Popular Mechanics

[Eagle]

Been out to sea for the last couple of weeks, so this may be old news to you guys, but in this months issue of PM, there is a short article on our sport. Just general info for the most part, but it states that last time they voted for which games to include in the last summer Olympics, we missed being included by just one vote. So chances are pretty good that at the next summer games we just may see some paint flyin on network TV.

[56kSomeGuy]

I don't think paintball in the olympics would be very healthy think about having a Israel vs. Pakistan or the U.S. vs China this could start World War III!

[magman007]

its negative comments like that, that keep us out of the olympics.........

what about ping pong? cant some country loose or feel cheated and want to start a war over that? there would be good reffing at the olympics, thy dont waht that canadian ice skating fiasco to happen again

You know as well as i do , that that would be a huge jump for the paintball community, and i know that i would deffinitely want to make the team. Thaink of that, me being an olympic member, for my country, for paintball. Think if we placed first, how much more popular paintball would be.

Snowboarding saw a huge boom after the first time it made it into the olympics, paintball would probabally see this same boom

PLease keep your negatice comments to your self when it comes to things like that. You r comments are not appreciated when they are negative

[56kSomeGuy]

Originally posted by magman007

what about ping pong? cant some country loose or feel cheated and want to start a war over that?

Snowboarding saw a huge boom after the first time it made it into the olympics, paintball would probabally see this same boom


Yes i agree that it would help the paintball community, but ping pong and snowbording don't involve a device that looks like a gun that launches projectiles at each other. Look at the world today a little religious conflict could cause a war. I'm not trying to say anything negative about paintball or having it in the olympics but I just think in these times is not the best to have a sport that involves two countries shooting(even paint projectiles) at each other.

[DarkPhoenix]

Gentlemen, and ladies, if our sport makes it to the Olympics, it would indeed be a very good thing. I have been a constant proponent of paintball because it is a good way to channel destructive impulses without causing undue harm. I would rather people be firing paintballs at each other than real bullets. Now, if we could only eliminate unsportsman-like conduct that seems to plague our good sport (ex cheating, cursing). Our sport is ready for a venue such as the Olympics.:cool:

[pito189]

Originally posted by magman007
its negative comments like that, that keep us out of the olympics.........

PLease keep your negatice comments to your self when it comes to things like that. You r comments are not appreciated when they are negative

It wasn't a negative comment at all. He was just stating the simple truth. We don't want some bruised ego who got mugged to launch a freaking nuclear missle at us.

I'm sure wars have been started over less than that. Look at the Lilaputions in Gullivers travels. There were going to war over what end of the egg you are supposed to crack it open on, so that you can eat it.

[paintslinger]

we all agree that paintball in the olympics would be cool. but come on now if football cant get in then what chance does paintball have?

[Doc Nickel]

Paintball will never be an Olympic sport. Quite simply because it does involve people "shooting guns" at each other.

Last time you watched the Olympics (and I'll bet a sawbuck less than 10% of you watched more than one or two events, total, summer and winter combined) tell me, did you see ANY of the Biathlon? Ski to a target, shoot five shots, ski to the next target? How about the freestyle pistol? No?

No kidding. The news doesn't report it, the crews don't tape it, nobody watches it. It may not be an intentional thing, but nonetheless it IS "suppressed", since most international countries don't freely allow civilian firearms ownership. Olympic shooters in England have to fly to Belgium- where their guns are stored- in order to merely practice.

Olympic shooters in Japan, including visitors, have to account for each and every round of ammunition, including spent cases. Lose a single empty case, possibly go to jail.

These are, yes, true firearms, but they're also fired at static, inanimate targets. People shooting "guns" (and to the World at large, it doesn't matter if it's purple and chrome and has this weird bottle thing on the top- if it has a barrel and a grip, it's a "gun") at other people is something better than half the Nations that participate in the Olympics simply will not accept.

I have no idea where the "one vote" rumor came from, but I'll almost guarantee you it's a total hoax. It's an 'urban legend' that's been passed around, but nobody seems to know where it came from. It's simply not true.

In any case, Olympic recognition of paintball would not necessarily be a good thing- in the previously-mentioned example of Snowboarding, yes, it caused a peak of interest, but snowboarding, as a sport, is currently on a slow decline.

How many people go out and buy a bobsled when they see it on the Olympics? Or downhill skis? Curling stones? Figure skates? How many take up track or decide to learn to pole-vault?

Personally, I think the Popular Mechanics article probably reached more people that are more likely to try it, than any Olympic coverage anyone could hope for. I recall reading something from the last Winter Olympics concerning coverage- in one area, women's downhill slalom got a grand total of 31 seconds of airtime during the Olympics coverage. Freestyle pistol and the combined Biathlon classes, men and women's, got zero. As in none. Results were not even read aloud on the air.

Sorry, Olympic paintball events simply ain't gonna happen, and wouldn't exactly help even if they did.

Doc.

