Special Friday Edition: Monday Poll in Review

I'm gonna  say it right upfront. I'm a little disappointed. In the voter turnout picking a D1 winner for PSP Phoenix, that is. Yeah, it was a short week but if you want more divisional content you gotta do your part--like vote. Otherwise what am to think? Your apathy and general laziness might just convince me I'm wasting valuable blog space showing any love to the div kids. Just saying.
Of course a poll like this might, not unreasonably, be considered as much a referendum on teams and players that read this blog, too. Four teams received no votes. A handful received less than 5% of the vote. The top  vote getter was Topgun U at 32%. Still a lot of faith in their ability to bounce back. Pirates came in second at 17%--and why not? they won a soggy Galveston and they're playing the same layout again in Phoenix. Static was a strong third at 11% after finishing top 4 in Galveston. And despite an unexpectedly poor showing in Texas the VCK kids were fourth at 7%. Rounding out the top half all tied at 5% were L.I.F.T., RNT, NJJ & Tx Storm.
After the first day of play L.I.F.T. & RNT split to finish 1-1 while the hard luck continued for VCK who dropped both their Friday matches by a single point each time. The rest of the top vote getters (plus Fuzion) all went 2-0 today so it looks like Saturday will separate the men from the boys--and maybe even the women from the girls.

Where in the world are the D1 players?

Thought it might be interesting to do an informal check of D1 ranked players currently in D2--after all, that's what happens to former D2 players who get bumped up, right? If they end up teamless they just get picked up to play D2 and obviously it's the best of those players the D2 peeps want, right?
Of the teams currently registered (21) for the NEO 10 of them have D1 ranked players on their rosters. Less than half. And 5 of those only have one D1 ranked player instead of the allowed 2. I also took a look at those players' experience as far as APPA is concerned. 9 of the 15 players have been rostered in 3 or fewer D1 or higher events. (Please note I said rostered. Being rostered doesn't necessarily equate to playing any paintball. For example there is a D1 ranked player currently on a D2 roster who appeared on at least 7 D1 rosters and played fewer cumulative points over those seven events than the average player plays in a single event. Is that really a D1 player?)
Of those 9 players 3 have never been APPA rostered on a D1 or higher team. One was rostered once. Three players were rostered twice and for one of those guys it was once in 06 and once in 07. (Is that really a D1 level player? Really?) And finally the last two appeared on 3 rosters. One of those guys is 37 years old.
60% of the D1 players playing D2 have either zero or damn little actual D1 level experience. And as NEO is the fourth event of the season--always the weakest in terms of participation--that means at the D2 level there is a higher percentage of dedicated teams playing the NEO than at any other event of the year. Kinda makes a mockery of the notion that D1 players are finding a home in D2 and explodes as myth any notion that the best teamless D1 players have anywhere to go except to some other hobby, game or sport.
While not conclusive this data sure looks like it goes at least part of the to validating my analysis of the current structure.

The PSP's Redheaded Stepchild

Otherwise known as D1. No, I'm not saying anything bad about the participating teams--just the lack of teams participating in this division. And I'm asking a question--why, how come, where is everybody? Once upon a time teams aspired to be the best they could be and prove themselves at the highest level possible. Nowadays it seems like the league has to force teams up the ladder of success. What gives?
Perhaps a more relevant question is: Does it matter that D1 struggles to get double digits?
I happen to think it does because I also think it retards movement in the lower divisions and so far the league has addressed these concerns by treating the symptoms and not the cause. IMHO
So what do you think? If lack of D1 participation is a problem what's the solution?
I have a few ideas of my own but you guessed that, right? However, out of the kindness of my heart (and limited time at the mo) I'm giving you first shot. Here's a hint or three, when I address this issue I'll be starting with the APPA classification system and the current PSP rules. And, no, I've got no issues with APPA at all. (Why, oh why the constant suspicion?) It's the best most transparent system there is.
Anyway, first person to solve the D1 Situation gets to be Lane Wright For A Day. What'd'ya mean that's worse than a no prize?