I smoke lots of crack....

[punkncat]

Thinking up a title that fits sux sometimes doesn't it?
I was really more wanting to inquire about something and see if its prevelent among other "team" players.


Since we all became a team and play in "real" tournaments, I have noticed this wierd political crap going on at fields and with other teams. Seems like every time we want to play against another team to scrimmage, or just even for the fun of it, some BS has got to arise and interfere. Its like there is nothing but drama in place of all the comraderie that used to be there between people you "played" against vs. people that you "compete" against. And whats funny is that most of the people are not even tourney players or even in the same league or division. Its SO retarded.

The past three times we have tried to scrimmage with or simply rec ball with any other team, there has been backlash either during or after the event. Accusations, allegations, arguments, bad sportsmanship...its unreal. And not JUST with other people, among our own as well.

How do any long term successful teams ever make it through all this crap?

Some time ago, we had an altercation with a local team which I detailed somewhat in a previous post. The end of it all was that we decided that we would not play them on their home field again, and were done with it. The showed up at another field we were scrimmaging the home team. The owner of that field prohibited them from playing for his own reasons, and we caught the blame. Then the home team goes and pulls off a bunch of less that honorable moves...anyway, we come out as the bad guys over a couple of different situations that amount to "crap" and everyone is all riled up over it again.
The same crap that got in heads and caused us the worst performance to date a couple months back. Does everyone deal with this?

People are nice on the phone or by email, you get on the field and its like someone is this or that, blah blah...can't simply just play a friendly game anymore.

I am at a point right now where I have already "tested waters" on selling all my gear and walking away. It blows me away to consider that after ten years of playing paintball that less than six months within the tourney scene has me thinking this way.
Whats really screwed up is that I really enjoy the tourneys. The reffing is good the competition is good, and everything seems to work out fine. Its just all the crap in between that is drving me crazy. What got left behind once we decided to step up?

[TippmannGuy]

I play on a "tournament" paintball on a team and can tell you the crap your encountering is common. I've played on this team for 4 years.The team has been playing since 2000. I seem to deal with the same frustrating issues.

Personally I love the caliber of competition but I hate the teams we scrimmage. The teams we scrimmage play the grey area and do whatever it takes to win. And its the Tournament side of this sport favors the grey areas. Its in the Grey that the sport beomes profoundly ugly. Playing on, wiping, overshooting, and verbal slander.

Teams we face cheat and play the grey to keep there "image" looking great. They'll cheat so heavily that our team will get rolled. Regardless of the fact that we can play the game better. And it's been proven by our team consistantly placing higher in the same tournaments. Yet if we scrimmage we'll lose 8-10 of our games. Not because we are inferior but we refuse to play in the grey.

But don't get discouraged over time our team has only grown stronger and some of the weak have been culled out.

What got left behind is the true love to keep the game honest and fun. Touranment paintball loses this where its still in the rec side of our sport. The win at whatever cost can get in the way of playing for the fun of it.

just my 2 cents

:cheers:

[JRingold]

Well, when not playing in organized events, I try to ensure that "teams" don't play against other "teams". Mix it up and ensure that there is a mix of players on each side. You will learn more about the other teams style of play, how they move, what they do that is successful and they will learn more from your team. If you want to be friends with other teams, you have to join them and not always be on the other side.

If you want to test out the "skills" you've learned, for one game and one game only at the end of the day, put your team against theirs.

[68magOwner]

What did we do to deal with this drama nonsense? No mandatory practices, no pressuring teammates to play paintball, go out together, to a club, whatever, just have fun. We just make sure we have fun with each other, then come game day, we are such a tight family that we pull each other through events and end up doing well pretty consistently.

People should really stop taking paintball so seriously, you got in it to have fun, keep it that way.

[buzzboy]

We have found that when teams play together things need to be kept loose. You can't just play one team vs the other over and over. Do some fun or even stupid things. Last time we played we had 2 people per team with guns and the rest barrel tagged. It is still competitive but knowing it amounts to nothing you can relax and blow off some steam. Just keep it fun and then every few games play one serious and as you said, if a team doesn't want to be coool. Say screw it and play someone else.

[t0nnn]

What did we do to deal with this drama nonsense? No mandatory practices, no pressuring teammates to play paintball, go out together, to a club, whatever, just have fun. We just make sure we have fun with each other, then come game day, we are such a tight family that we pull each other through events and end up doing well pretty consistently.

People should really stop taking paintball so seriously, you got in it to have fun, keep it that way.


