WORLD CUP news! Avalanche caught cheating!

[Tyger]

As posted on Warpig @ http://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2002/worldcup/index.shtml :

Friday afternoon saw a controversial game that will no doubt be the subject of conversation for years to come. Ground Zero Gold faced Avalanche in the preliminary rounds on the National Paintball Supply field, on the South edge of the tournament complex. After a few GZ players were eliminated, they stood in the dead box trying to figure out who had shot them. They had been hit in the back. GZ player Pete Utschig looked out in the woods and spotted some blond hair. He bolted from the dead box, and reportedly chased down and apprehended Jeremy Salm of Avalanche dressed in black, with a black paintgun.

Statements had been made prior to the game that Salm was ill, so Avalanche team owner and retired player Ed Poorman was playing in his place on Friday. The decisions that resulted from the game were that Avalanche forfeited their points for the game, was withdrawn from the tournament, and Salm would be suspended from NPPL/PSP tournaments for the 2003 season.

"We, Team Avalanche, would like to apologize to our sponsors and our fans for the actions of one individual, who is no longer on our team. Although, as a team we take full responsibility, we would like everyone to understand that we were unaware of what had transpired until after the fact. Also, we would like to state that the decision made by the rules committee was the correct one."

It was also reported in more detail at http://www.paintball.com/features/story.cfm?placementid=1539.

My commentary in the next post

-Tyger

 

[Tyger]

MY take on this :

Where do I begin? Ok, first lemme go get my waiders because hte level of BS here is incredible. Can an "Angel AIR" double as a SCUBA tank?

They dind't know that their own player, who they claimed was too sick to play, was in the woods? For a moment, let's say they're totally shocked by this. Ok, so this one guy puts on an act so coinvincing his teammates buy it? Guys that he eats, sleeps, and probably has lived wiht more than his own family for the last "X" years? I can't get away with being in a decent funk without a friend asking me what's up. If I'm so sick I can't play paintball, they'll hold a candle-light vidgil for me and start asking if I left them my KP-2 in my will! THEN this player, as sick as he is (probably delusional, IMHO, to fever) puts on his black ninja outfit, grabs a black gun he happened to find somewhere, galavants into the woods and believe's he's "Whitefeather"? No, I'm not buyin' it.

Next let's look at the player. In all black? GEEZ!!! I thought we coverded this in the camo thread! Hey Brocoli-dwarf! IS this proof enough that all black doesn't work? I gotta admire that accuracy tho. It looks like one hell of a shot from the woods to the field, assuming the guy didn't hose. Apparently, he got several of them before being spotted.

(Side note, You think a smart team would hire someoen who's unaffiliated with teir team to cause plausable deniability. Get a rec-baller or something to do it for you, so when he gets caught you can say "I have no clue who you are." At least find a guy who understands that blonde hair is not a woods color...)

Also the question of this guy setting up in the woods. The tournament took place with at least 6-7 fields wiht a wall to the woodline. (Based on Warpig's pics, click here to see them, The field of the incident is the central one in yellow) So this being the case, this guy had to have time to set up, had to know where his team would be at any particular game, and had to make hte endrun around the woodline to get into position unseen. I admire him for getting the spot, but he could not have been (pardon the expression) a lone gunman.

On another board it was quesitoned if Salm had time to 'assist' other games as well, and if so for whom?

Also, Avalanche forfitted only one game, the one where their 11th man got caught. Pardon my not being a tourney guy, but does this seem like a slap to the wrist? NPPL rules do state (12.32) That players interfeering for a team will be dealt with as if they were live players who 'played on', and 1 for 1's will be assessed. Somehow, this just isn't enough. Slap on the wrist for organised cheating!

Even if Ed Poorman calls me himself, and says to me "I did not know he was doing that" I would be hard pressed to believe that. Actually, I could believe that Ed had no idea. But on that team, there are more people who knew than didn't know. Salm was dressed for the part, had brought equipment do to the deed, and knew what time to be at what field, and what side to be on. No, this isn't just a random occourance.

Ok, I'm done ranting for now. Just seems to me that this one's gonna get brushed under the rug, like all the other times, becasue nobody wants to admit it happened. Have a backbone guys! I know some people who would face up to it, but it seems to me that this one will become another 'dirty little secret' in paintball...

