How Would YOU Like to Play on a Pro Team with Manny???

[Drew]

I'll get slapped for this

I'll play, but can I use my Autococker

[Maui PFB]

Playing Pro

Tom
Myself and M-a-s-s Driver would love to showcase your products and promote this great sport to everyone that might see us play pro, at any tournament you decide to enter into. My mm518 has seen lots of tourney action,since 1993 and it still holds its own. Massdriver and I played tourneys with the California Landsharks out of Sacramento. I wonder if Oh or Moon would want to play also. I live in Maui now but I miss the tourney scene. Sounds like fun!!
Thanks

[spacemanspiff]

Hey Thordic thanks for the compliment. You got some good move yourself. Divin over those hyper bunkers, that day in the rain
What ever the decision is about startin a team either in the pro or amature division. I hope to be able to get a try out for it. And if it don't happen it was a great idea to kick around.

[Maghog]

Sledgehammer-that makes two of us. I can't afford huge tournament costs every month, but once a year, well, I think that's worth saving up for.
If anything, with manike, you and myself there, we could blow the pro teams away when it comes to putting away the beer. I don't know that AGD wants to be associated with a reputation like that, but it could give us the upper hand come gameday when all the pros are hung over.
Hehe, okay, nice fantasy Dan...

The American AO team could be really good if it's done correctly. People with negative reactions to the concept have to also remember that pro teams did not become great overnight. Team AO has to start somewhere, and if it's going to have a rough time the first few years, so be it. It would be great to hear how Manny and his team started out.
I see a lot of people willing to play, but are you good enough?
I'm sure there are people here who are, and instead of just randomly grabbing a few participants, why not have members post their tournament experience and how commited they would be to such a team.
Here's my resume which would automatically eliminate me from contention:
3 man woodsball rally tourney: 1st place out of 8 teams
3 man speedball rally format: last place out of 10 teams
5 man speedball: 8th out of 14
I also live across the pond, so I can't make it to the games.
As you can see, I have very little experience, and therefore would not be a great candidate when considering the fact that some of the guys here have some really stellar achievements (albeit not in the nppl) in paintball. Not only that, but my location makes it near impossible to participate.

If the team has different members every year, the team can't grow. But if everyone posts their stats(with honesty of course) then maybe the members could vote on what they think the best roster could be. That way we've all had our say and team AO would be offering the best it has got.
I really don't think that discarding this concept should be done so hastily. If it's built properly, and yes, starting out in a lower bracket would probably help a lot to strengthen the teams cohesion, then it could become a contender in the tournament scene.
I think this means practice, dedication, and to some extent, sacrifice.
You all say you want to, but do you know what is involved in being a team? If this idea was just to have forum members get together and play at tournaments once in a while, then it is not really going to work, and the fears of AGD being ridiculed could well be true, particularly in the spotlight venue of the nppl where everyone looks at what gear the winners and losers use.
I don't think Tom will run an ad in APG like the one about the Jax Warriors taking Nashville if we're losers.
I'm going on too much now, but I stick to my guns that if the members can put their egos aside for the good of the team, and promote the people that they think have the skill then we could really take this somewhere.

If I may quote Major Damage but once with the notice that I have given my opinion..."ENDO!"
I just love that.

[lonsch]

[Nitroduck]

I dont want to be mean but.....

I think putting a "AGD Factory Team" with throw-together contest winners is a horrible idea.....

Like someone said earlier, I'd be ashamed to see "AGD Factory - 35 points" in the pro division.

Heres a idea for you......

Host a "AGD Open"

1 on 1 top gun tournament SERIES around USA....

Have like 2 or so....East Coast North (NY, NJ). East Coast South (FL), West Coast North (Washington....maybe SC village) and then one at Las Vegas , Midland (Chicago, Texas).

Have 1 on 1 topgun style formatting...Big publicity....

Say.......100+ people come in.....Obviously the good ones are gonna win.......

Winners of the regional get to goto the finals at Badlandz..

Say there are 5 hosting fields......The top 10 become "AGD Factory 10man" for that region......

Then.....Get all these 5 AGD Factory Teams together at Badlandz on that new Hyperball field and do a special 10man Modified NPPL rules field.

Grand Prize : AGD Factory Sponsorship for the winning 10man team.

Or.....You could just get a huge 10man tourney going, and winning team gets all AGD sponsorship....That'd be a good idea......

Oh yeah Tom.....You REALLY need to make AGD Jerseys.....Every single major company has them now.......Except for AGD and WDP......Easy publicity.

[nutz]

amazing idea tom!!! i would be happy to play in that!

[athomas]

The AO team idea is a great idea. I agree with many of the other people here stating that the team should be in the proper class. I don't think "Pro" is the way to go. Stick with "Amature A". You'll get much more respect. Plus "Pro" would ruin the amature eligibility of many of the players on the team.

In an Amature class I think the team would do well. It is amazing what a group of good individuals can do. I remember going to a 5-man tounament in Wasaga Beach in Ontario, Canada. Five of us got together. The strange thing is that most of us had never met, only talked to each other on the phone because of business dealings. Only two of us knew each other personally. We met the night before the tournament, had some beers and talked it up. The next day we started play. We started slow and got shot up a bit at first due to a few miscues. Then we started communicating better and in the second half of the tournament we rocked. We missed the finals by just a few points due to the slow start, but we were the only team in the whole tournament that beat all three of the teams that placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The top teams were also the top teams in Canada at the time. We had a blast and got some respect along the way. People knew who we were when the tournament was over.

It can be done and you can have fun doing it. I made some great friends on that trip. We're all from the East Coast of Canada.

