NXL All-Star game

[Baca Loco]

Just when you think things can't get much worse ...
We get an All-Star "series" instead of an NXL event at the upcoming Mid-Atlantic, the event formerly known as the NE Open. Granted it sounds pretty cool. It sounds like what other Pro-types do and there seems to be a fairly positive general response to the idea but-- it ain't just an idea, it's gonna happen but most of the nuts and bolts have yet to be worked out.
Like--who is gonna pay to send the "All-Stars" to the game? And what do the teams get out of it other than another vanity project on a smaller scale? Does it really add anything to the sponsor image when every team has representatives? And how does it improve the perception or the image of either the NXL or the players when in fact they are being lowered by combining the All-Star matches with all the other divisional finals?
Which leads me to the next problem; How do the "All-Stars" get chosen? Right now the mumbling is about the teams perhaps choosing their own representatives. Thanks for another headache I could do without. I've got 12 guys and I don't know one of them who doesn't either vocally or secretly think he's an All-Star. So I make 2 guys happy and p*ss off 10 others. Appreciate it. Thanks loads.
And what happened to the 6 event season? Seems to me everyone important agreed to that at the beginning of the year and now we're in the fallback to an All-Star "event" because some of these clowns have now decided they can't afford to do what they put in place themselves to begin with.
And in the Big Picture the Mid-Atlantic is gonna turn Sunday into let's watch everybody else on the grandstand field in-between All-Star matches. It's returning the NXL to just the highest division within the PSP and is two or three steps backward in the process of trying to create a PROFESSIONAL SPORTS league but what the heck. Nobody, or seemingly almost nobody, involved is really prepared to do what it will take anyway. You know what happens if all the divisional finals are on the "NXL" field at Mid-Atlantic--the minute it's done all the divisions will be insisting they get the same treatment at World Cup and every event thereafter. Welcome to unintended consequences.
And as for the rest of the event you will see D1 and D2 teams packing their rosters, as rule appropriate, with NXL players both in order to improve their chances of winning and because they'll be convinced the other guy is gonna do the same thing so you'll be skewing the season's competition at this event as well.
I'll tell you what the All-Star game does for me, it gives me extra time and resources to focus on playing the NPPL. Thanks NXL. Thanks PSP. Mighty kind of ya.

 

[Mark Toye-Nexus]

Vote!!

Post the names of the squad on here and let the p8ntballer faithfull pick 2 names.

Doesnt matter who gets chosen, the important thing is that you don't have an upturned applecart

Don't mention it, my pleasure

 

[duffistuta]

I was going to suggest that PGi and P8ntballer would be only to happy to host the official poll for the NXL...




















(And no, that doesn't mean Robbo will win and be in attendance)

 

[Chicago]

I would be happy to pick your All-Stars for you Baca. I even happen to have 12 straws of varying lengths handy. Problem solved.

It's returning the NXL to just the highest division within the PSP and is two or three steps backward in the process of trying to create a PROFESSIONAL SPORTS league but what the heck.

You can't argue with necessity - paintball does not have the money to justify running a separate Pro league.

I think one of the things you may be missing is that at this point, the 6,000ish other players in PSP are a lot more valuable to potential corporate sponsors than the NXL is. If it wern't for D1, D2, D3 and D4, who would watch you play? Who would pay for the facility rentals? Who would buy stuff from the vendors?

If the fans want to see the D2 finals (and judging by the number of fans who will stand 8 deep on the ground to see some D2 matches, they do) you're just going to have to accept that the D2 finals are just as deserving of being played on the 'showcase' field as NXL matches are.

 

[Mark Toye-Nexus]

Dont bank on it!!

.

(And no, that doesn't mean Robbo will win and be in attendance)

 

[Baca Loco]

1--You can't argue with necessity - paintball does not have the money to justify running a separate Pro league.

2--I think one of the things you may be missing is that at this point, the 6,000ish other players in PSP are a lot more valuable to potential corporate sponsors than the NXL is. If it wern't for D1, D2, D3 and D4, who would watch you play? Who would pay for the facility rentals? Who would buy stuff from the vendors?

3--If the fans want to see the D2 finals (and judging by the number of fans who will stand 8 deep on the ground to see some D2 matches, they do) you're just going to have to accept that the D2 finals are just as deserving of being played on the 'showcase' field as NXL matches are.

1--of course it does or there wouldn't have been an NXL for the past 4 years. The "necessity" is an artifical creation of more dumb decision-making; principally the one where the NXL/(PSP owners) decided "let Lane deal with it" because they couldn't be bothered and had no real clue (nor did they want one) of reality on the ground despite the fact they have been paying for it year after year.
Does the NXL come outta somebody's pocket? Yes, but it needn't and shouldn't be the PSP's because that forces Lane and co. to act in ways that are hopefully in the PSP's best interest but not necessarily in the NXL's best interest.
2--if there were 6000-ish PSP players showing up at events we wouldn't be having this discussion. Your numbers are not only irrelevant but misleading. The numbers on the books don't offer any immediately useful info about what the league can expect or project about attendance or income from attendance. You might as well say the same thing about the NPPL Pro Division but the only thing you demonstrate by doing so is a lack of vision.
3--well then perhaps the PSP would be smart to start producing or commisioning D2 DVD's for the swelling audience of D2 fans out there. Nor was Chicago representative of the norm and those weren't fans; they were competitors and friends and family.
And if in fact the NXL is no more than the top tier of the PSP then by all means put everybody on the field on Sunday but in doing so you negate nearly everything claimed or wanted (including wanted by most of those D2'ers out there) for the Pro level of competition.

