At the risk of taking it off topic . . .
Okay, last bit and I will leave this thread (only found it since it was on the main page at the right time).
The hopes and dreams of many promoters seem to be viewers (live or TV) and the cash they bring in. I will stay out of the whole league/format battle, since I have zero interest in them and so admit I may have just devalued my opinion even more. My comment was on the viewing aspect, and I will stick to my point above.
Anyway, it goes even further. Frankly, the mainstream paintballer, the ones many tourney players IRONICALLY feel are the negative image of the sport, are embarrassed by the high stakes tourney players and the style of paintball they play. There, I said it. They are ashamed of the circuit/hard core players because of what they have done to destroy the basic core of what is basically a game of honor.
I don't want to move this thread into one of those cheater or attitude ones, but those activities and behaviors are a HUGE turn off to the very people you want and need to fill the stands or watch the game on the tube. When the powers that be jump up and down saying this is the future of the sport, we frankly want to puke because we HATE so much about it (and it is NOT a woods v. concept thing, because plenty of stand up tourney players are also disgusted by it and thus affects their continued competition).
Anyway, back to my afore mentioned (in all probability) future stepson. Being a good parent, I will do my best to instill in him the positive values and behaviors a good citizen should display in life (including on a paintball field). I will model and instruct. And if I ever see/hear of him (though I hope the modeling and lessons did their job and I won't) pull any of the ugly crap seen on paintball fields (granted, it is tourney AND rec, but who do think makes it accepted and so it filters down from?) I will take his equipment away so fast his head will spin. He'll know it, too, so I hope it is a non-issue.
The point is, you want a housewife to plop down with her kids to watch a game and she watches as marked (ELIMINATED!!!) people keep playing or wipe, or people argue with refs, cuss a blue streak, or any one of a hundred other negative things, and you expected good ol' mom to think this is a good thing. And please, don't compare paintball *******s with the *******s from other sports, since THEY have a fan base and audience and paintball does not. The whole point of this thread was getting money and mainstream acceptance by outside people and companies, and right now the product you are selling (the people and play not the concept) is NOT WORTHY of it.
Okay, I'll go away now, but rather than the whole we're right, you're wrong arguing that usually goes on here. Let's see what happens. Go for the fans and the money with the current status quo and in a year or so one of the sides should be proven right. All I know is that none of my money will be going toward it (and again, I am not representing a minority). Think about it.
Okay, last bit and I will leave this thread (only found it since it was on the main page at the right time).
The hopes and dreams of many promoters seem to be viewers (live or TV) and the cash they bring in. I will stay out of the whole league/format battle, since I have zero interest in them and so admit I may have just devalued my opinion even more. My comment was on the viewing aspect, and I will stick to my point above.
Anyway, it goes even further. Frankly, the mainstream paintballer, the ones many tourney players IRONICALLY feel are the negative image of the sport, are embarrassed by the high stakes tourney players and the style of paintball they play. There, I said it. They are ashamed of the circuit/hard core players because of what they have done to destroy the basic core of what is basically a game of honor.
I don't want to move this thread into one of those cheater or attitude ones, but those activities and behaviors are a HUGE turn off to the very people you want and need to fill the stands or watch the game on the tube. When the powers that be jump up and down saying this is the future of the sport, we frankly want to puke because we HATE so much about it (and it is NOT a woods v. concept thing, because plenty of stand up tourney players are also disgusted by it and thus affects their continued competition).
Anyway, back to my afore mentioned (in all probability) future stepson. Being a good parent, I will do my best to instill in him the positive values and behaviors a good citizen should display in life (including on a paintball field). I will model and instruct. And if I ever see/hear of him (though I hope the modeling and lessons did their job and I won't) pull any of the ugly crap seen on paintball fields (granted, it is tourney AND rec, but who do think makes it accepted and so it filters down from?) I will take his equipment away so fast his head will spin. He'll know it, too, so I hope it is a non-issue.
The point is, you want a housewife to plop down with her kids to watch a game and she watches as marked (ELIMINATED!!!) people keep playing or wipe, or people argue with refs, cuss a blue streak, or any one of a hundred other negative things, and you expected good ol' mom to think this is a good thing. And please, don't compare paintball *******s with the *******s from other sports, since THEY have a fan base and audience and paintball does not. The whole point of this thread was getting money and mainstream acceptance by outside people and companies, and right now the product you are selling (the people and play not the concept) is NOT WORTHY of it.
Okay, I'll go away now, but rather than the whole we're right, you're wrong arguing that usually goes on here. Let's see what happens. Go for the fans and the money with the current status quo and in a year or so one of the sides should be proven right. All I know is that none of my money will be going toward it (and again, I am not representing a minority). Think about it.