[paintslinger]

actually i was able to catch the biatholon on tv however i didn't get to see the freestyle pistols if that was even on tv...the only events i like are the shooting ones...

[davej946]

IMHO I think paintball would be better served in the X-Games. The Olympics don't seem like the place for paintball, but the X-Games seem perfect.

I know, I know, we've had the whole X-Games debate before. I've also heard the 'ESPN will NEVER show paintball again' argument, but I think that's all an 'urban legend' too. I could be wrong, but I could be right. I think those leading our sport (Tom, Bud, etc) should forget the Olympics and focus on the X-Games if they're interested in getting the sport some mainstream attention.

Dave

[56kSomeGuy]

Originally posted by davej946
IMHO I think paintball would be better served in the X-Games. The Olympics don't seem like the place for paintball, but the X-Games seem perfect.

Dave

I agree with paintball being in the X-games. Paintball is an xtream sport just like BMX and skatebording.

[Eagle]

So whats to keep 2 countries from going to war over any other sport? Why should paintball be any different? Just because it's a shooting sport? They already have shooting sports in the Olympics. I don't see any reason as to why paintball, most likely in a 7 man Sup'air ball format, can't make it.

[56kSomeGuy]

The shooting sports don't involve people shooting at each other.

[FreshmanBob]

Originally posted by Eagle
but it states that last time they voted for which games to include in the last summer Olympics, we missed being included by just one vote.


Guys, come on, one vote. If its that close and with the way the sport has been growing, in a few years it might just happen. It may or may not get a lot of air time, but it would still be a massive step for the sport.

[billmi]

When I read the article, I got about as far as where it said Bud Orr invented the breech used in most semi-auto paintguns, and had enough.

C'mon the breech used in most semis is a bolt in a breech - like the Nelspot designed by James Hale, that Bud used when he started playing, and like the Sheridan paintgun Bud based the Sniper on (the predecessor to the Autocker was a pump, that was basically Sheridan guts put into a milled aluminum body).

Don't take this wrong, I have huge respect for Bud, he has innovated, and he's done so much to advance paintball, he is literally a legend of the sport and a great guy, but he didn't invent the breech used on modern paintguns, and any reasonable amount of research would have found this out (the date on Daisy's patent application is 1972).

What this really makes me question is how far off the mark PM's stories on modern military technology are if they had trouble with this declassified info.

See you on the field,
-Bill Mills

[Doc Nickel]

Hey Freshmanbob, I think you missed the part where I mentioned the "one vote" bit is very likely a complete hoax. Short attention span? :D

Keep in mind that the people "voting" to include new sports in the Olympics, includes representatives from all the countries that participate. Like China and Japan (where paintball is illegal) and Germany (where paintball is severely restricted, and there's a cultural bias against "warlike" activities) and Russia (which has a very small, comparatively, paintball demographic.)

I have heard the "one vote" rumor repeated far too many times, but no one, as in none, that I've asked, has been able to dig up any confirmation. I've Googled for it any number of times, but every reference found is just exactly like that in this post: "I once heard that..."

I'm also curious to know your reasoning as to why "even with little air time" it would be a "massive step" for the sport.

With little or no air time, what's the benefit? Those who already know about paintball will try and catch it, but if you don't know about it, will you stay up 'til 3am to catch a fifteen-second score update, as happened all to offten with the more "mainstream" sports this past Olympics?

Having paintball in the Olympics would be, in my opinion, a complete and total waste of time and resources.

Doc.

[manike]

They have boxing in the olympics where the intention IS violence and to render your competitor unconcious. That is worse violence, and more warlike than paintball will ever be :)

In fact many olympic 'sports' are based on war... and the skills required to win wars (from Roman times).

manike

[shartley]

Originally posted by manike
They have boxing in the olympics where the intention IS violence and to render your competitor unconcious. That is worse violence, and more warlike than paintball will ever be :)

In fact many olympic 'sports' are based on war... and the skills required to win wars (from Roman times).

manike
This is very true as well. Both Bill and Simon have good points.

I will however, point out that boxing (and most of the other “warlike” events) involve individuals, not teams shooting weapons at each other. I think this is where the distinction is made. When you have teams firing weapons at each other the link between the sport and “Armies/Wars” is clearly much closer. This in itself would cause a problem.

I too do not think Paintball will ever make it into the Olympics, for this and other reasons. But I also think it would be great in the X-Games…. Even thought I still think it is FAR from being an extreme sport. Lacrosse is by far more extreme than Paintball IMHO.. but simply put, there are not many genres to PUT Paintball IN. LOL And I guess The X-Games (because it mostly deals with youth and newer sports) would be the best venue available at this time. After all, I think the standard X-Gamers and their audience would be a prime demographic to target and would be most open to paintball.

As for their mistakes (PM), I too have seen them do similar things with other topics. It is a shame too. They have good articles and then toss in “Enquirer” standard crap… sometimes it is hard to weed the good from the bad.

[BTAutoMag]

how SWEET it is