Okay, on this whole reunification thing...

[duffistuta]

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
If that was how you defined a sport as "extreme" - darts and pool would be considered extreme also

Or - how about river rafting... that's an extreme sport you can't do on your own either (well ok - you might, but you'd need a really small raft

Question is what really defines a sport as "extreme"?

Some might say it would have to be extremely dangerous (relatively to other sports) or extremely difficult?

Other might say it would need to be extremely rare?

- but none of those definitions really apply to paintball anymore (if ever).

I think paintball should try and depart from the "extreme" label - as many people get the wrong associations when they hear the word.

We as paintballers might like to think of ourselves as "extreme" - but we are really not... the sport is less physically chalenging than most other sports, the sport is no longer really a "fringe sport" and giving people the perception that they would be doing something "extreme" when they play paintball - is quite possibly exactly what we don't want.... if we want the "masses" to take an interest.

Then again - I might be wrong - and paintball may only be marketable in a media sense as an extreme sport... ?

Nick

What Steve said.

Extreme sports is a label, and it's bollocks marketing speak which only exists as neat sales tool to target a certain demographic, but once you're tagged with it you're tagged. The reality is immaterial.

 

[Chicago]

Originally posted by duffistuta
Extreme sports is a label, and it's bollocks marketing speak which only exists as neat sales tool to target a certain demographic, but once you're tagged with it you're tagged.

Maybe it bounced. If not, surely we can wipe it.

 

[SteveD]

hmmm - nppl working with espn working with img (worlds largest sports promotion company).....

can we say - no unification?

 

[duffistuta]

Originally posted by SteveD
hmmm - nppl working with espn working with img (worlds largest sports promotion company).....

can we say - no unification?

Nope, but we can say that the pile of chips the NPPL is playing with just got an awful lot bigger.

 

[SteveD]

absolutely.

I know IMG. I worked with them (new product development) when we did PaintFest.

They are true heavyweights; world team tennis is a creation of IMG; in most of the world, they are the number one sports provider.

It makes me wonder what chips the other side has?

x-ball? The most expensive format in the world? Two or three companies who want to use a league to influence the market?

what else?

NPPL - proven attendance; good reffing, getting better. venues. a decent number of industry types supporting it. most top teams - either from the start or refugees and now a serious television deal/offer in the making.

So - don't need the format, don't need the venues, very soon, don't need the industry types, and already have the teams.

What's psp got that's worth a penny?

 

[duffistuta]

Solid vendor revenue ASAP. The rest is on the never-never - that is a cold, hard cash injection from the go.

Removal of a rival format and league is never a bad thing.

And as we all know, the Paintball industry is a litigious place - maybe some of those legal dealings may be brought to the table by one party or another?

 

[Chicago]

PSP can offer a clean exit and a refusal to finance competition. But their bargaining position just went to ****.

Although, nobody knows the terms of the ESPN deal. It could be anything from IMG is paying them a phat percentage of their sales to NPPL is paying them to get them on TV.

The only way PSP can win this one is to get a TV deal with one of the Big 4 to be on broadcast TV.

 

[SteveD]

solid vendor revenue as in like 3 companies.

from what I've seen and been hearing at WC, people have three opinions (tho it doesn't count for much)

NPPL doesn't need PSP in any way, shape or form
X-Ball ROOOOOLZ (while drool drips out the corner of the mouth)
Huh?

Good rumors saw Camille, Chuck and Owen on the grounds yesterday afternoon, presumably heading for the meeting.

Dinner the night before had most of the major players obviously talking turkey but no good reads could be had from expressions, other than that Richmond was 'subdued'.

Means nothing.

Other rumors abounding at the cup are that apparently, every paint manufacturer with the exception of procaps is going out of business.

 

[Chicago]

Ged Green, Bart and Owen were all at Cup.

 

[Baca Loco]

Forget reunification--it ain't happening. And yes, all those mentioned peeps were present yada yada. I could tell you more but I ain't gonna.

And, yes, Xball rules--no drool involved.

And, no, NPPL TV deal doesn't require the league pay for air time or so I'm told by a reliable source (if occasionally a homer )

Pretty good vendor turnout and new Vents sold out as best I can tell, and yes, they are a clever piece of work. Nice job, Simon.