-Tyger

 

[chloe]

Tyger, I have known all of the players on lanche personally for many years. I know for a fact that the other members of the team were unaware of salms intentions. If you think about it, they had won all of their previous games for the duration of the entire tourney, fair and square until that terrible event. Why would anyone on the team think for even a moment that this was a good idea? It seemed that they were a near shoe in to make it into the semis already. Even if they were hanging in the balance of making the semis or not, they have the dignity to play well and fair and wouldn't even consider such a stupid proposition. This team was a corner stone for paintball for many years and have managed to stick together through thick and thin. It's too bad we have to let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. I can only imagine that when salm said he was sick it seemed like a blessing in disguise because we all know he hasn't been playing well for quite some time. I know how the team truly felt about him in the beginning. He is not a well liked individual by many, I admit this. So if he didn't want to play I bet they didn't even think twice of it. If you really know salm you should know how sick and twisted his mind can be.

And as for you salm, shame on you for what you did to your own teammates. You've stabbed them in the back too many times to count. This day, although tragic for the sport, sponsors, teams and fans is better because you are no longer a part of paintball. you're a disgrace.

 

[Gurney]

I am appalled and totally shocked that a so called "Pro" player would feel the need to resort to such tactics, wheather his teamates knew or not it is an unbelievably sad thing to have happened to paintball. I believe Jeremy should be banned from playing PSP, NPPL, X-Ball for life, and I think Ed has done the right thing by distancing himself from it and immediately throwing Salm from the team.

Lets hope Lanche can put this behind them and continue to be a kick ass team

 

[pestilence]

What? is this some kind of wind up thread?

Someone was hiding behind the grassy knoll?

forgive me but this is just too far fetched!

He shot x amount of players from the treeline....... only found out when the eliminated GZ players spotted him.

OK what about the marshals?
Surely they must have twigged when they heard Salm yelling "checkimjudge, checkim-onizback ONIZBAAACK"

If they didnt spot paint coming from the wrong direction, or simply took out the GZ boyz with no thought as to how they were eliminated.... well, what conclusions can you draw from that

 

[rancid]

Tyger - are you mad?

They want to win so bad they stick a ninja in the woods with a telescopic sight?...............

and BEHIND the play?

I gotta read your post again, I must have misread it.

 

[headrock6]

MY take on this :

Originally posted by Tyger






Even if Ed Poorman calls me himself, and says to me "I did not know he was doing that" I would be hard pressed to believe that. Actually, I could believe that Ed had no idea. But on that team, there are more people who knew than didn't know. Salm was dressed for the part, had brought equipment do to the deed, and knew what time to be at what field, and what side to be on. No, this isn't just a random occourance.



-Tyger

While i hafta agree with ya that this isnt just some random occurance I dont believe the team as a whole was involved..maybe 1 or 2 others but its probably something that may never be proven...


And couldnt we see this possibly coming??Maybe not the act itself but it seems like with Warped Sportz pulling out of Cup,Ed selling his share of PSP cuz he didnt like the direction it was going,the X-Ball elimination game to see if they would play on Sun,and now with the Salm incident,could this just be a farewell F***-YOU to Mr.Braun and Co. before heading off to the world of X-ball??

And of course this will get blown under the rug..This is coming from a rules commitee that gives you only a six game suspension for physically assaulting someone and then banning someone for a year for hiding in the woods and shooting at people..Not condoning the acts but just seems like penalties should be much stiffer to stop some of these insane antics that some teams choose to employ..

-6

 

[Tyger]

Originally posted by chloe
Tyger, I have known all of the players on lanche personally for many years. I know for a fact that the other members of the team were unaware of salms intentions. If you think about it, they had won all of their previous games for the duration of the entire tourney, fair and square until that terrible event. Why would anyone on the team think for even a moment that this was a good idea? It seemed that they were a near shoe in to make it into the semis already. Even if they were hanging in the balance of making the semis or not, they have the dignity to play well and fair and wouldn't even consider such a stupid proposition. ...I can only imagine that when salm said he was sick it seemed like a blessing in disguise because we all know he hasn't been playing well for quite some time. ...He is not a well liked individual by many, I admit this. So if he didn't want to play I bet they didn't even think twice of it. If you really know salm you should know how sick and twisted his mind can be.

