PRO VS PRO Superleague

[Wadidiz]

Again, I'm not sure, but I think it would be too early to implement the "exclusive" SuperPro idea. There may be other teams besides Storm that could be adversely affected (and just one team loyal to Millennium is enough).

If Joy Masters gets scheduled for February then there are only a couple of months until then. And the Millennium board will meet again in December to finalize their plans...so time is short.

We also don't want Millennium to fly by the seat of their pants, in a reactionary kind of way, which it seems they did (to some extent) with the X Ball project.

Shouldn't Millennium cap the Premier League events at 16, cutting it off at that number from the first 16 teams who pay their entries? Limiting to 16 teams will give it some kind of exclusivity. Then we could develop the format and the league during the season and make decisions on whether or not to make it invitation-only for Season 2005.

Gaff may be right that it is too early to thrust this onto the Millennium pros right now.

Steve

 

[Buddha 3]

I quite agree with that.
But unfortunately that seems the trend in paintball.
As we speak we don't even have all the dates for next year's Mill series yet, while the first event may well be a little over just two months from now, which is silly.

People still wonder why we don't get much outside sponsorship. Hah. Big companies have their sponsorship budgets for 2004 already worked out around last summer! Then we come knocking on their doors, begging for some change...

Paintball desperately needs some long term thinkers.

 

[jeff]

Gaff.

Some good points well made mate.

I hadn't factored in sponsors etc.



p.s...don't play for Nexus....just "Baby" Nexus

Jeff

 

[Robbo]

We got something like 20 pros over here in Europe with another three or four declaring a pro status next year....coupled with that, if it is declared open, add another 10 am teams or so who will automatically declare themselves pro to get on board....and so on...where you gonna draw the line for this elite Super League?...... hell, let's see Skelmersdale Athletic playing in the Premiership next year...not an exact metaphor I agree but I would venture just as ludicrous.
My opinion is if we are gonna create a showcase league as a vehicle for final media acceptance in the US then for God’s sake make it the best of the best.
I have no idea which way the Millennium / NPPL is gonna decide to go on this one but both Sergei, myself and a few others believe that the whole point of creating a superleague is to do just that, create a SUPER league.

 

[sykesg]

Superdupa league

sounds excellent, we're in the process of an organisational shake-up to help us become a top, top pro team and we are looking forward to 2004 very much.

Gaff - it's all still an idea but sadly the organisation can only use this years results to choose next years top teams. If 2004 is your year then you will mash everyone and there one be another UK team at the top

Jeff - how you doing dude?

ENGLAND CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!! (at rugby at least)

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by Buddha 3
Paintball desperately needs some long term thinkers.

The Yanks have got Richmond and we have Sergei, Jed Green and Laurent...the trick is...we have to have the bollocks to follow our leading lights ignoring politics and nibblers!

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by Robbo
The Yanks have got Richmond and we have Sergei and Laurent...the trick is...we have to have the bollocks to follow our leading lights !

(Keep in mind that Richmond is Canadian, although he is a leading light for US Americans. )

Thank God for visionaries like Laurent and Sergei. Just wonder what they think about the SuperPro thing?

If it were up to me to decide about invitation to the top-rankers versus making it open to the first entry-payers I would be between a rock and a hard-place.

I can see strong arguments on both sides.

Will the likes of Storm, the new British super-team (mentioned on another thread) and any top team that chooses not to commit to the Premier League be happy with sweeping Division 1 in Season 2004? And would it be good for them to do so?

And if we follow the WPS ranking then not only is Storm left out of the top 16, but so is Shockwave and Ugly Ducklings, unless some of the top-ranked US teams choose not to commit (unless I read something wrongly).

Hard decisions have to made quickly, and some teams are going to be left out in the cold.

Steve

 

[Robbo]

Gaff and Steve

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
Consistent with my ideas for locking down the Divisions and forcing promotion/relegation each year, I think it is a bad idea to go with a "first come first served" thing.

If we want to be able to market a league to tv and other media, the very first requirement is that it is the same teams competing every time, because some of the things outside media will be looking for, are the possibilities of team recognition, merchandising, stability of the league, etc.

That having been said, I am not set in stone about what number of teams should be included in the Premier league, and stongly believe that should be left up to the teams themselves.

Basically I think the Millennium Series and NPPL should jointly send out a questionaire to all the teams that have opted to play Pro, and ask them all if they can commit for a minimum number of events in both Europe and the US.

If a team is not able or willing to commit to (for instance) 3 events on each side of the Atlantic, I do not think they should get a spot in the Premier League..... if they can and will, I believe they should, no matter what their previous merits.

With those answers in hand, they can then limit the league to the number teams that have the willingnes and ability to play the required events..... be that 10, 16 or 24......

Everyone happy now ?



Nick

Nick, do you not think we might get some teams sticking their hands in the air declaring pro status and also commiting to play the required number of games here and Stateside and then half way thru the year drop out for varying reasons?
It would make a mockery of the whole thing

I think we either get serious or we just get stuffed !

 

[Robbo]

You are right Pete

Originally posted by Nick Brockdorff
That IS a possibility.

But - first of all the penalties of dropping out could be so severe that it would be unlikely, and secondly it will save the league and the two Series a whole lot of grief, if everyone were given the option.

The alternative would be NOT limiting the Series - and then we would get the same number of dropouts anyway !

Nick

Nick, teams who drop out ain't gonna give two sh!ts about any penalty coz whatever the penalty that is supposed to be enforced is bascially unenforcaeble..what is the league gonna do.....sue them ?
The alternative you mention is not the only one open to us as a limited league is achievable with teams who fulfill certain crietria and have also agreed to commit.
The trick is to carefully select the invitation criteria and not just accept those who declare themselves as pros and committed.

 

[Wadidiz]

The Millennium, NPPL, PSP and WPS pro (or semi-pro) standings are right there, available to us in black & white, so we can see which teams are pro and which teams should be invited and in which order. [EDITED TO CORRECT MISTATEMENT]

I don't know, but I would guess that the number 16 has been suggested because a double-elimination format is what is being considered. If that's the case then any numbers besides 8 and 16 is clumsy. Quantities beside those magic numbers are do-able but are clumsy because it requires giving byes to some teams in the first rounds.

Why not combine the two ideas suggested here: invite the top, say, 20-24 teams, but limit the Premier League to the first 16 that commit.

We need to come up with some system that is at the same time fair, practical, realistic and results in top competition.

Steve