Spamalot?

Not really. Just once in a while. Innocently even, as it happens. But regardless--

It seems I have--once again*--fallen foul of the watchful guardians of PBN in my latest effort at self-promotion. (Rats, foiled again.) I posted a reminder in each of the pro forums (mostly) encouraging them to take advantage of the Pro*files opportunity and that, unlike the magazines of the past, I wasn't going to seek them out--I was just making the opportunity to participate available to anyone or team who wanted to get involved.

This was deemed to be spam and removed, except for the first of the posts. So Aftermath has the original post still up in their forum but I'm not stalking them. Honest. (Btw, how's that gonna work now that Aftermath is officially not a pro team anymore?) And about the spam business--I'm sure by PBN's definition is was spam--but it was also an effort to inform and provide an opportunity to the pro players and teams--not PBN. So there you have it, I'm a (dirty, rotten) spammer.

And, big picture, without rules everything descends into chaos and anarchy and we can't have that, now can we? So for those inclined to think PBN autocratic or just plain silly, remember, they are our first line of defense against the collapse of civilization.

* I was banned once for quoting a mod

In other VFTD "news" I expect to get around to the new classification system and some other PSP related items this coming week along with a new playing the game feature--I'm thinking maybe something about playing the snake.

Tired of the same old energy drinks?

Had enough Monster to last you a lifetime? Bawls give you a little tingle you won't admit to? All partied like a Rockstar out? Then maybe it's time to release your inner dork--he's not all that inner anyway, is he?--and start drinking the unique Dungeons & Dragons brew from Jones.

With fantastic flavors like Illithid Brain Juice and Bigby's Crushing Thirst Destroyer fatigue doesn't stand a chance. As a pure cane soda it delivers that instant sugar high your lack of physical fitness demands and better still it guarantees that hypoglycemic crash later on. And for those teams and players desperately seeking specialness you can custom order your own private label; like Team Space Squids, complete with custom art.

VFTD--helping ballers spend their paintball cash wisely since 2008.

Pro*file: Billy Bernacchia

Name: Billy Bernacchia

Age: 23

Hometown: Milford CT

Occupation (student): Working at planet eclipse

Family (brothers, sisters, pets, whatever): Only child

General interests other than paintball: Working out, making money, snowboarding, racquetball, going out with friends.

1. What was your first paintball experience and who introduced you to the game?

2001 I watched the neighborhood kids playing behind my house. My father took me to our local paintball store and bought me my first marker. After that I played in the wood in my area for a while and was hooked, then started going to organized fields working hard towards my dream of one say being a professional.

2. What team do you play for now?

I have just signed with Team Vicious for 2010.

3. What teams have you played for in the past?

Hogans Alley Factory D1, Doc's Raider's, NE Hurricanes, SD Aftermath, Avalanche

4. What role do you play on your current team?

I believe I will continue to play the snake on my new team. Vicious being new to the pro league I plan use my experience to help teach them as much as I can about what it take to be pro.

5. Who helped you become the player you are?

Let's see, Jeff Stein has helped me out alot over the years. Paul Richards coaching on the Raiders was a big learning experience as well. I've also learned from players like Frank Connell and Mike Hinman.

6. Who are your favorite paintball players?

The younger players with the drive and dedication it take to be on the top.

7. What’s your best paintball experience or memory?

Playing in the 2005 NPPL Miami event being filmed by ESPN in my first year of pro.

8. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done in order to play paintball?

Back in the day I was at hogans alley and it was pouring out one day and I covered my gun in plastic bags and tape so it wouldn't get wet... cause I really wanted to play.... didn't work so well.

9. What advice would you give a new player who hopes to one day play pro?

Practice every chance you get keep learning from the pros and always believe.

10. I'ma little short, could you front me a couple of bills until Phoenix? You know I'm good for it, right?

haha...

Is that a no, Billy? Thanks anyway and best of luck this year.

Recent Recruits

It's Friday and that means it's time to recognize the latest recruits to the Deadbox Puppet Army. (Of course, this is also the first Friday in quite a while I actually remembered in time. It's not that it's unimportant, just that I'm easily distracted.)

As always I encourage y'all to drop me a line or post up some more info about yourselves in the comments and--as always--I won't hold my breath waiting. Like the French Foreign Legion, VFTD gladly accepts all those suffering the paintballin' jones, no questions asked. (It brings us one step closer to our secret ambition, world domination!)

