I don't think the message has been quite right, and I don't think the access has been there either. Paintball STILL isn't on the map of the people whose opinion matters, and that's a huge obstacle. The people who spend marketing and advertising dollars already know what BMX, snowboarding, etc, are. Since they already know what it is, they're willing to spend money on it. They didn't become aware of those things on accident, a decade or so ago, the people involved made a huge push to make them aware. The resources to do that push I don't think have been available to paintball people.
There's a huge difference between going to someone and trying to sell them on something when they don't know what it is and going to someone and trying to sell them on something they already want to be a part of. We have to move ourselves from the first category to the second category. Doing that on a large scale takes resources, because people who don't know paintball is valuable are generally not going to set aside the time to even listen to you so you can show them why it's valuable. They have far too many other things going on and hear from far too many people who think their thing is the next great thing.
Even the act of someone not affiliated with paintball buying a paintball league in and of itself is an indication to others that there might be something worthwhile there.
You could look at the facts here.
The Pacific Group have been trying to acquire the NPPL for approximately 3 years.
The Pacific Group is primarily a media based operation.
Now why would a media based organisation want to shell out mucho dinari to take on a National Paintball League, who have had 2 TV slots in the last 4 years on the Fox and ESPN networks with reasonable ratings?
Don't ask me, I have no idea, but I would guess that these people were part of the 'all and sundry' that Chuck met 'on his rounds'.
You know what Pete, if you weren't already married, I would want you for myself!
I wasn't directing the post at you (well, maybe the last bit), and the facts are, well, the facts..
Honestly, I am not equipped with all the info I would need to convince you that you were either right or wrong. I will let you know when I am though, you can be sre of that.
and Hand Christian fxcking Anderson? Did you hurt your fist on the ground, because that's a low blow!!
You're right that there isn't currently a mile long line to get involved with paintball.So what you are trying to say here is :-
'OK, Pete, you are right but things may change mate'
and the rest is....well, the rest is hardly a rebuttal to anything I have said or any sort of qualification for what you said so let's just call it padding