Okay, on this whole reunification thing...

[Chicago]

Anyone who thinks for one second that parallel staging is a reasonable idea is ... overly optimistic. NPPL can barely manage to run 6 fields. Now you're going to give one of them to the NXL - AND then try and split the remaining 5 fields amongst 2 formats? PSP X-Ball alone takes 5 or more fields per event.

The best you could hope for is having a LOT of troiuble finding suitable locations and World-Cup-quality reffing year round.

As for the TV deal, the more I think about it, the more I think it's a non-issue. The TV deal isn't for next year, it's for Miami this year. They'll do the 8 episodes, and either they'll kick ass and run in prime time, or they'll suck (again) and run at 2 AM (again). Either way, the whole TV thing will be renegotiated next year, perhaps not even o the same network. Unless NPPL has a longer term contract, in which case it's an even better idea to not have anything to do with it, as if they do poorly, it's not you, and if they do well, you can do your own deal for your own league with another network.

PSP just needs to suck it up and write a fat check to some big marketing firm that competes with IMG and they'll be just as good to go as NPPL.

My bet is we're not going to see unification next year. We're going to see a few wealthy companies support two leagues (like Procaps) and a few others forced to pick.

 

[Robbo]

I have never suggested parallel staging would work and it most certainly isn't what I am advocating here but it is an interim measure that may have to be looked at if we are to hold integration as the prime requirement.
The NXL / PSP guys ain't gonna be too enamoured to the idea of ditching XBall all in one go, compromise has to be made both sides if we are to move forward.
I'm not saying have the PSP XBall lite format running alongside the NPPL 7 Man, I am suggesting as an interim measure they have the NXL running parallel (if that's what the NXL guys want).

I would also say that I believe the NPPL should adopt at some time in the near future, an XBall type format and just how they stagger its adoption can be worked out after integration.

Compromise and understanding is the key to this process, anything less and we might as well shove our fingers up our own asses and start whistling Dixie.

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

wow Nick, got sick of insulting refs and started on the potential paintball audience now huh? You know people don't like being called ignorant, right?

Wow - thinking about how long that stick's been up you ass, it must really start to hurt by now? - my heart goes out to you dude

I'm glad Paul was here to teach you a bit about your mother tongue

But just in case:

ig·no·rant
adj.
- Lacking education or knowledge.
- Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge: an ignorant mistake.
- Unaware or uninformed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Middle English ignoraunt, from Old French ignorant, from Latin ignrns, ignrant- present participle of ignrre, to be ignorant, not to know.

Nick

 

[SteveD]

wow - one day goes by and you wake up to this...

One thing that seems to be getting little or no attention here is that while the issue is one of economics and politics, the decision will most likely rest on personalities.

Some of those involved I know very, very well. Those who I have in mind are not interested in compromise or in 'doing what's best for the industry'; so far as they are concerned, they ARE the industry.

Their decision on whether to reunify will be based on whether they feel that the negotiations leave them in the driver's seat or not: if they are confident that they can manipulate the current situation into a controlling one, then they'll push for reunifying. If not, they'll continue to negotiate, looking for that lever.

PSP/NXL have experienced a large number of setbacks and failures over the past two seasons. No amount of shouting, breast beating or propoganda is going to change the reality that their vendors/sponsors are diminishing, that they have to struggle to get teams to attend and that their hopes of television saving them have faded to that little dot in the middle of the screen.

Some teams backed by the same are facing 'extinction', in the sense that they can no longer assure themselves of the spotlight - a scary thought when they've been there for what, 15 years (whether they deserved to be or not). Their only real option IS to reunify in a manner which once again guarantees them a top spot.

Unfortunately for them, the only thing they can put on the table (or so it seems to me) is guaranteed participation by three or four major sponsors - some of whom have been responsible in large part for manipulating leagues, are known to do so, and therefore the impact is diminished.

Let's be blunt: if NPPL negotiates with their own position uppermost in their minds, they will only accept reunification on terms that keep them 'in control'; this is an unacceptable position to several key companies they are negotiation with. Dollars to donuts, the best I can see happening is a 'test case' of multiple formats running in parallel, or two separate networks operating under one name banner.

