Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Mr. Curious: Anatomy of a Change

Mr. Curious has a number of files in the "in" box, still unresolved and untold. To avoid ongoing harassment he crossed the southern border of the U.S. and re-entered as an anonymous undocumented alien and hasn't been hassled in weeks. (He's learning Spanish watching Univision.) Life was good and then a rumor leaked that a change of venue for the PSP might be in the works. What compelled the late change of venue was an inability to come to agreeable terms for the use of the facility and land at Topgun. What precipitated that crisis was both a late effort to alter the terms the PSP believed had been agreed to and an ultimate inability to get a deal down on paper. Just how this state of affairs came about and who is responsible remains uncertain as the principles aren't discussing the details.
The story begins last year when the Topgun property hosted its first PSP New Jersey Open. The paintball park leases the property it uses and last year the property owner was on board with whatever the terms were for that first event. The only contention was the parking fee the host facility charged.
When the PSP announced a return to Jersey (and Topgun) it was with the understanding the basic arrangement would remain the same. There was no contract signed by either party--nor had there been one the first time. At Chicago [late June 2012] the league was informed that last year's terms were not acceptable. Efforts to negotiate followed.
Here's where it gets a little more complicated. In the preceeding year the property owner divorced and his ex took control of the property in the settlement. It some circles it is being claimed she demanded more money not having been part of the process the year before. It also seems that Topgun is run by two individuals one of whom has little interest in tournament paintball which may have created some friction regarding the PSP's use of the venue. Sometime toward the end of June it became clearer that the Topgun position wasn't a unified one and that a late renegotiation was on the table. As best Mr. Curious can piece the details together it appears that the PSP did not have any direct contact with the new landlord but through the agency of the operators fo Topgun as many as 4 separate offers may have been put forth. There are unconfirmed rumors that various deals included cash payments, quid pro quos like free entries and more debate about parking fees but neither side will confirm or deny the terms of the negotiation. Word is the last straw for the PSP was an inability to get any terms in writing and the only comment Mr. Curious received from a rep of Topgun was, "The property Top Gun sits on is not owned by Top Gun. The PSP and the landlord had some issues they could not come to terms on."
Without the cooperation of the principles it is impossible to know exactly what happened or why. Did a greedy landlord sabotage the deal? Did the partners fall out over the return of the PSP to Topgun? Was it something else? Or perhaps some mix of everything?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good PSP switched. Even if they had had a contract, then PSP would have just been stuck having an event at a location where the other parties couldn't even agree with each other and the land owner likely didn't want the event there at all, which will never end well.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like PSP was stuck dealing with a cluster-screw between land owners, ex-spouses, and business partners. Far better to make a change a month in advance than find yourself screwed the week of the event because the cluster-screw boils over.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the PSP will take this failure to heart this time and figure out a way to have deals for venues and other considerations planned farther in advance and solidified in contract. It has been stated that the way things would be in a perfect arrangement would be for teams to receive 2 things at the World Cup registration table -
1) all pertinent information for the current World Cup event
2) a packet containing all the information for the following season including dates, venues, and any discounts arranges with local innkeepers and merchants, airlines and car rental agencies.

Logistics are not difficult with proper staffing and advance planning.

Anonymous said...

Not at all I can tell you top gun and the land owner tried from the begining of the year to nail this down . With no responses from the PSP untill Chicago .Also the money last year and this year was the same and none of it went to topgun it all was given to the land owner Top gun recieved nothing last year and would have recieved nothing this year So I say this you figure it out

Anonymous said...

Last anonymous: That's false.

Anonymous said...

PSP didn't choose all the consequences of switching venues a month before an event unless they felt they were being absolutely screwed by the venue.

The idea that the field and owner didn't receive "anything" last year is ridiculous. We all know how much was charged to get our cars stuck in mud, and it wasn't PSP charging it.

Anonymous said...

Once again know your facts I know 2 or 3 weeks before the event land owner change their minds and wanted money to have the event there not the parking the whole event, so instead of going back on their word topgun charged for parking to pay the land owner . Once again top gun charged the PSP no money last year they did it for free

Anonymous said...

They did it because the PSP came to them and informed them of the struggles the league was having and topgun did everything to benefit the league with no payment at all ask the PSP if they paid top gun last year then come here and post ask the PSP if they paid the land owner last year Then come and post ask the PSP to see canceled checks to top gun or the land owner then come here and post . Know your facts so you don't look like a fool

Anonymous said...

I know both owners of top gun and they are straight up honest guys and they were proud of what they did to help the PSP last year The only reason they charged for parking was so they didn't have to go back on their word So don't trash them unless you know them and have facts. Every player should hope and wish that all field owners were as honest and straight up as topguns You guys should be thanking them because if they and other fields didn't donate their land last year PSP might not be around this year So think next time before you post stuff you don't know

Anonymous said...

So just the land owners was screwing PSP then. PSP still had to move.

J.Stein said...

Innkeepers?

Anonymous said...

I'm involved in a yearly technical conference that rotates through different cities each year, and repeats visits tp most of the cities in a 10 year cycle. We have signed agreements with many of our venues for dates in the 2020's. Just sayin'.

Mark said...

10 year cycles huh? That would put WC back in a cow pasteur this year.

Anonymous said...

I don't remember WC being in a milk bottling plant :-S

Mark said...

Oops! Pasture. While pasteur-izing takes place in what's called a dairy.

Anonymous said...

This whole article is speculation....The owners of topgun has done more for paintball in this area then psp could ever do. Also psp last year announced njo on the webcast during chicago before asking the if they could go to topgun...another fact psp announced they were going to topgun this year without telling anyone at topgun. they found out in psp press release. face

Baca Loco said...

Last Anon
No speculation at all. I can provide more details if pressed and the email I pulled the quote from.
I could also post the email of questions TG refused to respond to. As you're a big fan of TG you might do well enough to leave it alone.
Besides that the location and address of the former NJO have been listed since the PSP posted venues and dates. Nobody was surprised.

Anonymous said...

How come my comment stating the 2011 njo was annouced during the chicago webcast and asking for your sources of your statements taken down?? Also why would topgun respond back to you at all. You are just some guy with a blog. Did they really refuse or just said thier one comment to you and that was it?? Maybe they are being nice to psp and not saying what happened?? This article comes out as what you think happened with out listing your source to give you validation.

Baca Loco said...

Read it however you like, ANONYMOUS. If anyone directly involved wants to "correct" any element of the piece by contacting me they are always welcome to do so.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, anon just got served...


You gonna take that anon?