HOW EXCITING THIS SHOW WAS. The only thing that matters is how many people tuned in. If 3 million people would tune in weekly to watch me sleep, Coke would pay a pretty peeny to have their logo on my bed spread. And some network would pay me to sleep on TV for them. So, if the ratings are good enough, you can bet you last nickel that ESPN will make the thing better than we have ever seen on TV before. They'll know they can sell ads, and they'll need to keep the viewers happy.

Too many people think they know what's what, while very few actually have enough sense to really know half of what they talk about. Aaron, I always thought you were one of the few. I think maybe those guys you're hanging around up there are bringing you down. They definitely fall into the "too many people think they know" category. My advice -- escape! You can be saved if you act quickly.

 

[BWillie]

And Boogie --

He'll kick your old ass.

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

Actually Lane

ESPN doesn't care whether paintball is exciting, or whether that was a good show. They don't care because Coke doesn't care. Coke cares about how many people watched the show. PERIOD. So ESPN's sole concern will be the Nielson ratings. Nothing else matters.

Now you are the one simplifying things a little too much.

For a company like Coca-Cola, there are MANY other factors to take into consideration, before they decide on putting advertising dollars into something.

AC Nielsens ratings is ONE part of it..... but also:

- Who is the target audience?
- What is the general "feel" of the show?
- Does the show support the core values of the Coke brand?

Just to name a few.

Any major brand out there, is very sophisticated about where they put their advertising dollars - much more so than people think..... and ratings alone does not do it..... otherwise ANY show with a 5.0 rating out there would have all the major advertisers fighting to get exposure.... but they DON'T.

Nick

 

[BOOGIE]

Well Lane he most certainly can i aint no brawler thats for sure I would just delete my last post but hey makes good reading LOL i should not make posts before 7 am Im not saying that it was the greatest thing scince sliced bread but its a start and a lot was lerned from it and they will only get better.

BOOGIE

 

[Grendel-Khan]

Originally posted by evil.one
grendal u just ripped it apart much like i am saying i am just trying to void the particulars. Its like using an anology in the arguement, then everyone argues about the anology, not the issue at hand.


Word. I wasn't intentionally ripping it, I was trying to point out the little things that would be easy to fix to maske it much more watchable to Joe Doesn'tknowshiitaboutpaintball. I just took a more optimistic approach than you, I like to see the potential for success. That's really what the show was in my eyes, a potential game breaker that didn't come through, but has the possibility too. IF (and that's a big IF) they get another chance I would like to see them do a better job, I think with a little more guidance from people who know what they're doing and less corporate influence it could be spectacular.


Evil.One, While I've got your attention, when is the flush cocking doofer for the Omen that I keep hearing about gonna hit the streets?

 

[Baca Loco]

Kids,
I'm loving the argument. Good stuff. Keep it up.

It looks however like we're debating the glass half full or half empty and I certainly hope BW is closer to correct than the rest of y'all. If, at this stage, it's strictly a numbers game then this whole dealio may get a chance to get better. That would be swell.

And if we (PB, the NXL, whatever) do get that extra opportunity then input, especially the critical but well-reasoned sort, is nothing more than additional thoughts and ideas some of the folks making it happen mightn't have considered or mightn't have realized made as big a difference as some of us think they do. In that respect, it's all good.

And Boogie, nobody here has anything but love and respect for the individual efforts that it takes to make any of this happen but there is a BIG PICTURE. A. is looking at the big picture, is the way I see it.

We can all be on the side of seeing PB grow into the sort of future we hope for it and still disagree about the particulars. (At least I hope so given how disagreeable I frequently am. )