An Honest reply ...long!...but honest
Hi All,
I don’t normally get involved in forum debates but on this occasion I think I feel justified in responding…..
Firstly ….I don’t hide behind an avatar or a nick …my name is John Bonich ….been around /in Paintball since 1988 and in the trade for at least 15 of those years….worked for some reputable paint ball companies ….
Haz
I’d like to say thanks for your kind words……
You said
“I have to say also, team captains were yelled at by one guy who said he'd beat anyone he saw abusing refs (he had 3 sons reffing on a field), because apparently they were being deliberately shot. First off, if they were shot on purpose, thats not on at all, BUT, that does not make it ok for that guy to then stand up and threaten the rest of the teams like that.”
My comments
Yup that was me , unfortunately the P.A. System was down because the Generator was out of petrol, so I shouted so ALL would hear!. I rallied all the captains to warn that some marshals where about to leave and that the Tourney was in danger being seriously disrupted . I was playing as a guest with a Team and I certainly wanted to continue playing .The organisers were trying to work with the marshals to keep them marshalling…..I took it upon my self to express the need of the Captains to explain to their team the consequences if they continued . I also pointed out that marshals where being shot deliberately ….one of which was my son …from the dead box in a particular game …I had no reason to doubt him …..
Haz, If it wasn’t you that shot him and you had no intention of doing so, then there was no threat to you….
You said
“Secondly, he had three sons on one field??? So three relatively inexperienced refs on one field??? Good move.”
My comments
I don’t know of you Haz …I wouldn’t know if had had the privilege of meeting you…so I would like to know if you have had any marshalling experience?
How long you been playing?
Please post ….
Let me break down what you say …..
“Secondly, he had three sons on one field??? ” What does that mean ? I f your team was marshalling you would all stick together wouldn’t you ? familiarity means that should work together better …
“So three relatively inexperienced refs on one field??? Good move.”
….they have marshalled various tourneys up and down the country and have also marshalled a millennium with me in Toulouse a few years back , they’ve been around paintball the same amount of time I have , dear boy, they are between 23 to 26 years of age….how long you been around paintball Haz? Actually I’d class them as relatively experienced refs….yeah you was right on one thing ….Good move.
Last months Masters all three of them where on the field that got voted best marshals!
You said
Thirdly, i never saw anyone shooting the refs from the dead box out of malice, but i did shoot one myself in game, because he was stood straight down my lane in front of an opposing player, and even though i was screaming at him to move, he didnt. So the ref standing right next to me told me to put a few balls on him - nice.
My comments
Haz,I didn’t see anyone shooting the refs from the dead box either, but I didn’t get to watch every game on both fields either…..Wayne told me he was shot form the dead box …there where three players there , answer me this who would you have pulled up about it? He told me …I believed him ….I reacted…simple.
As for your admission to shooting a marshal…well I hope you explained to the marshal why you took that action…at least if not common decency to tell him what a clutz he was not to hear you shouting at him to get out of the way , whilst there were thirteen other players all shooting their markers at the same time….
actually tho, sarcasm a side I’ve had that happen to me…pull the marshal say “sorry but“ tell him he was in the way…it isn’t the same as deliberately shooting. No way is it!!
You said
“Lastly, I heard a few people saying words to the effect of, 'If you don't leave these refs alone and stop criticising them, we won't have a tournament'. Great stuff, but as far as i can tell, it's the other way round. If this tournament doesn't sort the reffing out, they'll start losing teams, for sure.
Most, if not all of the teams were complaining about the situation, and yes some could be heard debating whether or not they wanted to carry on even playing the series. ”
My Comments
I don’t think it was the criticisms that got the ball rolling, it was the attitude of SOME OF THE TEAMS PLAYERS , as always a minority of ruffians bring the game down…As to the Tournament organisers sorting reffing out, I think players who don’t want to try marshalling, should understand that new marshals don’t get experience without experiencing !! Help them if they are new. Criticise them …but constructively..
