Do Pro Teams mean anything to you guys? AGD wants to know...

[MagDog68]

Sorry Tom, I don't find paintball to be much of a spectator sport. I'd rather be playing it than watching it.

~Fred

[apache]

<font face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AGD:
The subject of pro teams or pro paintball never seems to come up in this forum. We were wondering why? All comments welcome.
</font>

Probably the majority of the forum members are not tournament players. I guess that the rec players are not so interested in what goes on in the pro world.

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-- Apache.

[MicroB]

I have been playing paintball for six months at a local field and they just put in a hyperball field (in may) word got around San Diego. Now pretty much every weekend team Ironman and Dynasty, and sometimes members of the family show up and play. My first experience with a pro team;

1. Ironman; rude, obnoxious cry babes that wipe everything. I was very disappointed. They cuss ALOT. There also rude off the field.

2. Dynasty; pretty much the same as Ironman. they mirror each other well.

3. The Family; the whole team hasn't shown but the players didn't wipe that I watched not once, and they didn't swear as much or at all.

While watching them play (Ironman and Dynasty)cussing and scream'en at each other one of Ironmans front players went to bunker a front of Dynasty's and his gun malfunctioned (I think his revvy batteries died and blocked the ball from feeding), so the player throws his 2001 LCD Angel and angel air on the ground so hard he bent the barrel.

The most frustrating part is there are typically 60-80 newbies standing around watching these players wanting to play like them and the teams are acting like this, what kind of role model is that. If they were to televise these teams, I think it would give the sport a bad rep.

These are good players(other than the wiping) and I do learn from watching them, but they need to clean up their act. Given these circumstances, I don't think to highly of Pro-teams. Given this is my only experience with them.

BTW, there were 6-8 newbies fighting over the bent angel barrel.

[This message has been edited by MicroB (edited 07-09-2001).]

[luke]

Seems to me that the industry is geared to the new players. Look threw most
magazines and they are choked full of entry level packages and articles. What little I have personally seen on upper level paintball were tournament results only. In and by itself, this information is pretty boring. If there are magazines out there that feature more about Pros, I'm unaware of it. Point is, I have never seen a pro player, therefor I have nothing to say about them. I think its the fault of the of the leaders in the industry, which would have to be the manufactures. Manufacturers really control the direction of the sport. Therefor, they should take a larger role in linking players / equipment / sport information at different levels, not just the entry level. What I mean by this is when you enter the sport, there are a plethora of places to get help and ideas to find your way and settle in. Once you are settled in and reached the level to start playing tournament level paintball, the industry no longer provides information for you. Such as, equipment up grades, modifications, and true paintball tactics, not just: present a small target, learn to snap shoot, don't come over the top of your bunker, practice, practice practice. There has been some that has tried to provide
information to the intermediate players but it has been short lived. Examples: APG ran a few articles called T N T for tournament players. I think that ran for 6 months. The information was mediocre at best anyway. Paintball consumer guide ran 3 months (I think) this was an AWESOME magazine.

Not sure if this related to your question or not, but maybe it should. Perhaps if
sponsorship of the Pro teams included them educating the players that need their
help, it would bring the Pro players into the mainstream and provide much needed
attention to the intermediate players. Our sport has no coaches, and players want to move forward but lack the knowledge to do so. Perhaps the Pros could help until our sport evolves again.

I would like to point out that the reason I have stuck around your forum here is
because it does provide some of the information I desire, and some I can't get
anywhere else. It also provides links to other sites that are a huge help. I understand why you and your Techs don't spend more time on the forums, but I gotta say, you all are what will continue to make this a success. Having you all online helps keep the forums on a learning level, which should be a big payoff for AGD.

Imagine what this site would be like if AGD sponsored a Pro team and part of the
deal was one of the players had to spend a certain amount of time online everyday. What better way to for AGD to keep track of it's sponsored team and think of the information they could pass on to us.

Just my $.35

luke

[RoadDawg]

I don't pay attention to tourny's at all. I have never been in one and I wouldn't mind trying it once but I am happy and content with rec ball. Only time I hear anything about pro tourny's is at my local field many months after it is over. Only pro game I have actually watched was back in 96 on ESPN when the Parapeligic Turtles beat the Ironmen. Now the turtles are our local pro team. Don't follow them very much though. If it was televised I think I would follow a tiny bit more.

Nick "RoadDawg"

[Major Jam]

The pro teams of today do not have the honor of the rec ball in the 80's.

Back then you had the elder respectfull men that were playing for the sport and fun. They were just happy they could play and afford it.

Today you have young punks, parents with too much money, prize money and 5 cars given to the winning team.

Too much cheating, too vulgar, too much wiping, too much favoritism from refs and too much attitude.

The problem with sponsoring is you have to sponsor these young punk teams that get out there and win at "any" cost.

If you sponsor the "mature" teams they don't win.

And we all know, a winning team sells markers. It's not how you play, it's wether you win or not.

[luke]

Army
hitmanng
Dogbone
Eagle
Whisky
Thordic

I would like to say that you guys made some very strong points. I agree with most everything you said.

luke

[automagkid]

<font face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MagDog68:
Sorry Tom, I don't find paintball to be much of a spectator sport. I'd rather be playing it than watching it.

~Fred</font>

i thiks its an awsome sport to watch, especially if its between pro teams. go to warpig.com & watch some pig tv.

[i-luv-my-rt]

I guess i'm the odd-ball. I love tournaments and pro players and everything. I am prolly a rookie in NPPL but in local im am. I love the intensity and i'm starting to stop playing with my friends so i can save up for the tourny. I plan on playing skyball and other nppl next year. i couldnt live without tournies!!!

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This is your brain
AUTOMAG
Your brain on drugs
autococker
GET FOCUSED

[mykroft]

I like watching tourney's, and tournament players. Unfortunately my experience of competetive players has generally been pretty bad. There are guys like the Beach Boyz and PSI who are cool, don't cheat, and don't mind playing a few newbies (which I am compared to them), but playing against guys like Masters of Mayhem, who are real dicks, and well known for cheating, and overshooting, even in rec ball, is simply not fun. If there was a major tour, which enforced a code of conduct, and was death on cheaters (I say wiping=DQ minimum) I would be very interested in supporting and possibly playing rookie/novice in that league.

The Problem with tourney's, to quote a unnamed PB video:

"That's just splatter Mr. Long" ref to Bob Long, after 4 breaks on his shoulder.



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Mykroft Holmes IV
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Accuracy By Volume is not the answer

[Rooster]

Most pro teams do not interest me. What i do get a kick out of is hearing about Team AGD, especially after that whole deal at Challenge cup. That was a great read, and then having JJ post about it on these boards.

Rooster

[thei3ug]

My extent of pro following is how stupid they look in advertisements in magazines.

[Richy_C]

Bah, pros cheat the hell outta everything, i bet you i had a better time hanging out with a guy at my field witha S/F mag then i ever would hanging with pros. And i never even learned that guyys name, and that is what paintballs about, going to the field and having a good old time, makeing friends you'll never see again, but you'll never forget. You know, it's miller time.

[thecavemankevin]

Like eagle said, too much confusion and not enough standardization. You could follow the pro circut in NPPL (wich that league is a joke) or APL and so on. But it would be difficult to follow all circuts and know all pro teams.

Plus there aren't any pro's that come here that i know of.

[Ityl]

I think local teams mean more to me cause I see, talk, and play with them. A lot of times too I see people on teams that don't know what they are talking about at all, besides how to play.