Aight, kids. A few observations. The big one first--worst feature field officiating EVER or damn close. Some fair refs on each field, NPPL and Spyder, but very poor organization of those refs and the leadership (which choice of words is an oxymoron of epic proportions) was horrendous. It seems the current standard of ref training consists of taking peeps who know nothing about paintball, pumping them full of attitude, so the end result is refs who know nothing and act like they know everything while making, over and over again, the most outrageous calls, non-calls, inconsistent calls, you name it if it could be screwed up they did it.
And NUMBER 15, the NPPL field ultimate, should never be allowed to ref a local young guns 3-man much less a premier field at an international tourney.
I'll give you a couple of examples--the latest Rage vs. XSV controversy is, I'm told, on film and could be ssen soon at a website near you. You'll love it and it isn't close to the worst call made. On the Spyder field a ref was pointing out players on the other team for, apparently, friends of his. When refs worked the inside of the fields they invariably laid down where they couldn't see incoming paint and almost never moved. When they did--prime example repeated so many times it wasn't close to funny--they couldn't tell a hit if it kicked their asses. Ref is checking a player in the small dorito so close he should have bought him dinner and drink first even tho nobody shot at the player making the move. So, while ref is practically in the player's lap player's hopper hit (you know the sound); player tucks in rubbing hopper across prop. Ref leans up from lap, checks wrong side of hopper and then pronounces the player clean. And we haven't even gotten to what looked like an actual pattern of favoritism or else it was remarkably consistent incompetence that favored certain teams totally at random. Harsh, you say? Appalling, I say.
And here's a guarantee--I won't be the only one saying it.
EDIT ADDED: almost forgot, sideline coaching too the refs ignored depending on who was doing it while on numerous occasions threatening to remove spectators for expressing poor opinions of the officiating.
Vendors a bit thin on the ground but the layout was cozier than HB and the set-up was tweaked to be a general improvement at a location that's always been pretty good.
Intel was there with loads of computers and copies of Quake 4--which was pretty cool.
Nobody even pretends to regulate the guns anymore or so it seems to me after being at both HB and Tampa. 'Cuz, you know, if we ignore it it will go away and besides, we're a hit on TV!
Which brings to mind the Tampa Mystery. What is the World Paintball Association? I asked around but nobody seemed to know even tho they had a big banner on the NPPL field--which is typically paid for space. Could it be the World Paintball Association is the mutant brainchild of PP feeling a resurgence in their fortunes with TV success and they are looking to compete, in one more arena, with the 'other guys' by creating their own world organization like the 'other guys'? Naw! (For those with a comprehension disorder that last bit was purely speculation.
And, you know, pot-stirring.)
Off to Connecticut for the 'Other' TV extravaganza.
And NUMBER 15, the NPPL field ultimate, should never be allowed to ref a local young guns 3-man much less a premier field at an international tourney.
I'll give you a couple of examples--the latest Rage vs. XSV controversy is, I'm told, on film and could be ssen soon at a website near you. You'll love it and it isn't close to the worst call made. On the Spyder field a ref was pointing out players on the other team for, apparently, friends of his. When refs worked the inside of the fields they invariably laid down where they couldn't see incoming paint and almost never moved. When they did--prime example repeated so many times it wasn't close to funny--they couldn't tell a hit if it kicked their asses. Ref is checking a player in the small dorito so close he should have bought him dinner and drink first even tho nobody shot at the player making the move. So, while ref is practically in the player's lap player's hopper hit (you know the sound); player tucks in rubbing hopper across prop. Ref leans up from lap, checks wrong side of hopper and then pronounces the player clean. And we haven't even gotten to what looked like an actual pattern of favoritism or else it was remarkably consistent incompetence that favored certain teams totally at random. Harsh, you say? Appalling, I say.
And here's a guarantee--I won't be the only one saying it.
EDIT ADDED: almost forgot, sideline coaching too the refs ignored depending on who was doing it while on numerous occasions threatening to remove spectators for expressing poor opinions of the officiating.
Vendors a bit thin on the ground but the layout was cozier than HB and the set-up was tweaked to be a general improvement at a location that's always been pretty good.
Intel was there with loads of computers and copies of Quake 4--which was pretty cool.
Nobody even pretends to regulate the guns anymore or so it seems to me after being at both HB and Tampa. 'Cuz, you know, if we ignore it it will go away and besides, we're a hit on TV!
Which brings to mind the Tampa Mystery. What is the World Paintball Association? I asked around but nobody seemed to know even tho they had a big banner on the NPPL field--which is typically paid for space. Could it be the World Paintball Association is the mutant brainchild of PP feeling a resurgence in their fortunes with TV success and they are looking to compete, in one more arena, with the 'other guys' by creating their own world organization like the 'other guys'? Naw! (For those with a comprehension disorder that last bit was purely speculation.
And, you know, pot-stirring.)Off to Connecticut for the 'Other' TV extravaganza.