This week, or thereabouts (I think I missed last week altogether) VFTD is pleased to welcome Tom Harding, Tommy (Gun) Pemberton, Foolybear & (Some call him ...) Jeff. Tommy Gun is a founding--or is that foundling?--member of UK powerhouse Nexus who recently announced his retirement on advice of his doctors. It was too soon as he's too young but no doubt all his fans hold out hope for the future. VFTD wishes Tommy all the best. And doubtless many of you need no introduction to Jason "Foolybear" Lineburger, scenario sensation, who has stepped out of the woods long enough to hang out us now and again. Thanks one and all.

Back-to-back Mr. Curious

Last month in an 'Interesting Times' post VFTD passed along the rumor that JT Sports set to close by Feb. 1, 2010, in part, because a negotiation to sell (merge) (partner) (euphemism of choice) had fallen through. This was met by denials, assorted threatening phone calls, a guilt trip and a partridge in a pear tree. Within a few days the quasi-official word received from JT headquarters by the diligent investigative reporters at Ballers Cafe claimed JT Sports on the block, er, looking for a partner.

Shortly thereafter the rumor mill was grinding out the possibility that KEE was interested in picking up JT Sports. Today Mr. C says that a press release on the acquisition of JT Sports by KEE is forthcoming, possibly tomorrow and certainly within a day or two. (As always take Mr. C's rumorology with a grain a salt as he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about half the time. /sarcasm)

Mr. Curious

The latest rumorology claims Severe paintball is kaput. No indication of such at their website (or anywhere else a quick Google search can reach) but that is the word, and it's spreading like wildfire in certain quarters. If accurate and another paint manufacturer is gone how long will it be before the remaining companies start raising their prices?

Mr. C also insists there is continuing chaos inside procaps after the purge of employees with long-standing ties to the paintball community. He can't offer chapter and verse--but he is prepared to swear to it on the religious document of your choice up to and including the Watchtower tract that nice pair of elderly ladies gave him last Thursday. It looks like a cash flow problem (at least in part) and there are other rumors of more changes coming in the distribution network.

The State of Sponsorship

Unlike the upcoming State of the Union soon to be teleprompted by POTUS across the network television spectrum I'ma keep this one short and to the point. Five years ago any team that didn't have their sponsorship in place by the beginning of January was either getting picked up for pennies on the dollar or not getting picked up at all. This year it took Dynasty (DYNASTY!) until just recently to get their principle deal done.

The AXB What?

VFTD was going to post the first Pro*file today but (as per usual) I've been distracted by the sudden exit of the AXBL a week (or so) after they released their 2010 schedule (and the usual suspects began complaining about this and that--but, of course, that's paintball.) [Team numbers appear to have been on the decline for whatever that's worth and there was a petulant quality to their au revoir. On the other hand I hear the AXBL didn't really make much of a profit and, as seems to be the case these days, it all breaks down to the cash to be had, or not, in paint. Go figure.] Anyway, I am not here to praise or bury the AXBL, it had some laudable qualities and some parochial qualities and in some respects I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did.

Let's talk xball--and I'm not talking 'bout that format-formerly-known-as-xball for pansies either. Last bastion of "real" xball, that's what the AXBL was. (Yeah, I know they still play it in the CXBL but that's Canada so it doesn't really count.) Of course it wasn't exactly the same as "real" xball. The rules were a bit different and they played with a ROF limit. Everybody knows "real" xball was "real" semi-auto. Trust me, I'm the ultimate fan of true xball and I would love to see it make a come back. And who knows? Maybe one day it will. In the meantime I'm not sure if 7 or 8 "real" xball matches a season is worth it. The NXL tried that too--we played a few more matches too--but it's just more fun to win events on the way to World Cup.

I'm also a fan of local and regional tourney ball as the appropriate developmental scene for competitive paintball and the AXBL seemed to do that pretty well. And it was clever to take advantage of the Canada/America thing to have a season ending league championship in each league and then a North American slugfest. As a result a regional league played bigger than it was and promoted a certain pride of competition. But wouldn't it be better if it really was a North American championship? Or even bigger than that? If an opportunity existed to compete at a local or regional level during the year in order to earn a spot in a real championship that included the top regional teams in identical leagues from around the country and beyond?

