Millennium 15

Before commenting on the latest from Euroland I have a confession to make. Like you I too live vicariously through my favorite players' lives and desperately wanted (and waited) to make this post about the latest move from the Beast, Dave Bains--but sadly somebody is procrastinating--and for once it ain't me. Btw, I call dibs on Dave's life, it's mine. You need to choose somebody else. It would be perfect except I'm not a huge fan of curry.
The Mills kids are making a big deal of this being their 15th season, as well they might, it's as good a number as any other. Impressively they have not been sitting around drinking schnapps this holiday season, they've been planning to be bigger and better than ever. All their dates and venues are set with the first three mirroring last season's locations. Alas, "the greatest venue ever" at Chantilly will not host the final event this year, instead it will be somewhere in the metro Paris area closer to Charles de Gaulle than Orly.
Last season saw the first *real* World Cup fortuitously made up of national teams of players already present plus a truckload of other EPBF championships like the Women's, the Boy's and no doubt a couple of others. But that wasn't good enough. For this very special season 15 the Mills has added more. As a locked division the old D1 will be renamed SPL 2 while D2 & D3 will become Open D1 & D2. (Seems to me that sort of change tends to water down the meaning of making such distinctions--been stuck in D2 for years?--consider yourself D1 as of today--but then I'm a snobby old purest I guess.) Added to that will be a 5-man division plus a smattering of other formats like a 1-on-1 championship, Tactical Formula, Woodland, Pump and 3-man competitions. A little something for everyone the only thing missing is a competition for the non-player--perhaps best Old Skool gat collection? Despite my tongue-in-cheek treatment it's clear the MS are making a considerable effort to improve and expand their offering and from a player's point of view how can that be a bad thing?
I have only one question: Would the MS have made the same effort over the last two or three years without the looming threat of PSP Euroland? (I am not saying such a thing exists, in fact while we've all heard about the possibility of PSP Euroland in recent years it has mostly been characterized by its lack of actually happening. And any real possibility is way above my pay grade thankfully.) My point is, like it or not, and from every league's perspective it's not, competition improves the breed. Even imaginary competition and there's a certain amusing irony in there somewhere.