Should paintball be televised?

[dwab3000]

well i voted yes

but not these hyped up channels like espn..stuf like NESN, or FSN...OLN too....these are the stations we want to be on...not espn

espn, will hype it up SOO MUCH..and most of us on AO...hate hype (tho lately ive seen alot of it going around)

[azza]

I dont think paintball is ready to be a fully televised sport in its present state. There are still many problems that need to be addressed and solved before its truely a primetime tv slot sport.
Other than the main probs of cheating and reffing or along those lines, I think theres also as some people have mentioned theres too many points of focus.
Move the main focus off the players and back onto the flag, Im not sure how, but just some food for thought.
How many other sports do you see players get eliminated out of the game till there are none left?
The only thing basicly left is the field layouts, which is basicly decided by tournament hosts anyway, so they need to do their part when hosting a tournament by ensuring that fields promote movement and action. And IMO making field sizes smaller and using small bunkers doesnt count.

I know this is off topic but I also think that the lack of a governing body in some reguards is holding paintball back as a sport.

Cheers
Azza

[rkjunior303]

I think if it's done, they pretty much need to take a page out of how they broadcast the WSOP. I mean,c'mon. You watch that stuff and you get pulled in by it -- when it's just a bunch of guys playing cards... They need to make it INTERESTING for the viewers to keep their attention, this is including the occasional channel flipper that happens to run into it one night while seeing what's on TV. If they do a good job of explaining the game and how a game progresses, I think it could prove to be interesting...

Start out explaining the game and how the game is played (including safety). As the game is being played, maybe cut to player interviews, etc. Maybe throw in a tech tip or 'strategy from the pro' inset, etc.... If its PRODUCED properly, I think it could be interesting but it's also a VERY FINE line.

[Tyger]

Now what's interesting to me is that MORE people say "yes" than "no" in the poll, but more of the replies to the post are saying "no" than "yes". Why haven't more people taken time to post why paintball should be on TV? Just finding it interesting...

-Tyger

[hitech]

Because it's not a big deal either way. I voted yes, however many things would need to change for it to "make it" on TV. But that has been well documented above.

[Pump Scout]

How about this - yes, but not in it's current formats. With rates of fire where they're at, it's very difficult for John Q Viewer to follow the action. The game would almost need to be designed specifically for TV. The various formats that are out there today just aren't going to cut it without technical/camera support that would make NASCAR green with envy. And they have a metric butt-load of cameras working their races.

I won't claim to have the answers to a viable TV format, but I have a few ideas. Problem so far is that few-to-none have been willing to listen. To me personally, it's all academic anyway - those who are in a position to make the decision of putting paintball on TV will do what's best at the moment for their pocketbooks. That won't neccessarilly mesh with what's best for the sport, but a lot of what has gone on in the past 5 years falls into that category.

[Chojin Man]

No. I think that any large company that gets involved in paintball, due to it being televised, will try to screw us over as much as possible.

[azza]

I think the one of the biggest probs personally is the volume of paint thats being used during games, since it seems to me when i watch unedited films of paintball theres very little movement right till near the end of the match when one side is on the brink of winning.

Paint isnt everything! For example in a 3 man tourny we had in Blenheim NZ, the 2 top teams when they played each other. Managed to play 7 rounds of ctf pb in a 10 minute match! And to top it off, it was 50 round hopperball(50 rounds for the whole 10 minutes, not per round) with recycling players!

Just my $0.02NZD
Azza

[Mr_Steven]

I think it would be awesome if paintball was televised, not only would it be more popular, but your average no-nothing person wouldn't look at paintball as means of vandalism anymore, they would see what paintball really is, and that its only the little immature kids who do stupid stuff with there walmart brass eagles.

[shartley]

[Wickster]

Why not?

There are a lot of boring sports televised on tv (as Shartley said- golf), and paintball would certainly be better to watch than many of them. Of course there are many problems with televising paintball on tv as stated by others in this thread, but plain and simple for me is that I'd rather watch paintball on tv than golf, figure skating, fishing, gymnastics, etc.

Tyger- maybe others who voted yes but didn't reply have the same thought as me- it's not perfect, but better than some other sports on tv.

One last thought- MAYBE televising the games (and therefore televising the cheaters) would actually help to reduce the cheating. Obvious cheaters on tape can be suspended from further tournament play, etc.

Just my $.02.

[gc82000]

Here is my $0.02.

Ok in this day an age where cn you see a professional sport that does not introduce or have a life story on at least one of the players or competitors. Example american football. there are people who do not play the sport, but they know the entire roster of their favorite team.
And how many of us know or have even met a pro player. But yet it is the most watched sport in America.
Paintball, I think, might follow suit in introducing a new player or dropping a little history about a person.
As for bigger company joining in to the sport I dont think that is a bad idea. It will just make the industry more competitive. And plus it is already happening, need I say K2/WGP.
I also read another point that I think is null and void. The rapid fire of the guns. In nascar one of my favorite camera angles is the still camera right next to the track. Seeing those cars buzz by the spectators is one of the best shots in all of sports. Imagine a similar shot with paintballs.
One point that I saw in this forum and think is necesary the formation of a standing body to regulate professional paint ball. In other sports there is the NBA, NFL, MLB, PGA, PBA, FIFA. Why not a United States of America Paintball Association, or the like.

I know it is a rant, but no apologies here.

GC
Oh yeah I saw someone write about uniforms. Thinking of it like this, companies make money from professional uniform sales, Lebron James for example. Uniforms in Paintball are just not there yet. And I like the way they look now.

[abunkerer]

I think it should be on TV. Not for ratings, or for anyone who dosen't know the sport. I want it on TV because I like to watch games, and I think that most pballl players like to watch it too. They televise pool and poker and hunting..and Golf!
Being afraid of giving the game a bad image (by showing people cheating or fighting) is just players being overprotective of their beloved sport. Sometimes its that "bad" stuff that gives it a little flavor, like in skateboarding...everything was nice and cute untill the "skateboarding is not a crime" stuff came around and then people started the skateboarding culture, sort of an identity thing for many people. thats when the sport really became integrated into society.
Kind of like Whats is going on with the HK thing. People may "scoff" (yes, i said scoff) at those kids but what they are doing is something very big. They are creating a paintball culture, and that is important.
Paintball getiing it's "big Break" would be putting a lasting impression (stereotype) into the way society views the sport. If you were an entertainer you wouldn't want to get a big break too soon only to fail in front of everyone, you'd be FiNiSHED! If paintball had its big break now, would society like what it sees? would you?
It's going to happen soon, it's going to be interesting to see what side is shown; on one side the made for T.V. sponsor whores, on the other side you have the streetballer types..Im hoping that the coin lands on its edge.

[danoxide]

i think that paintball should be on tv and it should be tournys...they should be speedball but i would really like if they made the feilds different....what i mean is have one side good for attacking and one side good for defending...kind of combine the whole Scenario and Speedball type games...but use Sup' air type bunkers while doing it...





just my 3 cents(yes i typed a 3)

[shatter_storm]

Paintball was on TV 10 years ago - it didn't work, the ratings sucked and nobody watched it. I'm not sure how it's going to be any different this time around... yeah we've got brand name markers and brand name clothing and flashy pro players, but we've also got rampant cheating and no common organization. How do you televise something that most people don't know about in the first place?