Steve Davidson on PBChannel

[raehl]

Exactly my point.

If the whole problem before was that the teams were beholden to sponsors, how is being beholden to a patent holder any better? Why would a team put themelves in a position where someone else has the patent on the way they play?

I realize that you guys see yourselves as good and everyone else as evil, but your behavior is just as evil as everyone else's.

"We need to make sure we're in control to protect the players from everyone else who wants to control them."


Can't you see the blatant duplicity in that?

 

[Biff Thiele]

<< If the whole problem before was that the teams were beholden to sponsors, how is being beholden to a patent holder any better? Why would a team put themelves in a position where someone else has the patent on the way they play? >> Like I said, we have been down this road before. I don't care what you think. Until teams take the initiative, we will control our own game. You league is working so far. We saw the potential back 3 years ago. Those teams had not been corrupted. But, our experience (history) is the basis for our need to control our game.

<< I realize that you guys see yourselves as good and everyone else as evil, but your behavior is just as evil as everyone else's. >> I see nobody as evil. I see most teams fearful of change, and folks like you as deliberately ignoring the potential, because you basically either don't trust or are afraid of anything new or you are someone elses puppet. You clearly do not know what we are all about, because you have misjudged us since the beginning. You have never looked for the positive in our discussions. That tells me your mind is closed and that is usually because an agenda is more important than finding a way to work together. We, on the other hand, have been there and done that. We sympathize with your fear. Problem is trying to get past that point and into looking beyond you personal attacks. Our contract was the result of allowing people like you to weasle your way out of commitment to any risk - the perfect example of why we could not compromise our contract.

<< "We need to make sure we're in control to protect the players from everyone else who wants to control them." >> That's fine, Chris. But, whether you believe it or not, for whatever reasons you gave to justify your bias, you missed the opportunities we wanted you to be a part of. Together we had a huge potential. By dividing us into 2 camps, you successfully stagnated both camps. You can't agree with that position, because you never bothered to test the waters - so you only know what you believe. You made up your mind and shut out any chance to see what could have been.

<< Can't you see the blatant duplicity in that? >> I see your point. I never missed your point. But, I also see the blinders you are wearing. You refuse to see ours.

 

[raehl]

No...

I can see your blinders perfectly fine.


- Chris

 

[raehl]

Here, let me put this another way.

I didn't refuse anything three years ago.

The players did. Every single college program except for 2 said they wanted nothing to do with you.

Let's keep that in mind - the last time the players had their way when you were involved, they said no.

Blame me all you want, but I was just the messenger.


- Chris

 

[Biff Thiele]

<< I can see your blinders perfectly fine. >> Well, there you go being Chris again.

<< I didn't refuse anything three years ago.

The players did. Every single college program except for 2 said they wanted nothing to do with you.

Let's keep that in mind - the last time the players had their way when you were involved, they said no.

Blame me all you want, but I was just the messenger. >>

Many teams were interested until you convinced them otherwise. Let's keep in mind those teams were scared off by your libelous and inaccurate statements and accusations.

 

[Furby]

Been a while for me, too.

Originally posted by Biff Thiele


As Furby pointed out, most people want to avoid the politics. Unfortunately, if you avoid the politics, you only find out what's happening to your team after it's already been done. In the NPPL's early years the amateur teams continued to cave in to the powers that be, even when they knew it might hurt their teams. They had no choice - vote what your sponsor tells you to vote, or lose the sponsor. Later, the teams complained about how they had been screwed. But, by then, they had no votes and no control.

Just a quick thought or two, Biff...

#1 I don't avoid the politics associated with the PSP/NPPL/Millenium Series because of a desire to avoid controversy...quite the opposite...I avoid them out of a desire to remain neutral on the subject and merely report the news and interview people I consider interesting without picking a side. I also admit to a desire to avoid further drama in my life. Those who know me best know that it's been overly dramatic the past couple of years, and adding the ongoing debate concerning the several leagues is quite honestly more than my mental plate will allow, so I report on what develops in a neutral fashion without taking the opportunity to offer commentary on it. That's how the press is supposed to conduct itself, and as difficult as it is sometimes, I do my best to follow those principles.

#2 I do have opinions regarding the several leagues out there, however I don't feel they're relevant in this particular discussion. Nor will I put what little respect I've earned over the past 3 and a half years at risk to air them irresponsibly. It's simply not my job to do so. To be completely blunt, so long as I'm able to go out to the field (rec, scenario, tournement) and shoot people, I'm happy.

Just wanted to make that perfectly clear, in case someone read your post and inferred a bias on my part. I'll be quite honest and say that I was extremely happy to meet Mr. Davidson in person after having spent many hours on the phone and writing emails with him over the past few years. I do admire and respect him, just as I admire and respect the likes of Tyger, Raehl, and of course Robbo. However, you'll note if you've listened to the intervew that I did ask him some pretty tough questions, and on several occasions he appeared distressed (not that it'd come across terribly well on audio) by the questions I asked. I wouldn't disrespect him by softballing an interview, nor would I do so with the likes of Robbo, Raehl, Tyger, et. al.

And yes, I'm sending out a thinly veiled hint to Robbo, Tyger, Raehl, etc. to see about doing an interview in the near future...I've gotten spoiled lately...I recently interviewed Paul Alders of Team Strange, and I hit him with some questions he obviously wasn't comfortable with...then I follow that up with an interview with Steve Davidson...Kinda hard to go back to talking about how I got my butt stomped at practice after doing interviews of those caliber.

 

[raehl]

You going to be at Chicago Open?

I'd be happy to do an interview there - otherwise I don't think I'll be getting out of the MN/WI area for paintball events until Collegiate World Cup rolls around (assuming we do it again, and still not sure where). Phone works if that meets your needs.


As for the rest of it, I'll take a page from Steve's book here and shut up now - we spent way too much time going over this three years ago, and anyone who is really that interested can read the same arguments from April-June 2001 at www.college-paintball.com or rec.sport.paintball and draw their own conclusions.

- Chris

 

[Furby]

No sir, I will not. As it stands right now, I'll be going to a scenario game set in a prison in georgia (no banjo music, please), followed by the IAO, where Paintballchannel.com will be a major sponsor this year, then SPPLAT II, then Miami Super 7, then World Cup (where I'll be playing in addition to covering, assuming my team captain feels I'm worthy of making the team for that event).

 

[BWillie]

Furby

You can be sure of one thing Furby. You want see me at no Georgia prison.

 

[Robbo]

Furby, with no disrespect to anybody, least of all me
I doubt the interviewing of the people you mention will mean bugger all to nebody.
Sure, the interview with Steve was, he invented the genesis of the new game and it therefore constituted a matter of relevance and import but Tyger and Raehl ????

You gotta be kiddin me mate !

I will tell you the people to go after if you want cutting edge, siginificant input.
People like Ged Green of WDP, Richmond, Bobby Long, Youngblood, Lane, Chuck, the list goes on and on.
These are people who have actually DONE something who people can respect and identify with.
If ya want, I can put u into contact with any of these, no problemo but please, please do not feed the other two's egos.
Rahel, is a college boy in a professor's game and Tyger ?
Oh my God, I need say no more.
Furbs, my man, listen to these well intentioned words, do not open up that mic button to the two mentioned, it will give a distorted view of our sport mate.