May I have your attention please.
Will the real World Cup please stand up. Will the real World Cup please stand up.
(We're gonna have a problem here ...)
Seems the Millennium kids are at it again. Or maybe it's that alphabet federation gimmick of theirs (along with the acronymic empty suits of the other imaginary federations.) Anyway, Paris-Chantilly is being touted as a preview of the coming "new" 2014 MS. (Among other things.) Why, they will have the teams in the CPL shake hands in front of the grandstand after each match from now on--er, just like it's done in the PSP. But this next part is really exciting; D1 & D2 finals will be played on the CPL field so they will be seen on the webcast--er, just like it's done in the PSP. So okay maybe it's not completely new but it's new to the Millennium. Like that used car your dad once bought, not really new but new to you.
The really big news however is that this event (Paris-Chantilly) will be the first ever really truly honest-to-goodness legit World Cup. You read that right. A World Cup event! Pretty exciting. As opposed, I suppose, to that pretender that's been called World Cup for a coupl'a decades now (or thereabouts) every October in Florida that draws 300 plus teams from around the planet. If you're like me and struggling a little bit to understand what's happening you can get the scoop from the EPBF's Facebook page and/or this timely YouTube video. Should clear everything right up--only it doesn't really.
One must admire the EPBF's determination to be relevant as they (apparently) attempt to usurp all paintball authority on a global scale but simply saying it's so doesn't actually make it so. If it did the Millennium might--here I go again--have a rulebook.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
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22 comments:
Maybe it's a nations world cup coming next year - since all the jerseys in the video are national jerseys?
That would - in fact - make it the first "real" world cup in paintball, rather than this american tendency to call any national championship a "world something" ;)
Be that as it may, since both PSP and MS started playing 5-man race-to, it never made sense to call the European season ender a world cup (before it was the "7-man World Cup").
I am a huge fan of PSP, and we all know what country dominates this sport. But I am pretty worried that someone at this level would make this comment.
The "World Cup" that we play in florida is not a REAL World Cup.
Real sports, like the ones that are at the olympics usually have the best of each nation represent their country.
World cups are usually held in different countries.
Federations are usually involved in selecting the players for their country. And goverment support enables the growth of some of these sports and funds the development of elite athletes.
A world cup is NOT 300 teams with crazy ass names PAYING to play the best tournament in the country.
So, like it or not, what the euros are aiming for is close to a world cup than what goes down in Polk City or Disney has ever been.
Yes, we got the best teams, but you could think of it like soccer (that dwarfs Football viewership ), where european clubs are dominant (PSP Pro Bracket) dominate but when it comes a Word Cup they don't go and make their own. They abide by a federation and each country cherry picks a number of players to represent their nation.
Usually i love reading your post. But this was was far from an educated opinion and more of a sample of how some americans are to what goes down in the rest of the world.
Anon (Juan Bermudez)
Juan, thanks for the "lesson" but you fail to grok a simple reality. By your own definition and objections to the PSP's "World Cup" the exact same applies to the MS laying claim to Paris-Chantilly being the first true "World Cup" so you might want to go tell them the same thing about arrogant Americans.
True... but if the europeans attempt to make a real World Cup for nations teams in 2014 - is that then the real "World Cup"?
The European "World Cup" is Euro dominated with some outliers from other areas of the world. The US "World Cup" is US dominated with some outliers from other areas of the world.
I've thought for a long time it sure would be nice if we modeled after the Ski World Cup where every event is the "World Cup" and there are 8 separate legs of the World Cup in different nations/venues.
Paintball being the larger team sport that it is makes the scale and scope (8 major events across 8 nations) impossible.
But having a team that plays in the Paintball World Cup is surely more impressive than the PSP or the Millennium (or EPBF).
The nonsense of having the "best of" nation teams that mimic soccer is just that - nonsense. You don't have to pattern after futbol.
Of course, there is a qualifying aspect in the FIS Ski World Cup.
What's actually making the euro event an "official" world cup?
1 That it's organised by a private for-profit organisation (MS) on behalf of another private (and by all signs also a for-profit) organisation called the UPBF/EPBF?
2. That participating national teams need to pay in order to participate and purchase the only approved piece of clothing from yet another private organisation which just so happens to be owned by one of the principal owners of the league and the private "governing" organisation...
3 That the private umbrella organisation touting itself as "paintball's governing body" is not recognized by any government in any capacity?
4. That the umbrella organisation is "made up" of members who themselves are private and unrecognised associations or organisations and that some of them are effectively "for-profit" and have been created as such?
Yeah, that sure makes this the official world cup...
You guys are missing the points.
It doesn't matter who organises - it would be really interesting to see a real nations world cup.... not a series, just 1 event a year.
Weird comment that is is "nonsense" to mimic soccer btw....