Experiment: The sky is blue.

 

[Chicago]

Let me ask you this question:

How much money to you expect the manufacturs to spend to let you play paintball each year, and how many years to you expect them to do it before you're satisfied that they have been generous enough to you?


You keep coming back to what was claimed or wanted when the NXL was put together in 2002. It's been almost 4 years. Obviously those expectations and plans need to be adjusted.

 

[PSPLane]

Just when you think things can't get much worse

Nice lead in.

Like--who is gonna pay to send the "All-Stars" to the game?

I assume the same people who have paid to send them to every other event.

And what do the teams get out of it other than another vanity project on a smaller scale?

Exposure to a larger than normal crowd of your sponsors wares, the chance show the paintball community your most talented players, maybe an opportunity for you top players to get a little PR in with the fan base, and a break from the financial challenges that MOST teams are in the midst of.

Does it really add anything to the sponsor image when every team has representatives?

In my opinion it does. And being that 6 of the biggest sponsors of teams in the industry think it a good idea, I can't see why you would even question it.

And how does it improve the perception or the image of either the NXL or the players when in fact they are being lowered by combining the All-Star matches with all the other divisional finals?

That's tremendously vain. I think most people who are capable of booking a flight, renting a car, or simply following the directions to the field are capable of discerning between the Divisional games and the collection of the top pro players in the world showing their stuff for the audience.

Which leads me to the next problem; How do the "All-Stars" get chosen?

I make that whole thing easy for you. Brian Smith and Holliday. Tell the guys Lane picked and it was out of your hands.

Right now the mumbling is about the teams perhaps choosing their own representatives. Thanks for another headache I could do without.

See above, for now. Honestly, I hope this is not the way we do it in the future (and yes, I want an annual All Star event). Time is of the essence, and this seems like the most prudent means of filling a roster considering such.

And what happened to the 6 event season?

The teams couldn't afford it.

Seems to me everyone important agreed to that at the beginning of the year and now we're in the fallback to an All-Star "event" because some of these clowns have now decided they can't afford to do what they put in place themselves to begin with.

That's not true. Lots of people were against it. I did it anyway. Hindsight has cleared my vision somewhat.

It was a bad decision. Sometimes I stick with bad decisions because I would rather suffer the consequences than put teams in a bad situation. This bad decision, on my part, put the teams in a bad situation. I accept my mistake and am trying to rectify it as well as possible.

And in the Big Picture the Mid-Atlantic is gonna turn Sunday into let's watch everybody else on the grandstand field in-between All-Star matches.

Why is this an issue?

You know what happens if all the divisional finals are on the "NXL" field at Mid-Atlantic--the minute it's done all the divisions will be insisting they get the same treatment at World Cup and every event thereafter. Welcome to unintended consequences.

That may or may not be an option.

If it is, again, what is the problem. Do you really think it lowers people impression of the Russians? If anything, I believe it will show the drastic differences in the game played by the lower divisions and the pros.

If it is not an option, the divisional teams will be able to handle it. They don't seem to have the same level of arrogance that some of the pro teams have developed. (eh, the last of that isn't completely true - but it worked in the argument so I'll stick with it)

I'll tell you what the All-Star game does for me, it gives me extra time and resources to focus on playing the NPPL. Thanks NXL. Thanks PSP. Mighty kind of ya.

Vanity and tackiness in the same post. The shame.

 

[PSPLane]

oops - double post

 

[Baca Loco]

Let me ask you this question:

How much money to you expect the manufacturs to spend to let you play paintball each year, and how many years to you expect them to do it before you're satisfied that they have been generous enough to you?


You keep coming back to what was claimed or wanted when the NXL was put together in 2002. It's been almost 4 years. Obviously those expectations and plans need to be adjusted.

They can quit anytime they want to and you won't hear a peep out of me. In fact if they aren't going to do it right or at least make a reasonable effort to do it right then we'd all be better off if they simply chucked it in and either started over or walked away but I know, if you don't, they ain't walking away and they ain't gonna let go until their cold, dead (or broke) fingers are pried off what's left of the league and whatever your intentions you're simply an apologist for a failing experiment.
Am I selfish for wanting paintball to be a real pro sport? I wanted the same things and advocated the same things both before and after I had any role at all in the pro-ceedings. I've even advocated the pro teams organize and/or consider walking away from the current structures but I know, if you don't, the manufacturers etc. would sooner see most of those teams disbanded and crushed rather than lose their control over them and the fact that all that cost them money isn't my concern. They made that call, not me. And not you or any of the other peons who show up to play tournament paintball on the national level.