Should Paintball be in the Olympics?

[GallagherAtWar]

Should Paintball be in the Olympics? I mean Curling is in the Olympics why shouldn't Paintball be there too?

Chris

[FooTemps]

This thread has already been done... Search for it.

[shartley]

LOL Not just NO.. but HECK NO. LOL Paintball is a NEW sport (as has been discussed many times) and Curling is not.. to call it OLD would be putting it mildly.

Oh, speaking of old sports or sporting events... anyone get to see the Highland Games in person? Now THAT is some cool stuff. I used to go watch them played in Queechie(SP?), VT.

[udtseal]

My dad has been talking to a lot of the "high ups" at the winter olympics, cause he was at the Super Pipe all day yesterday watching the snowborders, and seeing how that is primarily a young crowd he was commenting to one of them about this very subject. They put it this way to him "Paintball's 'professional' career is too young and unorganized to make it a viable contender for the Olympic Council to even consider it. It would have to have a successful career in the X games before being considered."

[FeelTheRT]

i think it should but that dosn't meen it will. It probably never will.

[Gup44]

I'd like to see it there. I think the industry has alot of "growing up" to do, but eventually I think it will be there. The "Growing up" that needs to take place in order for something like this, isn't necessarily popular. There are lot of people that would rather see paintball stay small so that they don't loose the "familY" mentality that exists now in the current sport. They also like the game the way they play it.

If the sport were to grow, it would change. Change isn't always popular. But change isn't always bad either. I guess we'll just have to see where it goes!

[personman]

I want the olympics to have paintball.. finally paintball you can watch.. on international television!!!

[automag223]

i think that it should be but only guns that are no electro...think about it if the long jump skiers had rockets on there back to push them alittle farther...

[kickass68mag]

for either of these to reasons

A> some people see it as being to violent, and would protest it

B> It isn't a big enought sport and gets to many bad raps from kids in cars shooting people walking down teh road

[OldSchoolMag]

Then why isn't baseball scrutinized for all the beatings that occur with baseball bats if paintball is for their markers? I sort of agree with the "no electro" comments, but then again, people have the choice of using electro or not, it's nothing enforced. It may be some day, but that's like saying that no one can have a personal trainer - they can train by themselves, but can have no one help them get in shape, because it would give them an unfair advantage over those who could not afford it.

Also, I doubt paintball will be in the Olypmics anytime soon because it lacks one major element -

RULES!!!

We don't have a standerdized set of rules for all games set in stone! It's HORRIBLE to play a game were people (not just PEOPLE, oh no - seasoned veterans!) can get by on the excuse "Well, gee - I didn't know I could do that." Let's get a set of rules, hopefully this P.R.O. organization will help that get off the ground, and enforce them. Not just enforce them by the refs, have sponsers enforce them - if a person gets a little wound up and chunks his cocker in a fit(because he would NEVER harm his 'Mag:P) have the sponsers "bench" him from the next tourny or remove him from the team entirely. It's pointless to see these teams acting like kids when I have honestly never seen any one under the age of 18 do this, and they are the most encourageable to do these things.

Once people in paintball respect the sport (as most don't) then we're in the right direction. We're headed that way right now, but we sure are going slow.

[kickass68mag]

paintball guns are protrayed at weapons and associated with guns

[MajorDamage]

Originally posted by OldSchoolMag
Then why isn't baseball scrutinized for all the beatings that occur with baseball bats if paintball is for their markers?
I WAS GONNA POST THE SAME THING! Why don't people protest baseball? I mean you could even call baseball violent if you wanted to "beating that poor defenseless ball with that big mean bat" lol :D. But yeah, people get beat up with baseball bats more frequently than with paintball markers.

ENDO!

[Gup44]

<i>Originally Posted by kickass68mag</i>
<b>A> some people see it as being to violent, and would protest it

B> It isn't a big enought sport and gets to many bad raps from kids in cars shooting people walking down teh road

...paintball guns are protrayed at weapons and associated with guns</b>

I don't think alot of the world has a problem with guns. Just the Nazi socialists in America that seek to undermine people's second Ammendment rights. The Olympics already has SHOOTING as an olympic event. This is done with real weapons. I don't think Olympic officails have a problem with guns. At least not as much as some sqeemish Americans. I'm not sure what the Euro guys across the pond think, but I would venture to say, thier attitude is on the weary side when it comes to guns.

