Why paintball will never be a "real" sport

[Lohman446]

Paintball is no longer about who can shoot paint at the opponent and get it to break.

Its about who can cheat the best, who can whine the best off field, who can intimidate the refs into getting there way. Don't beleive me? Watch a top level game once, either at your local field or on television.

Players are less concerned about what they can do field, and more concerned about how they look. Again, want proof?

In every major sport the highest divisions support the lowest - MLB supports the farm system, supports some little leagues. NBA supports the WNBA. Even the NFL makes room for college, and players show up at college games. In paintball, the lowest divisions support the highest.

Want the rant to continue?

[Carbon Blue]

continue

[RoadDawg]

and you are just finding this out now?

[mobsterboy]

continue

motion seconded. the bill for Lohman's rant to continue has been passed. You may approach the well Lohman, that is your right.

[thefool]

motion seconded. the bill for Lohman's rant to continue has been passed. You may approach the well Lohman, that is your right.

and thirded :P

[Lohman446]

Its a continuation of my rant on PBN, a continuation of my why I reconsider even playing paintball every week.

Face it. I go to a tournament and play anything but the lowest bracket. I'm forbidden playing the lowest bracket because I have played higher brackets. I can choose to play cleanly - to not cheat, to play the game as it is meant to be. Ball breaks on you, you leave the game. I can choose to put a team together that all plays by these rules. And I can get destroyed. There is no way for refs on field, regardless of how good or how many, to see everything. Or I can attempt to hide things from the refs, to openly attempt to intimidate them (and yes, it works), to make demands on the refs from the dead box, the sidelines, wherever. To do everything I can to make certain they do not notice hits on me, and to make certain that everyone around me realizes the other team is cheating just as badly as I am. To do everything I can, regardless of if its allowed in the rules, to put me at an advantage and the others at a disadvantage. What's worse... its invaded recball. It happens on rec days where there is nothing but pride on the line. Oh, BTW, at tournament. That last game my opponent plays, the outcome may very well be set in advance by some political discussion.

I can still remember calling paintchecks in the woods, and having the nearest player walk over and check me. I can remember when that got to affect the game too much and "dead" players would assist. I can remember when there would be refs here and there to solely perform those requested paintchecks that I could not readily see. I can remember the same procedure, nearly, in speedball. Now its "the refs job to call me out" and its not my fault I cheated, its the refs for not being omnipresent and omnipetent (sp). Its not even what the rules say, and yet its what nearly everyone (including major tournament series) complies with. I find one exception, and thats OGD - I don't want to go down to playing once a year.... I don't want to quit the game because I'm sick of the politics of playing and being competetive. I have no desire to go on the field as simply a notch for the other teams. I'm sick of "what it takes" to not be.

[RoadDawg]

Ok... don't get me wrong as I have seen this as well. What can we do to "fix" this problem. We can talk the talk but can we fix the problem.

[mag_lover05]

heres your soapbox, tell us what you stand for.


i agree, the higher divisions need to support the lower ones, not just think they're badasses

[Lohman446]

"oh, but when you have that much money on the line"

Paintball is not expensive. $1300 is not worth cheating over. $10,000 is not worth cheating over. We need to get rid of the attitude that the money makes it ok.

I'm sorry because this is going to exclude a lot of great people. Age restrictions... adults contribute to the problem, but not as much as that annoying twelve year old child trying to impress everyone by acting like the whiney teenagers (and adults) on the field. 18 would not hurt my feelings much. The funny thing is, one of the players I respect most, is under that age. Sorry

$100 a case paint. Here's why... People who can afford to drop that much money will get over the justification of cheating. It will also help get rid of a few more of those that cheat. It will shrink the market back into a "gentlemen's" market and give enough of a profit margin that fields can quit caring about having huge numbers of players and keep quality players.

Never going to happen.... and both series suck in taking the innocent out.

My option... play less, maybe more scenario. I know people cheat, but well... nothings on the line, and there are enough people that don't cheat. If the person I shoot at walks off or not is meaningless to the outcome...

[zorrotmm]

Ok... don't get me wrong as I have seen this as well. What can we do to "fix" this problem. We can talk the talk but can we fix the problem.

It's pretty obvious that the major leagues have sold out. The only way competetive paintball will have renewed respect is through a better game format. And a different national level league. But, if that ever happens it's going to be awhile.

[CKY_Alliance]

Heres an idea....play the game, have fun, and dont worry about the BS...if people wanna worry about how they look then let them.,..if they wanna cheat dont play them or just shoot the **** out of em...**** the politics of it all just have fun

[REDRT]

Hell must have froze over. I can agree with Lohman446 so far on this one.

[dahoeb]

Hell must have froze over. I can agree with Lohman446 so far on this one.

word.

Heres an idea....play the game, have fun, and dont worry about the BS...if people wanna worry about how they look then let them.,..if they wanna cheat dont play them or just shoot the **** out of em...**** the politics of it all just have fun.

why would anyone wanna play with a bunch of cheating clowns with egos? paintball is played because its fun; when people ignore the rules the game becomes pointless and only frustrating. a waste of money.
either way, don't you think that the "deal with it" attitude only promotes the problem?

[st6212]

Just come to Australia and play with us and leave your troubles behind

[wimag]

[QUOTE=Lohman446
My option... play less, maybe more scenario. I know people cheat, but well... nothings on the line, and there are enough people that don't cheat. If the person I shoot at walks off or not is meaningless to the outcome...[/QUOTE]

yeah you really should do that, or quit all together. you get too worked up over crap like this.
I started playing 15 years ago for fun, I still play for fun be it scenario, rec or tournies. Yeah tournies can be tense at times but if it consumed as much negative energy as it appears it does to you then you should back off a little and play it for the reason you first started... cause it was fun. You seem to have lost that along the way.