Yes you are right not all the teams complained and they only debated because of how things where going, on that day…..but let me point something out. If, as you say the tourney is in danger of loosing teams then why are nearly all the same teams in for the next one?
Below is a list of teams for the 28th and look at the list building for the 11th.
I think the 28th was a learning curve for the management and the marshals that day ,old and new……I think Wendy and the girls put on a really great tourneythey work very hard to make it happen, the site is really good too and has a lot of potential. I think the Teams that have been regulars at this event know that things will be put in place to protect both marshals and the players interests equally .
Haz , I’m not really as bad as you may think, I’ve always had paintball dear to my heart, I help where I can , but even I draw a line….
Angel posted
as for the threats of violence to players from some ones father, it can not be excused but im sure all the parents out there will understand protecting there own.
Yup exactly …no excuses made, non to be assumed. No one shot him from the dead box again….no violence ensued.
Emopikey
I don’t think I’m a thug, just a caring loving dad….looking out for his own ….surely if any one treated any of your family this way you would react …if your team mates got over shot by a team, the next time you met again you’d give them a little love wouldn’t you? That’s a little bit more like being a thug in my eyes, It seems that’s acceptable though and because I threatened to do some thing one time, I get brandished a thug…If you got to know me you would know that’s not true, come over and have a chat …get to know me then asses me …no prejudice implied.
I think those tossers that shot him in the back are the thugs ….they are the ones or at least their type,that piss marshals off who then decide not to marshal which leaves event organisers using new marshals this way.…
You called me a thug. And you used a smillie at the end? My personal choice if I said something like that on an open forum and meant it would have been
. Because you used a smillie I won't act like a Thug if I ever get to meet you
...no honestley
i won't
...aww come on ,just kiddin
And Finally (whew at last)
I acted as I did because I saw a situation unfolding, I reacted because I’m a proactive person, and I felt by doing so try to help the organisers with a situation that could have got worse. I know I obviously touched on areas that even I abhor. Violence is not an acceptable place in Paintball, many of you might have heard stories about it….well I’ve witnessed it….Of course for me to hit some one would have been totally un-acceptable. The marshal shooting made react that way. If Wendy feels I offended by what I did with regards to my intervention to calm players then I openly apologise to her and her crew of the Masters …as for the Captains of the teams I also apologise if I offended you by herding you all into the tent and to you players that felt I was wrong to threaten them with Violence….thankfully they were idle threats as none deliberately shot the marshals again and the tourney finished on good note ….I’d like to take the opportunity to close and say look forward to seeing all the teams for another great masters.
Regards John Bonich
Teams for the 28th may
Cool As Ice - confirmed
DV8 - confirmed
UK Blaze - confirmed
Shazam - confirmed
Don't Panic - confirmed
Apocalypse - confirmed
Evil Saints - confirmed
Aftermath - confirmed
Carlisle Halloween - confirmed
Spitfire Factory - confirmed
Fallen Angels - confirmed
Wolf City Union Red (sponsored) - confirmed
Evil Attitude - confirmed
F.e. - confirmed
Full On - confirmed
X Ball - confirmed
Nemeses - confirmed
Yakamazi - confirmed
Teams for the 11th June
Cool As Ice - confirmed
DV8 Black - confirmed
UK Blaze - confirmed
Full On - confirmed
Northern Heroes - confirmed
Don't Panic - confirmed
Apocalypse - confirmed
Evil Saints - confirmed
Aftermath - tbc
Jersey Warriors - tbc
Carlisle Halloween - confirmed
Wolf City Union Red - confirmed
F.e - tbc
Halo - tbc
Cannock Cobras - confirmed
Nemeses - confirmed
X Ball - tbc
Shazam - tbc
MK Storm - tbc
IOM Snakebite - tbc
Yakamazi - confirmed
Suicide Badgers - tbc
Impulsive Disorder - tbc
