Did you know the USPL will not be awarding a pro prize package? What, after all, is the point of spending your own money to give yourself a prize? (Or something like that.) And before that, at San Diego's NPPL curtain closer the pro teams were entertaining the idea of doing away with the pro prize money in exchange for entry reductions.
Why do I bring it up?
Because I thought, ah-ha!, here's a subject where VFTD can make real inroads in alienating some of the readers--that would be you--and then I'll get to see what it's like to be the PSP. Actually it's because (apparently) the PSP hasn't announced the prize packages yet and it's generating some anxiety. I'm kinda torn when it comes to prizes. On one hand I remember a time when winning some stuff--back then it was stuff, not cash--actually helped finance the next event. On the other hand I think prizes ought to be about rewarding the best and incentivizing teams to seek improvement. I'm not opposed to awarding prizes in the lower divisions but at the national level the competition is really about being the best and the teams that make the move into the national arena are focused on being the best they can be, not winning a bigger prize. Or ought to be. (Easy for me to say.) Of course back in the day we took it for granted we could win bigger prizes more easily playing local than we could in the lower divisions at the national level.
The great state of Cali is so far in the red that as of February 1st numerous routine payments the state makes will be discontinued to meet the immediate shortfall. By as early as March that may not be enough to keep to the state from becoming insolvent, going bust, broke. Belly up. Once those payments stop, what's next? How quickly does it all start to come apart? The wheels on the Cali bus go round and round. Faster and faster 'cus there's no money left to fix the brakes. Could there be a better time to expect 150+ 7-man teams to come to HB?
UPDATE: With today's (Tuesday) announcement that HB will be limited to 130 teams it's all good. I mean, like, that's way less.
With the above comment(s) VFTD is taking a moratorium on nay-saying the USPL. It should be eminently clear at this point I have serious reservations about the wisdom of the whole project even if I'm selfishly glad for another opportunity to pursue 7-man.
Monday, January 19, 2009
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9 comments:
There's an interesting write-up on the USPL over at Warpig. Did you check it out yet?
Aren't you supposed to be silent? Thanks.
Uatu, if that is your idea of interesting I'll send you the labels off a couple of soup cans for some heavy reading.
Ehh, you try to be helpful and what do you get in return? You humans...
I have never been a fan of the "GEAR" prize at local events. Everyone knows those prizes are sold for quick cash, sometimes in the parking lot of the event, to help the team for the next event. Normally the prizes are going to take money away from a local shop, maybe even the one that help "sponsor" the event by providing a couple markers or gear bags. I would prefer to get next events fee's covered but that requires real money, not the event organizer to hand out some swag.
As for the PSP prizes I don't think you can have a PRO league and not give cash. However NXL is over and we are in a new era, so they can make the changes now and teams will have to take the changes if they want to play.
2 questions - When is PB going to bring 10 man back and when is Damage coming out to Sacramento again?
i just wish that we'd find a set number of players on a team. i dont care if we play "7 man," 7 man with 5 players, xball with 7 players...what ever. Just figure something out and make it standard.
Bobcat
Prizes aren't going away. My example of the thinking from many of the pro teams is that it's better to support all the teams in tough times than reward a handful of teams.
10-man comes back as soon as promoter thinks he can sell it -- and actually makes a buck or two in the process. I sincerely doubt there's enough players anymore prepared to spend real dollars to play.
Sacramento? When hell freezes over? Seriously, I don't know. Our pre-event scrimmages are set for Phoenix and MAO already.
Lawrence
You can count on the PSP sticking with 5-man (of one sort or another) and the new Race 2 (xball? What is this xball you speak about?) is a pretty flexible concept.
oh i dont doubt it, but i hate that the regions are divided...ie- the south east is 5 man territory, there is not a regional 7 man series/league for people to jump into and try. New England was for a long time a 7 man stronghold, but with the AXBL it's slowly turning...i could be wrong, but i see the west as advocating for 7 man while the east is 5 man -- not saying the "pro" teams want that, but that seems to be the general trend with the divisional players.
Id feel much better if we played "7 man" on an "nppl field" with 5 players...at least that way you dont divide the teams into being 5 man teams that use their two backups and pick up a sub, or a 7 man team that just uses the other two as backups...am i making any sense?
Maybe the USPL will change their field to encourage uniformity and provide places for more potential 7-man teams to play/practice. Or not.
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