That's the hope and promise of the new alignment between a number of regional leagues and the PSP. Okay, so maybe it isn't "real" xball. It's still pretty damn good. And a season of competition has a lot of winners and losers on the road to a local title and, who knows, a real honest-to-goodness championship that proves who the best divisional teams really are.

The AXBL will be missed but bigger and better is in sight. But it ain't all cookies and milk. Fact is there probably won't be a place for everybody. Oh, not teams and players--I mean promoters and local leagues. Making the move the PSP and the affiliated regionals have undertaken has risks but if it succeeds it will marginalize all the other grassroots series and events. Why play local without the opportunity to prove yourself on a national scale when it's readily available to anyone with the desire to be their best? Fingers crossed. It could be a bumpy ride.

UPDATE: Looking for an immediate alternative to the AXBL? Check out the NYPL.

Not Exactly The Monday Poll

Call it making up for pulling the day's scheduled post. Call it morbid curiosity. But heads are beginning to roll. Another batch of pro-ranked players are soon to fall by the wayside. (And one reason VFTD wants to do Pro*files but you lazy slackers need to help me out.) Pro-ranked but without a pro team to play for.

You might even consider this the new year's first Another Cynical VFTD Game although this one cuts a little too close to home for me to be entirely flippant. I don't like to see players lose their opportunities or the list of active pro players shrink while the ranks of the ronin continue to grow. But like it or not, it's happening. It's also another step towards making the final team cuts of the pre-season. About now more than a few teams are also coming to grips with the reality that if they don't sponsorship deals in hand odds are the music has stopped and that didn't get the last chair.

So here's the game: Part One--name that cut (who's out and who's in?)
Part Two--Who is gonna be PSP pro at Phoenix? Who is gonna be PSP semi-pro at Phoenix?
How many make it to World Cup?

Bonus credit--how many teams register for HB? (And will the event happen?)

Redacted

Sorry, kids. I've pulled the post. First time. Hopefully the last time. It has nothing to do with inimical external forces pressuring poor old Baca--or with any embarrassing error in the content. It is related to an internal team issue and that's about the only thing that would make me pull a post.

For those who want to know what it was all about I'll try to remember to re-post it when it no longer matters.

T minus 90 and counting

The PSP is considering cutting the time between points to 90 seconds on the pro field and possibly on the semi-pro field if (or when) a second field is required. There, I said it. (Or typed it. Or keyed it. Whatever.) I think most of the possible pro teams are already aware of this. If they weren't, they are now. (Btw, if this post is seen as an untimely [premature] comment on an unconfirmed but likely change I completely understand. That would be a incorrect assessment but I would understand.

We are less than two months out and teams are making roster moves and settling in for the grind leading up to the Phoenix event. It is time to talk about this.)The thing is pro rosters are tentatively limited to 9 (as of today.) Even that hasn't been decided but one of the possible scenarios that might change a mind or two is how this 90 second turnaround works in practice. (While the PSP has done a terrific job with a very full plate this off season this is one area where we's being left hanging so if there's nothing to be done this minute we can at least talk about it--and that's what I'm doing.) [Complaint forms need to be filed in triplicate.] So best I can tell those that know are expected to see how 90 seconds works with a 9 player roster and we'll go from there. Now that may sound reasonable to some but it's really not.

UPDATE: Okay, the league made the change to a 10 man pro roster but neglected to inform--at least my team--that they'd made the change sometime during the last week or so.

There are a couple of problems with this plan. There are not a lot of practice fields that simulate a tourney prepped format-formerly-known-as-xball field with pits and dual air stations. We don't have one and I have only seen and practiced on one (er, two)--ever. (Trauma at PBC Greensboro.) (Okay, not completely accurate, the Raiders had a complete field set-up but it didn't really matter then.) Doesn't mean there aren't others but it might be interesting to ask the other teams if they will have a pre-event opportunity to actually practice on the "right" field. And, of course, this also presumes you can simulate a "real" match environment in practice--which you can't.It would be nice to think all the pro teams are so well prepared, organized and supplied with resources that they will have no problem with 25% less time between points while maintaining turnarounds, pit efficiency, player clean up, paint loading, air fills, and prepping the next point to be played in between running back and forth across the field half the time--but are they? Are they really? In a scenario where competitive paintball is struggling to keep the pro game intact where is the value in placing an unnecessary and untried additional burden on the actual play of the game. It doesn't make any rational sense at all.