...first of all, most sports have nations world cups.... you have to be borderline seclusive to not know that.
Secondly, what's nonsense about putting together the best of each nation, to play such an event?
Who wouldn't like to see the russians face off against team USA?
Or Canada vs France - or a number of other interesting clashes.
I'd rather watch the NBA finals than the Olympics Gold final.
Same for the World Series.
Yes yes, you may say those are "American" sports. Well, you could accuse paintball of the same thing.
As far as I'm concerned we have the very best playing in the PSP 5 times a year. I don't need to see more fake drama to make it exciting.
However... I can see the marketing potentially for ginning up some good ol' time nationalism.
Again, Soccer is the primary World Cup people think of and it's just not a valid comparison.
Why is "soccer" a less valid comparison than basketball or Baseball?
- And why you would assume it would be "fake" drama - I don't know.
You might as well say the Olympics are fake drama, because none of the participants in teams sports, compete on their commercial club teams.
As for "old time nationalism" - I have no idea what you refer to.... if that was a real concern, anywhere, there would not be nations world cups in any sport.
The most important consideration is I'd rather watch the top Us teams compete with a couple top nonUS teams in a great competition than watch one dream team from Us one RL team and a few other decent teams and a bunch of scrubs.
A key facet of the Football/Soccer World Cup is that it's a tournament between the best competitors on the planet. Instead of the best players in each country being split amongst various club teams, the best players in each country compete against the best players from other countries, and things are balanced enough that each country's team is a super-team.
It doesn't work like that in paintball. If there's a US team, it'll win, unless the Russians have a great event. If there isn't a US team, the tournament is a sham.
So either way it's a sham. The US fans don't consider it a real event and other country's fans have no chance of winning.
This would be an awesome time for some creative peeps on either side to cut competing "We Are the World Cup" music videos, but what could possibly rhyme with, "arrogant Americans"?
Now now, you can't blame the Millennium for not having a rule book. They've spent all their time on the sponsors book, which lists all the bribes, er, sponsorship fees a company must pay to either allow their equipment to be used or to allow another paying sponsor to sell their equipment on site. But on the flip side every company pays the fee anyway and the player still play without a rulebook so maybe they're doing something right?
Pretty naiv to say that the US team will win.... and sure the russians are the top team in Europe, doesnt mean Germany, UK, France, Sweden, Norway ect should be counted out.
And PSP is a perfect example the stacking good guns doesnt always win the tournament. Sure it helps, but it doesnt take you all the way.
Oh the outrage. How could anyone try to claim the 'Real World Cup' when Jerry Braun spent so much money protecting the name.
But that's all it is - a name that Jerry decided to call his event in order to try to attract more teams.
A true world cup would feature national teams. That's a given. Anyone arguing that a World Cup should not feature national teams is wrong, or does not understand the definition of the term. There is a world outside of the US. Trust me it's there..
Not that the MS should have a World Cup either, but at least they are recognising what the term 'World Cup' means.
No amount of xenophobic national pride is going to change the definition of the term.
I think the US would win for sure. No doubt. But there are plenty of sports dominated by nations. It is the task of the other nations competing to raise their game.
Actually, Missy, they're not, which is the point. The MS has already had its "World Cup" by your conventional Eurocentric definition when they had their Nations Cup at London. There won't be anything World Cup-like at Chantilly-Paris contrary to their claims--or yours.
I don't think Missy was putting a stamp of approval on what is going on in Chantilly next month, whatever that may be.
I just think he was (and rightly so), commenting on what the term "World Cup" means.... and indeed what it should mean, in paintball also.
Hey Missy, given your expertise and skillset, maybe you could answer this:
Just how big a cup does the world need?
Is it one size fits all?
Or does it change each year depending on which nation wins?
Great Question Ken.
I think it should be about 7' tall, made of Crystal, and weigh around 50lbs.
I think it should be held during the current 'world cup' as that's the largest event with the most attendance. Ideally (to fit with other models) it would change continents each year and hopefully stimulate growth in emerging markets through this exposure, but I think that's a bit far fetched and not at all practical.
Loco, I didn't make any claims. But if I was going to make a claim, I would claim that you're awesome for sending me my shirt - Thanks!
A world Cup should be a stand alone event.
It will always hard to succesfully do a nations cup during a major event - as it will always end up being a side show, and you will have players refusing to play, to save strength for their primary teams.
For other sports, the national teams usually get a chance to practice together. Would there be much chance for that in paintball, or would the players be too busy with their obligations to their teams? In soccer there are plenty of friendly matches and qualifying tournaments, there is just not the time or money for that in paintball. With little to no practice time, would a 'US all star' team be better than the top PSP team or would they make enough mistakes from not being used to playing together? Would the 'national' team end up just being the top lines from the top teams, or basically an existing team in tact with a couple of fill-in players from other teams?
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