Shawn (Can't remember his last name- nice guy from N.B.)
Jeff Hogg (recreational player now)
Gary Mackenzie (Spikes Warriors, N.S.)
Roddy MacDonald (before he joined the All Americans)
Andy Thomas (that's me - hired gun, I'm in the process of looking for a team thats capable of good sportsmanship above all else)

If a through together team goes out to have fun and sticks together for each other, it can happen. Its all about having fun, but its also about trying your best.

If it does happen. I'm in. I'll represent the Eastern Canadian contingent. LOL. Pass the beer.

[Lentz]

Holy **** this is the coolest **** ive ever heard. write me down for this one im one hell of a back/ mid players and can support my front players very nicely. sign me up for whatever contest this is im there and ready to fork out money

[Webmaster]

Shartley - you stated an absolute:
"And you should NEVER go into a tournament as a joke knowing you will not last one round. "

Which is false because there are situations when people do enter tournaments for the experiance and fun - and not as a competative endevour.

Then you sway all the way back to the other side with:
"It is okay to go into EVERY tournament with the expectation of never winning."

Life (at least for me) is not all or nothing, black or white. In my statement I made allowences that there are generally 3 types of team: Serious competitors, competitors who are there to learn but arent on the level of thier peers, and people whop play for the experiance and fun.

You stated an absolute - wither that was your intention or not, thats what you do when you use a word like "never".

"So would you be saying that for those that take tournaments very seriously, that THEY are SOOO wrong as well? "

Nope - people that take tournaments seriously are just another facet. Since you have most likely never been in a tournament, I could see where you were possibly not aware of the myrid assortment of motivations for people playing tournaments. Ive done it as a serious competitor, and to enjoy the experiance.

Simply put - one shouldnt discount anyones motive for entering a tournament - even if its for a goof.

[manike]

Originally posted by Webmaster
Simply put - one shouldnt discount anyones motive for entering a tournament - even if its for a goof.

I say we make a team with Pump E-mags (it can be done!) and then go laugh histerically at Skyball or some similar event

Some parts of paintball are all to serious and some are all too goofy. There is a right time and place for each.

manike

[Webmaster]

i-luv-my-rt

Dude - you are exactly what Manike is talking about. He isnt saying skyball isnt a serious tourny - hes saying people take things too seriously and its good to remember why you play and have fun once and awhile.

PS - I played stockclass at the first skyball - it was fun!!

[shartley]

Then you sway all the way back to the other side with:
"It is okay to go into EVERY tournament with the expectation of never winning."

Since you have most likely never been in a tournament, I could see where you were possibly not aware of the myrid assortment of motivations for people playing tournaments.

[i-luv-my-rt]

Webmaster....

I know understand where you and manike and some others are coming from and do apoligize in some aspects. if i am going to pay near 600 bux just to plat the weekend not including all the money i'm gonna spend at the AGD booth , then i'm gonna make sure i have a good team and go in there with the mind to win.

When i play smaller(most of the time funner) tourneis i go to have fun. Yesterday i played in a small but very competitive 3-man. Only 8 teams but all the best from around my area. We ended up winning and getting the sportsmanship award, so i am not just a hard-core winning tourney player. Also if i'm playing with some friends i will whip out the TALON or VULCAN 5000(both only cost me 5 bux) and have fun all day.

I guess the way i stated alot of my stuff was and/or ignorant, so i will stop posting in this thread. I hope i showed you(webbie and manike) that i am not exactly what you guys are talking about. That i am just the opposite.

[manike]

Re: Wait wait wait.............

Originally posted by i-luv-my-rt
Are you trying to say that Skyball is a joke tournament.

Skyball is not a joke event. No Tournament is ever intended as a joke event. Just some are more often used for fun goofing type play than others. Some events are more social and these are often fun events to attend 'for a laugh' and with a bit of a goofball team. For instance I class Skyball, the World Cup and Mardi Gras like this. Skyball is the only event where I have seen a 007 nelspot with a 114ci air system on it...

Originally posted by i-luv-my-rt
Me and my team are taking this tourney very serious and there is always great competition there.

Excellent. I wish you the best of luck. I may be attending at very short notice but am not holding my breath. If I do attend it will be for the social side and if I can get a game as part of a scratch team then all the better. It is a fantastic venue.

Originally posted by i-luv-my-rt
I did see a team go there last year with an all pump team and they got destroyed but all the teams that beat them had respect for them.

And that sometimes is what it's about. Some people enjoy the challenge and want to be a little different. Entering an event like this with pumps is just that, and in my opinion is very different than entering pro class with a rookie team. I've also seen pump teams at skyball win against all semi teams. I certainly saw one at Skyball 2000 that got the first flag pull against almost all teams that played them.

Originally posted by i-luv-my-rt
When you say take "pump e-mags" to skyball and laugh, all the teams will just be laughing back at how they totally crushed you. Hopefully you didnt mean it like that.

I meant we would have a laugh as we shot the heck out of the other teams I never feel being beaten is a laughing matter and woe fool you if you laugh at someone and think you will beat them just because of the equipment they are carrying. Don't rule people out just because they have pumps. I have a pump electro conversion for my Bushy and I bet on 'slam fire' I can shoot it just as fast or faster than you can shoot a normal semi. It would just look amusing for other teams when they see us all with pumps. We would be just as competitive as using normal semi's... My converion also allowed me to knock it back to semi anyway. So it may look like a pump and work like one over the chrono but would be a semi on the field. Perfectly legal I believe It's doing something just to be different. For your own and others amusement. Some people here understand what that is about. I play very seriously sometimes and very much for fun and social reasons at others. I always have fun either way. If I didn't I wouldn't play.

manike