You're exactly right, a team should have respect for one another ...you will play better no doubt.


Not to hi-jack the thread, but how's your mini goin?

[punkncat]

You're exactly right, a team should have respect for one another ...you will play better no doubt.


Not to hi-jack the thread, but how's your mini goin?

The only problem I have run into is that the stock detents suck. Beyond that, it shoots well, has stayed operational, consistant....nothing more I could ask from a marker in its price range.

[Temo Vryce]

I used to play in a local series that was a 5 man league that played for Medals bragging rights. It was a lot of fun and the teams got along well for the most part. As the league grew bigger and bigger it became less and less fun. The biggest turning point was when it changed from a 5 man format to a 3 man format and the medal became prize money. A lot of the teams that I enjoyed playing with and against stopped coming to the events. The politics between the players was worse off the field than it was on the field, but the worst was the politics between the field owners. I would happily spend a little more money to play in a tournament that was just for bragging rights than play in tournament for money where just about everyone else will cheat.

[Ninjeff]

Its nothing new really. this attitude. Its why i quit playing competitively back in 01. same reasons.

Now im PROUD to just be a rec player. Laughing, having fun, being goofy, and helping out new players is TONS more gratifying than winning a tourney. Maybe thats just me. Who knows.

[warpig13]

Now im PROUD to just be a rec player. Laughing, having fun, being goofy, and helping out new players is TONS more gratifying than winning a tourney. Maybe thats just me. Who knows.

Not just you.

Everyone once and awhile i like to hit up a scenario, but im perfectly happy hanging around the regs, people i can gladly call family, at my home field and having alot of fun without all the :cuss: little whiners being total idiots over a simple GAME.

Of course, I do love to hear em complain once I tag em with my phantom....that never gets old....

[TippmannGuy]

Speaking of a Tournament based for fun. My local field annually hosts what they call Battle for the Beef. All players are welcome teams are formed by lottery. All teams sport a Beef related name such as T- bone, Rump Roast, Cow Tongue, etc etc...

Once the teams are established they are then put into a bracket and battle for the beef.
If you take first place your eating steak. Second finishes with Pork Chops. Third gets chicken. And everyone else is served hot dogs and chips. Always a blast and most people who play spend about $60 for the entire day. Couldn't ask for more fun for less $.

[Ninjeff]

Thats the best idea ive heard all day.

Im playing for steak baby! :bounce:

[68magOwner]

Not to hi-jack the thread, but how's your mini goin?
Mine is doing great, liking it more and more every time I use it, the shocker and timmy stayed in teh bag all last weekend, and the phantom and mini got the play time. Its a tiny little marker that I can manhandle around, shoots very consistently, with very little recoil, easy to shoot quick, hasnt given me ANY troubles so far. Id definatley reccomend it to anyone looking to pick up a new marker in that price range.

[t0nnn]

yeah i regret picking up a promaster over that, i've easily put more money into that gun already than if i just would've waited a month and bought the mini. I did get to shoot one about a month ago and was really really impressesd. All the kid had was a dye ultralite on it with a 45/45 ...ITS SO SMALL AND LIGHT ...and shot straight as hell ..even on psp.

Do you have any pics of it though, did you do anymore etching to it?

[68magOwner]

yes, i have done some more etching, and have pics, but, putfile seems to have been down for the last few days, so, i cant share :(

[CKY_Alliance]

What did we do to deal with this drama nonsense? No mandatory practices, no pressuring teammates to play paintball, go out together, to a club, whatever, just have fun. We just make sure we have fun with each other, then come game day, we are such a tight family that we pull each other through events and end up doing well pretty consistently.

People should really stop taking paintball so seriously, you got in it to have fun, keep it that way.


I'll second that, things are gonna get heated. You jus have to sit back and laugh it off and keep a level head...just make sure you are having fun..

[iambored]

Tourneys and most teams in them cause problems, face it. Consider this a test and the weak will fall out leaving a stronger more efficient team.
That title made me think this was somethin completely different.

[ThePixelGuru]

Bottom line is when something's at stake most people don't play nice. First tournament I played in everyone was pissed at us, calling us sandbaggers and claiming we rigged the whole tournament. *sigh* It should have been pretty clear we didn't... Two of three players were using classic 'mags, and our third was using an old school Impulse, while pretty much every other team used all electros. Besides, rigging the beginner tournament in order to win that jersey in the wrong size would totally have been worth it.

