As always Killer Onion puts across an informed opinion and some subject areas that perhaps do need addressing.
As for the professoinalisation of our sport and the consequent affect on salaries and pro players characters ?
Hmmmm, the ethics of Killer's arguments are sound but perhaps a little naive since the dynamics of any potential big time sport are not controlled by the players.
Self-interest is at the very heart of what most of us do each day and every day.
Paintball and its subsequent evolution will not be immune from these dynamics.
As paintball becomes more popular amongst the youth of both Europe and the US, demands from the media will slowly and inevitably creep into the game.
As disparate interests within the game struggle for control, deals will be struck with opposing media camps and with these type deals comes the notion of a free market and all its consequent reliance on money to provide sufficient inducement to come over to 'this' side of the media and not 'that'.
Once the infrastructure of media coverage is achieved, then a second amount of monies will begin to infect (or is it revitalise) the sport and this is where teams (or franchises) will be paid as part of the media deal.
Once this has happened it has two effects, it will galvanise the industry into previously unheard of sponsorship deals thus injecting more money into the teams.
This then gives the teams two areas of direct income and with it....... comes a whole lot of pressure to perform....and with that...comes a whole lot of pressure to get the right players...and with that..... Comes a whole lot of pressure to pay top monies....and with that....comes a whole lot of money to offer as inducement for transfer.
There is no way a moral argument is gonna gain ground in such a monetary infected environment as the US and Europe's sporting markets.
We all might as well go and piss in the wind for as much difference it will make believe me.
The power in this sport is held in the US by the NPPL promotion company, Renick, YB, Jerry Braun, Ed Poorman, Richmond, Billy and Adam Gardner and over here in Europe by the Millennium company (not board) owned by Niall Squire, Steve Baldwin and Laurent.
These guys control (whether we like it or not) the teams and control of the teams whether thru franchise, tournament promotion or cash inducement, is where it's at…….. for the moment.
The Industry, which is predominantly US based, is a powerful influence also and can, under the entrepreneurial hand of people like Gino Postirivo (Owner of National Paintball) pull the carpet of power from under all those just mentioned if he (or anybody with as much money and power) wished to do so.
The balance of power is on a knife-edge dependant upon how things evolve with the media and who can set up the first serious TV circuit.
In this world money talks and nowhere more than in America is that sentiment better understood.
For us players, we can't stop the influx of monies, no more than we could stop the move to Sup' Air, it's part of whatever evolution our sport is destined to follow.
So hold on guyz, I think we are in for an interesting few years ahead
Laterz
Robbo
PS Good post KO, I enjoyed reading it !
