quick one...

[Buddha 3]

Another thing, if what some predict happens, and a good number of US teams comes over this year to compete for positions in that closed league, chances are that the vast majority of teams in that league will be American, particularly since there must be a number of teams around that are pretty pissed off about not being in the NPPL pro bracket.

We could end up with a European pro league with very limited Euro presence...

 

[Baca Loco]

I doubt the US teams that come over will a) be looking for a restricted spot in the MS Pro league and b) that most of the US teams making the trip will do so often enough to qualify. It looks more like the MS's attempt to establish a bulwark against a future NPPL invasion.
And depending on the size of the MS Pro League a handlul of US teams would be beneficial. NPPL's got 5 Euros (for now) what would be the harm in a few US teams in the MS?

 

[Chuck]

Originally posted by Baca Loco
I doubt the US teams that come over will a) be looking for a restricted spot in the MS Pro league and b) that most of the US teams making the trip will do so often enough to qualify. It looks more like the MS's attempt to establish a bulwark against a future NPPL invasion.
And depending on the size of the MS Pro League a handlul of US teams would be beneficial. NPPL's got 5 Euros (for now) what would be the harm in a few US teams in the MS?

No harm in that at all Baca, but what happens at the end of 2005 with two locked Divisions potentially 36 teams vying for 18 places again. All the teams will have qualified for thier spots(It matters not wether they are from Europe or the U.S), What do you do with them?

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by Chuck
No harm in that at all Baca, but what happens at the end of 2005 with two locked Divisions potentially 36 teams vying for 18 places again. All the teams will have qualified for thier spots(It matters not wether they are from Europe or the U.S), What do you do with them?

Based on absolutely no inside knowledge whatsoever I would hazard the guess that the path the MS appears to be taking at present isn't intended to integrate with the NPPL but is being undertaken specifically to try and avoid being swallowed up by the NPPL in the future.
All past cooperation seems to be in the wind and in reading the Walkerdine interview in FF "talks" would appear to be at some sort of an impasse between the NPPL and MS. The whole point of the MS Pro League is to give top teams a stake in the league and a reason to remain in the league as well as the prospect of building some sort of value, ala the NPPL's current program.
Think of the NPPL as the Borg and the MS as a Federation planet.

 

[Buddha 3]

Originally posted by Baca Loco
I doubt the US teams that come over will a) be looking for a restricted spot in the MS Pro league and b) that most of the US teams making the trip will do so often enough to qualify. It looks more like the MS's attempt to establish a bulwark against a future NPPL invasion.
And depending on the size of the MS Pro League a handlul of US teams would be beneficial. NPPL's got 5 Euros (for now) what would be the harm in a few US teams in the MS?

No harm in just a few US teams. But some people predict that (not me, I make no predictions about the number of US teams coming over, nor the frequency with which they would do so) a large number of US team will show up. If the MS pro league ends up a predominantly US affair, relegating Euro teams mostly to lower divisions, that might be the death knell for a number of teams, as sponsoring Euro teams will then be a lot less interesting. As you are aware many Euro pro teams struggle as it is with their sponsorship packages. It would result in a very small core of heavily sponsored Euro teams, and the rest will have to look at their mothers nicely again...
Just going down the path of the worst case scenario really....
But if what you say happens, and US attendance will only be marginal, the Euro pro league would really only be a joke, kinda like comparing the NFLE and NFL football...

Originally posted by Baca Loco
Think of the NPPL as the Borg and the MS as a Federation planet.

You sir, are a nerd.

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

The more US teams the better

It would make the MS a league to be reckoned with.

If Euro teams cant hack it at the top division, we just have to accept that and play a division below the top...... all this protectionist crap is driving me crazy.... it's a sandbagger mentality.... I would rather be 8th in the toughest league in the world, than 1st in a league that is based on what is left over.

And I'll bet you, that most of the teams out there, would rather go to an event with all the best teams in attendance (nationality notwithstanding), than a league consisting of Euro teams only..... the only ones that really bitch about this ****, are teams that enjoy being big fish in a small pond.

The only thing that puzzles me, is that the MS is not already planning to do 2-3 events in the US next year, now that they are no longer working with the NPPL.

That would truly create a competitive 7-man market.... and might be the only hope the MS have of pulling off a twist of their fate apparent...... and with people like Laurent, Niall, Stephen, Manfred and Pedro at the collective helm, they would easily be able to make it happen, if they dared and were able to all pull in the same direction for once.



Nick

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by Buddha 3
You sir, are a nerd.

Just trying to connect with the peeps.

Nick--if the PSP had opted to offer 7-man instead of 5-man and compete with the NPPL straight up they could have struck a deal with the MS, had an incentive for NXL teams to play MS instead of NPPL (along with trips to Euroland) and perhaps siphoned off some NPPL teams as well as created a more appealing draw for Euroteams coming over here.
Water under the bridge and all that but I'm just saying . . .

 

[Nick Brockdorff]

Paul

That ship has long sailed.

I tried to explain to Jerry why 7-man was the future, long before the PSP/NPPL split.... and he looked at me like I was an idiot

Nick

P.S. - For any sny people lyeing in wait... this was long before Richmond came up his brilliant idea for a new format.