As if the whining at the field wasn't enough, a couple teams had to go on to a couple forums for local fields and trash us, without even the balls to use their real names or accounts. People just can't stand getting beaten because they were too cocky when they saw me walk onto the field with a Minimag. :D

Just ignore them. More fun to laugh at their pathetic misery than to be dragged down with 'em, eh?

[athomas]

Politics has been in the game as long as I have been playing which is over 18 years. Quite often it is divided along lines dictated by paint suppliers and the field operators they supply. If you don't do well in a tournament, you're a great sport. If you win a tournament, then you must have cheated. You try not to play the grey area, but in the heat of battle it only takes one missed call or a hit that you don't see on you and you are labeled a cheater and the refs are obviously on your side. Poof, your branded. Does it change who you are? It shouldn't. You know the difference, and many of the other teams that have been around for a while do too. The younger or newer teams take it to heart. The forums will buzz about the performance and the cheating. Just ignore it and don't comment on it. It only seems to add fuel to the fire.

Sandbagging is another issue. Basically, everyone that is better than you is a sandbagger when they are entered into the same tounament as you and in the same bracket. At least that seems to be the sentiment. Everyone wants an easy victory, especially when there are larger prize pools. The only way to get rid of sandbagging, is to get rid of big prize pools on entry level tournaments. Put the prizes into open class tournaments. Keep the costs low on the entry level tournys and also keep the prize pool low and you will have no sandbagging. Who wants to spend money and sandbag when there is nothing to gain. If all I can bragg about to my friends is beating some 1st year teams, then it isn't going to entice me at all. I would be embarressed. Now if I was to win $2000, then I would laugh all the way to the bank, and I wouldn't care what class I was in, the lower the better to increase my chances. I'd even tell my friends that we managed to get into the tourny and won big becasue now I have something to bragg about. It still doesn't have the same affect as winning in my own class though. You can't beat the feeling you get when you are at the top of the pack and there is nobody above you. Of course, then you go to another area where they play at an even higher level and get knocked back to reality. :cry: But its all fun in my books.

[AirAssault]

Hey I smoke a lot of weed, we may as well be brothers!!

Just say no to drugs kids. Oh and can't we all just get along?

[iambored]

Hey I smoke a lot of weed, we may as well be brothers!!

Just say no to drugs kids. Oh and can't we all just get along?
:eek: :confused: <i>You serious man? You know the government is whatching.</i>

[CKY_Alliance]

:eek: :confused: <i>You serious man? You know the government is whatching.</i>



He is E-Cool now, don't challenge him.

[AirAssault]

:eek: :confused: <i>You serious man? You know the government is whatching.</i>





He is E-Cool now, don't challenge him.



:rofl: Let the government come after me, Ill smoke them up too. What a man does in his own home is his business, as long as he isn't hurting another. So that being said, smoke em, drink em, eat em if ya got them.

[t0nnn]

and roll em if you don't

[White_Noise]

i dont like the politics involved with tourneys/scrimages anymore either. the only time when i never really had any politics and crazyness happen was while playing for UW-Madison, we just tried to be chill with most teams and it was much more relaxed than other tourneys. that being said, right now i am playing with a team for Chicago open, but after that im going to just be a gun for hire and skip around when my friends on teams need an extra guy. that way i dont have to be stuck with any team that has a certain image and can really just do my own thing.

[iambored]

:rofl: Let the government come after me, Ill smoke them up too. What a man does in his own home is his business, as long as he isn't hurting another. So that being said, smoke em, drink em, eat em if ya got them.
Didn't you get the memo? America refuses to use the Netherlands Drug Policy
//Sorry I had to.

[hmudd13]

I started playing in tournaments in 1988. In 1992, the early forms of "speedball" came to the great white north, and by 1995, I had enough of tournys for cash.
Our team wasn't bad, we won a few local tournaments, lost a few too, and we even got the "sportsmanship award" 3 times while placing no lower than second place.
As soon as the cash is there, or nowadays sponsors and cash, people transform.
I have had friends curse and swear at me, strangers calling us out. ARE YOU KIDDING? Is all I have to say about that crap.

Do yourself a favor, don't give it up. Play rec ball, and try to get your local field to set up league play. NO MONEY INVOLVED. Heck, even organize your own mini tournies.
Try with limited balls or technology.

Lots of fun and the attitudes stay home. :clap:
I sometimes miss the adrenaline of tournaments, but I don't miss the idiots.....EVER!!!