I'm sure it has more to do with how many countries actually play the sport. The Olympics are world games. I beleive a certain number of countries who participate must play a certain sport in order for it to be considered. At least this is what I've heard. I could be very wrong.

[Jonno06]

If we should protest paintball for its markers,we might as protest baseball for its bats,mother nature for its rocks,AMERICA and THE WORLD for its GUNS....and hocky is in olympics,and they fight every 2 minutes,its boxing on ice.....no one really fights in paintball,its a friendly sport

also,paintball isnt really fun to watch,unless you love paintball(like me).Other people would see it boring,i dont know how,but they do.

[nutz]

paintball wont become an olympic sport just yet... there are probly more than a few reasons including things like small amount of people who play, no rules and the negative portrayal of the sport...

i guess the only way we are going to really get there from what i can see now is to get as many people playing and saying good things about they're experience... maybe the right people will play and it will get into the olymics! lol only a wish... but still we have to clean up our image and stuff like that...

each player that becomes a tourny or rec player is one step closer! :D

[Mega Man]

Paintball has not even been excepted in the X-Games (wich is made FOR alternitive/extreme sports)

[Crazy]

i'd rather see paintball in the X-games, rather than the Olympics. but thats just my opinion/

[OhMyAMoose]

well we better put NASCAR in the olympics if we put paintball. Both would be stupid.

[SoupRman]

not everyone world wide, not enough people play paintball. it would have to be a common sport and make interest in many of the world's countries to come and play at the olympic games.

it will never be in teh olympics unless, it is a recognized, and is played everywhere. also, paintball isn't really "well" organized as other major sports are.


thats why we have tournaments :)

[Rahman]

Most Olympic sports are derived from the crudest human elements,for example the Javelin throw -it started when hunters in ancient Greece would compete over who could throw the furthest. then theres Fencing-which is basically sword fighting. Greco Roman wrestling-the Greeks, in ancient competion used to actually kill each other in this sport and theres also Boxing,Judo & karate to name a few and also the Biathalon which is in the Winter games they actually use rifles.I believe paintball can make it in the Olympics but, it must be presented in it's rawest and purest form , I am definetely positive that the IOC(Internatonal Olympic Comitee)which governs the games will not alow most the technology let alone markers to be used in the games put this I don't they will even allow a 200rnd loader if paintball does make it into the Olympics you can expect to see alot of stock and pump remember the Olympics are about pushing the athletes and there skills ....

[jimmyjobob]

someone told me the other day bridge was an olympic event. please tell me this isnt true.....

[media]

Presentation is key. A combination of helmet cams (all players required to have mini cameras mounted in some standard way) and regular cameras would make sport more enjoyable to watch.

Who's watched NASCAR? I personally think the various onboard cams add quite a bit to the broadcast and puts the viewer in the driver's seat. Why wouldn't this work in paintball to improve it's presentation? Has a paintball cam already been designed?

It would probably require some thought to design a workable player mounted cam and rules might have to be adjusted depending on the cam (if it auto-cleans obstructions then you may want to exclude cam hits as eliminations).

Paintball is exciting to play, but not as fun to watch. To bring the two together you obviously want to make watching it feel a lot like playing it. Nothing does that better than
giving the viewer first person perspective. A replay of an elimination from the view of the eliminated person then from the eliminator combined with an overhead camera would make for exciting viewing.

[irbodden]

I doubt, I don't think enough people around the country play. Anyways, sports like curling make the Games looks stupid.

[steveg]

Anyways, sports like curling make the Games looks stupid.

why?

[MikeCouves]

Ain't gonna happen anytime soon...

[FaSSt]

Originally posted by steveg


why?

BECAUSE CURLING SUCKS!!!

[LaW]

I don't think paintball is suited for either the olympics or the xgames... i wouldn't consider paintball an "extreme" sport. It's also not one like others have said that is that popular around the world, is also unorganized, and it's not very easy to watch it on video and make it look appealing to the general public. If you look at the xgames you'll see talented people that are putting a lot on the line to do what they do. In paintball anyone can pick up a marker and play, even play well. In most of the sports in the xgames it takes a good amount of skill to be able to do some of the stuff these people do. I just don't think it has a place in the xgames or the olympics and I also don't believe why this topic keeps being brought up?

Paintball should have it's own "games", that's why we have such events as challenge cup and skyball... I think paintball should stick to it's own category.

[FedEx{SS}]

I think being in the X-Games is good enough!

[SlipknotX556]

I think paintball should be an olympic event!!!