Sticky: Comments and Thoughts on Tom Kaye's Retirement from AGD and Paintball

[behemoth]

Wow Tom, you took me by shock.

Im gonna go watch my Shatner DVD and play with my mag...

SAD SAD DAY IN PAINTBALL FELLAS. SAD DAY.
Good luck in your new ventures, and hopefully this new guy will be as nice as you are.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

Tom,

thanks for all you've done, for all of us. I'm happy and proud to be able to say that I got to meet you one time. May your next venture be as rewarding for you as this one has been for all of us.

Jeff Perrault

[G3PB]

No one should be really surprised with this. After speaking with Tom at D-Day. I felt it was just a matter of time. It is too bad there are so few paintballers that have been around long enough to realize just what Tom has done for this industry. I studied Mechanical Engineering many many years ago and I've always said that the Mag series is the only gun with any sort of solid engineering behind it's design and the reason I still own the first one I bought in the early 90's......

Good luck, Tom...you will be missed. Budd bailing, Glenn retiring, you retiring...the end of an era...now it'll be all about big business and profit margins, more than about the "game".

[Krysys]

[Muzikman]

Tom started AO? I thought he purchased it from someone else who started it.

But with that said, I wish Tom all the best and hope he is happy in whatever he does. His leaving was by far not unexpected though. As some have already posted, folks should have seen this coming for a long time. But as is often the case folks see only what they want to see.

Tom is not dead. Tom is simply moving on. Have fun Tom.

Tom might not have been the "founder" of AO, but he developed and grew AO. He was the one that supported and in my mind, made AO what it is today.

And if you say "no, it was the users of AO" I do not agree. AO would not be where it is today if AGD did not buy it and if Tom did not put his time and money into it.

[MindJob]

A Brave new world...

After taking 24hrs to think about it....

To, me... paintball has just took a turn for the worse. AO and AGD seem to have a dark cloud over them right now... and it is a feeling that I just dont like.

With all of the B.S. and underhanded characters that permiate our sport... I always took great comfort in knowing Tom and AGD where there.

Not only the last of, but the FIRST good guy of paintball. It is not difficult to understand why he is calling it quits.

The paintball market right now is flooded with cheaply made, FAD products. Out of all of the dozens of markers out right now, I can count on one hand the number of them that I would buy or use other than an AGD product. (and still have fingers left over)

It must be tough to have to fight an uphill battle every day against:
-the market
-suppliers
-creditors
-and Lawyers

A lesser man would have moved on long ago.

I also wanted to let Tom know that my X-mag is the possesion I cherrish the most.

AGD is obviously at a crossroad right now. The only good thing I try to keep in mind is that things might actually get better.

A new direction, new products... a new spark of enthusiasm. (A quality marketing team would help too)

So I am tipping my Yankees hat, and wishing Tom and his family the very best in the new year.

Now I am going to go home, give my X-mag a good cleaning, get some new paint, fresh batteries for my Halo.. and get ready to kick some butt this weekend on the field.

-Scott

[shartley]

Tom might not have been the "founder" of AO, but he developed and grew AO. He was the one that supported and in my mind, made AO what it is today.

And if you say "no, it was the users of AO" I do not agree. AO would not be where it is today if AGD did not buy it and if Tom did not put his time and money into it.

[Igotu]

Best memories in paintball will allways lie with you and ao tom, Best Wishes for your future.

I will NEVER forget you or get rid of my mag. Good luck and good bye.

[Mag Master 04]

Well Tom i would like to thank you for all the years of automag goodness that you have brought to the paintball world. I speak for everyone here when I say you have done a great job. Good luck and Best wishes. hope to see you around AO.

Steve

[XSSPL]

my take on Tom's legacy and contribution can be easily summed up every single time I go to play with my 68Classic Mag (yes I mean classic as in remote line CO2 and dual expansions) and some young kid will say - "Hey, what kind of gun is that?"

To which I reply, "It's an Automag." Most will then get a real puzzled look on their face when they notice the absence of a motorized anything and a single finger trigger frame...
I can hear their brain saying "How do you play with something like that?"

After a few games of dominating play, sitting around getting a swig of gatorade - these kids, always more than one will ask me "Hey, how much was your gun?"

Nuf said

[ScatterPlot]

Hey, how much was ur gun?

[Bubonic Plauge]

There will be a long period of "The Dark Ages" for Paintball.

This reminds me of the end of "The Return of The King" when the good guys all sail off into the undieing(sp) lands....or the end of "Excailbur" when Arthur sails off with the othe kings.


Bummer,

Craig

[LaW]

Its been great shooting your markers for the past 9 years. Like others, not so suprised to see this happen... AO did grow nicely after AGD purchased it. I was a member here for a few years prior and the site was dead, but the forum at the time was still strong. AGD made it stronger, no doubt about that.

Just like to say good luck on your future ventures, and I wish nothing but greatness for you in the future. You have brought so much to the sport and its players. Its truly a sad day when someone like this walks away.

[jewie27]

WOW.

The last of the good guys rides off into the sunset

What does the future hold for AGD? New products? New direction, or will the new managment keep the ship on the same course?

Im here looking at my X-mag sitting on my gear case, thinking that it all of a sudden looks a bit 'dated' for some reason.

WOW

Now what?

I really do hope that the company is on the upswing. I don't want AGD to lose its vision for the future. I really pray and hope that the 'Mag will not disappear. It should be refined but not forgotten. What products are in the works?

[Iceman8446]

Well I know what this means. I must sell my cocker, get an emag, and make a pilgramage to shatner ball.