NPPL has the opportunity now to put some of the bad actors in their place; "if you want to play it will be by our rules, if not, see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya"

 

[Liz]

Originally posted by Robbo
Compromise and understanding is the key to this process, anything less and we might as well shove our fingers up our own asses and start whistling Dixie.

Well then there's no chance of unification - compromise just isn't in the vocabulary of almost everyone in the paintball industry, and the only thing most of them understand is how to increase their own personal slice of the pie (preferably by dicking the opposition).

 

[Mgold500]

Alright, here's what they need to do. The PSP and NPPL need to get together and come up with some kind of 7-Man X-Ball game. They then need to pool their resources and hook up with a big marketing firm to get their name out there and get on tv. After that they need to start a ref training program that is already in the NPPL and that they're starting to implement in the PSP. Once they have the the format figured and a tv deal in place they need to find a way to run it. Since their going to need a a lot of fields I figure they run about 12 fields and 1 NXL field. They leave the NXL alone and let them do their thing. Once all that is figured out they get universal sponsorship from 3 or 4 large companies like Dye, Smart Parts and NPS. Once they have all that they're pretty much set and need to get all the particulars down. I think that sounds pretty good, if you disagree, feel free to make your argumnent but down flame me, and if I missed anything please tell me.

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by Mgold500
Alright, here's what they need to do. The PSP and NPPL need to get together and come up with some kind of 7-Man X-Ball game. They then need to pool their resources and hook up with a big marketing firm to get their name out there and get on tv. After that they need to start a ref training program that is already in the NPPL and that they're starting to implement in the PSP. Once they have the the format figured and a tv deal in place they need to find a way to run it. Since their going to need a a lot of fields I figure they run about 12 fields and 1 NXL field. They leave the NXL alone and let them do their thing. Once all that is figured out they get universal sponsorship from 3 or 4 large companies like Dye, Smart Parts and NPS. Once they have all that they're pretty much set and need to get all the particulars down. I think that sounds pretty good, if you disagree, feel free to make your argumnent but down flame me, and if I missed anything please tell me.

Oh right....thanks for that

 

[SteveD]

mwah ha ha....

now that I have the first penny in my warchest, I can begin to take over the world.

all I need to do now is build the war chest up to about 80 septillion dollars; then I'll take over a country with a large industrial base; then I'll conscript the population; then I'll have all of the factories converted to manufacturing weapons of mass destruction; then I'll threaten all of the other countries; then I'll destroy the ones that don't capitulate; THEN I'll build a huge statue of myself and have it placed in my new capitol city.

Oooo, I found a nickel. I'm up to six cents already!

 

[Missy Q]

Pete - we both know that parallel events are not unification, and that unification is what industry and players want. There is no way that desirable venues would/could cater for that amount of fields, and there is too much cross-over re. teams and refs. It solves a few issues and saves a few bills, but it creates as many issues as it solves, and some of the issues it creates affect the attraction, visibility and marketability of what the PP has acheived, something I do not feel should be sacrificed.

Liz - you are mostly right of course, I do not think that everyone will agree, but in this case I think it just needs enough people to agree to make it happen. If everyone had to agree then, as you say, forget it. I do think people can compra ....contri.....copara.......no, you're right, but at least I tried....

Mgold500 - You the man, did you come up with that all by yourself?

Chicago - I think you have it mostly right regarding the parallel staging. I don't think you have it all right with your 'TV analysis', but its certainly a valid point of veiw. When you see how the ESPN deal unfolds you may change your mind. I would say you are being uncharacteristicly optimistic about the PSP cutting a big fat cheque to anyone though.

Nick - you still suck. And BTW, you have no idea how many people came up to me in Orlando and thanked me for smacking your danish backside over what you said about refs. I was almost embarrassed....

 

[Baca Loco]

Conga on South Beach?

Originally posted by Missy Q
Pete - we both know that parallel events are not unification, and that unification is what industry and players want.

How many times do I have to tell you, Missy, that a heroin habit may be chic again but is a lousy weight loss program? (Okay, just threw that in 'cus you expected it.)

But seriously when did you start speaking for the collective "players?" Is the union here and did they elect you president? I know a few players myself and I can assure you the few of them that have anything like deep thoughts of the Pball variety would add some qualifications to that whole unification thang before they'd jump on board.
And if industry is united in this desire whose holding things up?