Now I'm not suggesting the league keep the two minute break and whatever is decided is what we'll do our best to prepare for. What I'm actually suggesting is a simple roster move to a max of 10 players and call it a day. Any team that chooses to play with less is welcome to but 10 players allows the option of two complete lines which removes the necessity of having player(s) on the turnaround and negates the biggest concerns about the move to 90 seconds. It seems pretty simple to me. A lot simpler than discovering after it's too late that a nearly pointless rule is ruining the competition. For those wondering if the 90 second rule will affect them--don't ask me--I know nothing!

Burning Question

Does anybody have a Draxxus paint sponsorship this year?

Are Your Team Priorities In Order?

It would be nice to think no one reading this needs to worry about this post but I know it isn't true. (And you will too. Even if it doesn't apply to you you will immediately recognize other teams with this problem.) Most of the time everyone involved in a struggling team knows something isn't working but they can't figure out what it is. For the lucky ones it's as simple as having their priorities out of whack. And as we's still in the preseason there's time for those folks to get their house in order.

Before things get too serious I want to tell y'all a story. Back when I was wet behind the ears I was playing 10-man tourney ball in the woods. From an individual skills point of view our team had solid players. We worked hard on our field-walking, both analyzing the fields and deciding how to attack whichever end of the field we started on (as even the best woods fields were often horribly unbalanced) and we would walk through our breakouts (an aggressive run would frequently go further than the length of any modern field) know our primaries, the likely paths of our opponents, our shooting lanes and on and on. But when the games were played we often got stuck in the mid-game and couldn't close games out. In hindsight it's easy to see that our plan(s) held us back because we focused all our efforts on fulfilling the plan but the plan wasn't the goal. The goal was to win.

In the modern game that particular problem still occurs but there are lots of others that can also get in the way of success--and just about all of them are important ingredients in building a successful, winning team. For example, one of the first lessons taught is staying alive. But what happens if too much emphasis is placed on staying alive? It's easy for players to become extremely defensive as they focus too much of their effort and attention on staying alive. It becomes a hindrance to successful competition--even though it is an necessary skill. And it can be enormously frustrating sometimes to try and figure out what's wrong because everything being taught and demanded is correct.

Perhaps the most common failure is to call yourselves a team but act like a bunch of individuals. It is particularly difficult to overcome because so much of the development involved in building a team is at the player level. (This topic probably merits its own post.) The foundation of a team begins with accountability and shared responsibility. As a practical example, let's say Joe can't make snake off the break and Bob keeps getting bunkered out of the Dorito 50. To make it Joe's and Bob's fault is contrary to effective team building. If Bob keeps getting bunkered where is Bob's support? If no one is responsible for protecting Bob it's not his fault, particularly if his job is to work the cross field angles working for eliminations. And if Joe is struggling to make the snake what can the team do to make him more effective? To expect Joe to act independently of his teammates is not how a team functions.

The balancing act required is accomplished by having your priorities in order. Here's a simple order that might help put things into their proper perspective. Technique--Skills--Players--Team--Tactics--Winning. Now I do not mean to suggest that plans or plays are more important than your players--only that the tactics employed function best on a team level. Nor do I intend to suggest winning is more important than personal relationships for example--only that the first priority of successful competitive paintball is to win and that is the page everyone involved in the team ought to understand and be on. Teach technique to improve skills to make better players who function as a unit for the shared goal of winning paintball. When any aspect of the process is out of order or under or over valued it reduces the prospects for success.

The Pro Team of the Future

Picking up where I left off here it's time to kick around a few ideas on how pro teams of the (near) future may be structured apart from the inconsistent generosity of a flagging industry. While I haven't devoted nearly enough time to working it all out--it's rather a big problem--we can at least make a start of it. There are two basic beginning points; dependent on paintball and independent of paintball. Those independent of paintball have resources that make it possible to operate a team regardless of conditions within paintball. Teams like Arsenal, Impact & Damage. And, ideally, teams that have some dependence on paintball would also have some independent elements as well--it's not an either/or--but the models for today's post fall into the dependent category. And by dependent I don't mean on sponsorship of the so-called "free ride" industry largesse that is rapidly disappearing. I mean in terms of sponsorship principally in the form of discounts and reciprocal commercial relationships regardless of team structure. (And for players the future is, in part, coming to terms with lowered expectations.)