I want to disect this for a moment.

First, how in the world can an entire team be oblivious to one players intentions? You can't tell me that none of them noticed the 'black' gun, or that he packed 'black' clothing. None of them were suspicious that he was "Too sick to play", and even if they weren't that they would leave him, alone, in a hotel room, if he's too sick to play paintball without at least checking up on him. This is all assuming htat it was a 'lone gunman' theory, and he was acting alone for whatever purpose he has.

It doesn't matter if they won all their games or not, the fact is this was a pre-meditated act. Unless Salm bought black clothing at the event, and a black gun at the event, it had the be brought.

Now let's assume that he wanted 'revenge' on 'Lance for some reason. If this is the case, then that may be the only reason the 'lone gunman' theory may hold. However, he knew the schedule, he knew which end GZ would be on, he knew what time it started (And in tournament play, the timetable is tossed out the window with the first game...) and he knew enough to make it look like, at first, there was nothing wrong.

Look, I'm willing to concede that Ed may have known nothing, as he's retired and doesn't normally play anymore. However, 10 players on the team, odds are one of them did if not more. You can't pull a stunt like this alone without recon at the very least.

As to why someone would think it's a good idea? Salm wouldn't have been caught if it wasn't for his blonde hair. Makes one wonder if he assisted in any other games? I can't prove he did or didn't, but it wasn't until a player from the dead zone spotted him that the 'jig' was up.

I know that in the USA a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty, but in this case I think one can prove it may have been pre-meditated. 6 already posted the working 'conspiracy' that I'm not even going to touch with a 10 foot pole (or a 15 foot Sweede...) Unless the equipment was purchased at cup (which I doubt), it was brought there by somoene which shows a level of planning.

There's also the question of if Salm WANTED to be caught, but that feeds into the "conspiracy" which I'm not buying quite yet. Respected or no, Avalanche got CAUGHT CHEATING! And cheating poorly to boot! If Avalanche is 100% innocent of this, they have a lot of explaining to do to prove it. Not like they have to explain it to me, but they have a lot to answer for.

And I still don't buy that Salm acted "alone". I don't htink anyone could pull off all the stuff you'd need to do in order to mkae everyone buy the lie. I don't even think *I* could pull it off.

-Tyger

 

[headrock6]

Originally posted by Tyger




And I still don't buy that Salm acted "alone". I don't htink anyone could pull off all the stuff you'd need to do in order to mkae everyone buy the lie. I don't even think *I* could pull it off.

-Tyger

Your probably right on this one..Who the hell would bring Black clothes to Florida anyway in Oct..Its still about 90 down there so there must have been some advanced planning...



And not with that bright colored tail flopping around the trees But my money would have been on you outrunning Pete Utschig And it probably would have taken both GZ squads to drag you out of the woods

 

[chloe]

Insider

Well guys, I don't know what to say. Honestly, when you and your teamates pack for a tourney do you really pay attention as to what they're packing? Jeremy and Ed are the only ones that live in Nebraska. The rest of the team hail from Wa. , Ca. , Fl. , Co. etc. I mean these guys pack so much gear who notices how many guns they bring and what color clothes they may have brought. They get free guns and gear all the time. Most of them don't even share a room with salm at the hotels. You're not understanding me when I say that salm is mental and has many issues even beyond paintball. And as for Avalanche, if only you knew the thoughts of the other pro teams. The majority of them believe the rest of the team and always knew what kind of person salm was. Avalanche had meetings with heads of J.T. and other sponsors earlier this morning. They too are aware of the innocence of the rest of the team. The rest of Avalanche will not be banned. In fact, some of the players have already been offered spots on Dynasty, Bobbie's Ironmen, Shock and Sc Ironmen. If everyone thought of them as being dishonest and a bunch of cheats, do you really think these other pro teams would be willing to accept them on their own team? I really think you had to have been there or at least know someone first hand in the situation to receive honest and reliable information as I do. Trust me when I say you WILL see some of Avalanche on those teams in the near future.