Sam Caldwell, Paintball Icon has Lung Cancer lets give him Some Love

[Rudz]

i too think we should do something for him, maybe host a game for cancer awareness?

[Pump Scout]

warbeak, thank you for cross-posting this. I hadn't seen it here until now. Although I've never had the opportunity to meet Sam in person, everything I remember reading about him back when I first got into paintball, and things I've read both here and on PBN, show him to be a great person.

Best wishes from the Kohnen family!

[warbeak2099]

warbeak, thank you for cross-posting this. I hadn't seen it here until now. Although I've never had the opportunity to meet Sam in person, everything I remember reading about him back when I first got into paintball, and things I've read both here and on PBN, show him to be a great person.

Best wishes from the Kohnen family!

No problem, I just think something needs to be done. A simple organization of some card writing at the very least. Rudz's idea is even better. A tournament in Sam's honor would be incredible.

[AGDRetro]

A tournament to provide some kind of support, possibly even financial aid would be awesome. My Dad was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, and while he seems fine and everything is in remission now, the fight never seems to really end. Cancer blows. All I can say is maintain your sense of humor Sam, it's more important than many of us might realize!. The rest of us will be praying for you!

God bless!

Steven Shuey

[phizz]

It is a great loss for anyone when a great represntative is faced with danger. You are one of the great pioneers of the sport, and even though I don't actively play in the large venues where many events are held today, I still feel that if it were not for the few paintball greats who kept the sport going it would likely not be around today, or if it was would not be as large as it is.

I would like to thank you and wish you all the best on behalf of my team and all the bushballers up here in Canada.

Lucas Zimmerman
team BCTactical

[FSU_Paintball]

Wow.

Thanks for steering the sport in this direction. For better or worse, paintball has always grown, and I thank you for turning it into something that I continue to play even 10 years after I started. I started in the woods, moved to hyperball, established an Xball college team, and now play airball for fun. Thanks for making it fun. I wish you all the best in turning your illness away.

[blackrain02]

Always was great talking with you.

I looked forward to my Nashville trips while at Ft. Campbell. In 1990, you and Jim sent me a shirt from the SI Masters that I missed. Having that delivered to me in Iraq was a God Send. I still have the shirt. It's something I never forgot. You both took time out of your day just to write me back.
It was always great talking paintball with you too. You always found time to answer questions and ensure everything was perfect for the customers and players. Not many people know what you did in paintball, but I do. We both attended the first MSPA meeting.
I'll miss you Sam, but what you have done for this sport was always for the better.
God Speed.
Regards,
Steven

[Pballwizz]

I apologize for not posting here sooner. I read this thread on PBR, and realized the severity of the situation. Im most impressed not by his dedication to paintball (which I thank him greatly: even though I dont play anymore it made other what they are today) but to his commitment to what he believed in. I didnt know him, and am not gunna act like I did, but from what I understand and gathered from the article, he was a great man with dedication to what he loved. I wish the best for him, and thanks him for what he did for this sport.

[Josh2Xtremes]

Honored to have Worked With Him

As I was getting into the writing and photography side of the paintbally industry in the mid-to-late nineties, I was honored to meet Jim Lively and Sam Caldwell. The first national-level event I ever attended was the Masters in Tennessee, which I covered for Paintball News...heck I even reffed the Top Gun in the rain and handed a young Eric "#1 Stunna" Dearman his trophy. Among many others, I met a guy there named Larry Motes who said he was starting a tournament series in the Carolinas. That series was the CFOA, and now I work there.

As the years progressed I worked with Jim and Sam on the WPF series they started, writing press releases and taking pictures. When they promoted Skyball, I helped with that too. It's been a long time since I've spoken to Sam, but the events he and Jim promoted and the road he helped pave, whether everyone loved them or not, indisputably shaped competitive paintball into the sport and industry it is today. Their kindness and acceptance of me when I was a young man trying to make a name for myself contributed directly to my little niche in this industry, game and sport, and my ability to make a living in the sport I love.

My work with Sam helped me better understand paintball and the nuances of the job I was learning how to do. Without Sam's tutoring and friendship, I would never have become the person I am today, in or out of paintball. In all honesty, I'd never really stopped to think about just how much of an influence to my career Sam has been until writing this, and that's a shame. It shouldn't just be times like this that make people realize how important other people are or how much someone might mean to someone else. My heart goes out to Sam and his relatives and my prayers are with him.

Josh

Joshua D. Silverman
Associate Editor, PGi Magazine
Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, CFOA Tournament Series
Publicity / Photography, DraXxuS

[neppo1345]

Sam,

Thanks for all you've done to advance the sport I love. You were doing your thing for paintball from the time I was in diapers to the time I first picked up a gun; helping shape and mold the sport that would change my life.

Keeping you in my prayers,

-Tim Britt

[warbeak2099]

Rudz and I were talking about stickers/patches. We came up with the idea of using the tagline, "Sons of Sam", since he is the father of what our sport is now. Here's a quickie that I just brainstormed:



I'd like to maybe get an image in the center. It's hard to read the bottom unless you click on the image.

[lotus_esprit5]

Mr. Caldwell,

I heard about this on another forum and decided to create an account over here in the hopes that if you do get online and read any forum it'd be this one. I'm probably too young to fully appreciate everything you've done for tournament paintball, you started playing before I was born. But as one of the "old guys" of the sport all of us young guys owe you a huge debt of gratitude for pioneering the game we play and love now, it wouldnt be where it is now without you.

[Zone Drifter]

To Mr. Caldwell,

While I honestly have never heard of you until now, after reading up on what you did for the now world famous sport of paintball, you have my utmost respect and gratitude for bringing to the game all that you could. It's unfortunate that i had to hear about you though the bad news of cancer, but i'm still glad that i'm able to know the name to someone who helped push the game along to make it so popular that guys like me and my friends can pick up a simple marker and go out to have some fun.

Thank you very much for all you have done in this exciting game. For what its worth, I wish you the very best.

[Rabbit]

I remember Sam Caldwell. I always will. The one man who would listen to players, even when they only had rotten things to say. Tired, rain-soaked, it never seemed to matter. Sam always had time to listen. I hope you are still listening Sam. We do remember, we do care.

May God smile upon you.

[CONFIRMEDKILL]

Sam, though I hadn't heard of you before now , my respect for you is already immense. For a man like Tom to speak so highly of you I can only imagine how much of a good person you really are. Thank you very much for your contribution to the sport of paintball, and I wish nothing but good luck for you. Josh