Major League Paintball Weekly Update

The not so Grand Tour's Austria event was this past weekend. A total of 35 teams participated. No further info except scores are posted at pblivescores.com. Of note was the Ukrainian team HULK in the Masters division. Is that a great name or what? They had a "sister" team in the lower division called HULK X.O. What a lost opportunity when they could call themselves something like Hulk Smash. Or if it's a feeder team they could be the Dr. Bruce Banners. I hope they at least wear green. (You don't want to play them when they're angry.) Also playing in the Vienna event was the eventual X3 winner, an Austrian team called Army of Lovers. I sure hope that sounds tougher in German--not, of course, that there's anything wrong with that, liebchen.

Nothing much of note in Millennium Land where open division registrations for October's Paris event season finale is up to 15 teams. With all this time before the last event of 2010 the MS has a real opportunity, or so it seems, to get their house in order and lay the foundation for a better 2011. Along with looking to make a few Euros in Asia they'd be well-advised to be working out a new model or at least modifications to how an international tournament paintball league can be profitably operated. The old ways aren't cutting it anymore as traditional revenue streams turn into trickles.

NPPL registration for the DC Challenge closes today. The best quick count I came up with is 68 teams including 14 Pros but we already know the Pro numbers will be 12 or less. I'm kinda hoping the schedule for Friday's play will leave one field or the other available in the late afternoon and the powers that be will allow a bit of practice. How 'bout it, guys? Just need an hour or two and a few games. The All*Star game(s) will be held on Saturday before during after the Pro prelims. There are links posted at the NPPL website for All*Star voting results but no lists are available yet. On the same page the NPPL reminds everyone the event will be covered by all their major media partners including Paintball.com. Check it out and see what a major media outlet like Paintball.com has been up to lately.

Registration closes for the PSP's MAO event this coming Friday. There are currently 77 Race 2-X teams registered as the numbers shift some more at the last minute with some teams bowing out and others having waited until the last minute. There are also 30 Race 2-2 teams registered. A Race 2-X decline from last season now appears inevitable. It's likely just a question of how many. Phoenix was down less than 15%. Chicago less than 5%. It's beginning to look like the PSP season may once again hinge on the World Cup turnout as has been the case in the past. We should final numbers for next week's update. Lastly, there are whispers, not even rumors, just whispers, that at least one PSP Pro team may be in trouble. It's that time of year.