The four models I want to discuss are team as brand, the club team, the coop team and the regional team.

Team as brand is really just a more sophisticated version of the traditional concept of a pro team as a high profile marketing tool that relies on the success and popularity of the team to promote and sell associated product. And while I think there's opportunity to be exploited with this concept I wonder about the longer term utility. Two aspects of the branding ethos into paintball culture strike me as problematic. In particular the tourney demographic is fickle and prone to transitory bandwagoneering. Or in this case, 'brand'wagoneering. The critical mass of wide scale popularity is usually short-lived. Once gained it can be lost for no definable reason. The other is authenticity or at least the perception of being authentic. Team as brand only has value as long as it endows the associated products with the brand's popularity. And a large piece of paintball popularity is a product of perceived uniqueness and "keeping it real." If at any time the general perception shifts to seeing a purely commercial arrangement it undercuts the brand and brand appeal. And in a team's case being successful is a necessary component, especially early on. All the successfully branded team requires is on field success, a hook that captures the public imagination, an ability to manipulate the current media environment, hard work and a little luck. So, while team branding has potential it seems to me to be an extension of the conventional wisdom and an insufficient foundation as a stand alone over any extended period. At least in the present environment.

The club team is a mega-team organization, usually (so far) of the vertical team variety--individual teams competing in different divisions (not against each other) so that there are opportunities to move up (or down) the ladder of competition and remain with the same organization. The club team's operating baseline is similar to that of the field team except the club team or its owner operate a paintball business to support the team.

The coop team is like the club team except it relies on team numbers to negotiate sponsorship deals and/or pricing discounts that reduce player costs and also probably requires dues.

In both cases numbers provide more security in terms of team continuity, a wider talent pool to draw from, a larger buying pool and depending on the structural details offers a lot more flexibility in adjusting to the changing paintball scene as well as the details of how each squad is supported. And, of course, most examples will overlap. For example, there is nothing keeping these team formulations from working the branding angle or the club team from requiring dues like the coop team. The fundamental feature these team formations share is a mega-team base structure.

The regional (or league) team is a variation on the same theme designed as both an additional incentive to participation in the regional league as well as a means of building regional pride and unity with a flagship team to represent all the players and teams in that region. There are potentially issues in pulling players from league teams but it's not particularly different from if the league promoters also ran a team separate from the league. Who knows, someone may run a league in order to support a team. A regional superteam could also have a step up in branding value as well as serve as the league's ambassadors with clinics, coaching and even reffing.

All these team types share a continuing core reliance on the commerce of paintball. More when you or I come up with some good ideas.

Eye of the Storm

Today's post was supposed to be about pro teams of the future. I didn't get it done so maybe tomorrow.
Instead, here's a preview of what may be coming in the clash of the bunker behemoths, Sup'Air vs. Ultimate Air. Sure, there was the recent war of words and a thread or two filled with lots of largely worthless guesswork, jingoistic bluster and a non-responsive retort aimed at winning the public opinion sweepstakes--but what else are forums for? And then everything in the public eye went silent. Silent but not over. Not by a long shot. Because whatever anybody says when comparing the two brands Adrenaline Games holds a major advantage in market share. One Brimstone is unlikely to overcome as long as the largest percentage of tournament paintball uses Sup'Air.

On the speculation front I doubt any of the parties have the resources to litigate and a decision to go that route would be the equivalent of going all in playing Texas hold 'em. You win or you lose and a good bluff can be as good as the best cards.

As a matter of educated guesswork it would seem like a better option for Brimstone to pursue breach of contract of the licensing agreement. Should it ever come to it Brimstone probably has cause to include the major leagues (and the PSP specifically) in a patent infringement suit. And speaking of infringement if commercial use of a similar bunker system can be demonstrated prior to the original filing the patent is void. But what appears to be the key to the patent is the tie down system so it may be that any inflatable bunker with a different tie down system isn't subject to the patent.

Anyway, this situation isn't finished. UA has the next move.