Friday, January 13, 2012

Major League War!

It's on! Sometime today, in all likelihood, the NPPL will be announcing the coup that will bring former NXL Commissioner--and current PSP Pro field supervisor--Tony Mineo over to the NPPL. It is rumored that some number of the support staff and referees (from the pro field) will also make the move. If this at first seems like a response to the PSP hiring of Tom Cole, it isn't. The NPPL seems to have convinced itself that Tom was "stolen" away from them by the PSP. Just like the PSP "stole" Camille Lemanski away from them last year. It isn't true. In either case. Tom quit. The antecedents of Tom's decision to leave the NPPL date back at least to the DC event last year. And the NPPL wasn't paying Camille her contracted salary when she left--and hadn't for some months. (Look, I don't care if everybody denies any or all of this. What else would you expect?)
This move, timing aside, was originally considered as a way to resolve reffing problems in the NPPL given that the general consensus has been for some time that the PSP's pro refs (and staff) were the best in the business. Cole's move may have precipitated the NPPL's push to make this happen right now but it isn't or wasn't a new idea. It is rumored that the NPPL has not only offered Mineo a pile of cheese but also an ownership stake (better get that in writing, Tony) and autonomy in organizing and overseeing the officiating of NPPL events. It is rumored but unsubstantiated that part of the deal was to pull as many of the PSP trained refs over as possible.
As a practical matter this is apparently a lucrative deal for those making the switch and will almost certainly improve the quality of the officiating--at least on the center court field--if enough of the PSP refs also make the move. As a business move it may or may not make sense. That will depend on what the real dollar numbers are and whether it has any impact on NPPL participation (and/or the league's reputation.) It is an effort to purchase competence in an area where the NPPL was weak. It is also certainly intended to be a PR coup as well. And lastly it must be seen as an attempt to weaken the competition.
Will it effectively change anything? Time will tell. The NPPL fields are different with some key different props. None of those making the move have any experience organizing and running the Millennium style of play. And neither Mineo or his staff developed or trained the refs initially. At this point it's a grand experiment.
The existence of two major leagues has been a sharp debate in recent years and whatever else anyone thought of either league they offered, between them, more options for the players. Those days are ending--at least with regards to these two particular leagues. Intended or not this move by the NPPL is a declaration of war and it won't be over until one or both of the current major leagues is finished. It would behoove the players and teams to think long and hard about what they want and what they hope for in a major league paintball future and decide accordingly. Except of course the paintball half life of too many making such decisions is so short they won't (and don't) know what is potentially at stake. As VFTD as been saying for some time it is the industry that will have to choose--and it is no longer a choice they can put off. Choose wisely.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope Tony is getting s pile of cash out of this deal. If not, he's entirely underestimating the level of bullshit he's about to have to deal with.

How do you get an ownership stake in a company that doesn't exist?

dan. said...

and on a Friday the 13th to boot!

Anonymous said...

Isn't the whole point of NPPL supposed to be that it's "owned by the players" and thus if the league does well, the teams will benefit?

How much of the league can be given away to the officials, or the fields running the events for free, or the one or two people putting in all the cash, before it's not a players' league anymore?

Don Saavedra said...

All I can say is this is a real coup for the NPPL. Tony is a pro.

Anonymous said...

Sucks for PSP

Anonymous said...

Not sure how much it sucks for PSP. Since NPPL would have had to make a much better offer than PSP to get Tony to switch, that means NPPL just put a big fat hole in their own budget. I guess if you're already in a deep hole, what's a little deeper going to do to you?

Anon #17 said...

Tony is gonna break a leg (literally). Considering the "professionalism" of the NPPL refs, I doubt Tony is gonna put up with the shit of guys like Dan Perez (is that guy still there btw?).
On one hand, it definitely sucks for the PSP, but it's gonna be even worse for the NPPL. I expect blood and tears in HB! BOI I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Reiner Schafer said...

Anon, that's a predicament every business finds itself in every now and then. You know the saying, "you need money to make money". The NPPL has apparently been faltering. One of the big complaints has been the officiating. Therefore the NPPL has to look at ways to better that situation. Which ever route they decide to go, to make things better, is probably going to cost money. Not spending the money means the situation doesn't get better and your customers stay dissatisfied. So what does a business (in this case the NPPL) do? Spend money in the hopes of turning things around, or leave them be and watch things go downhill further?

The big question ends up being, is it even possible to spend your way out of trouble?

Anonymous said...

It's probably not possible to spend your way out, because there simply isn't money to be made running national-level paintball tournaments.

What happens when Bart and Jeffs kids lose interest in paintball and they go home?

"Find kids with rich dads who want to be pro" is not a long-term business model. How much damage to the sport are these kids going to cause before they lose their interest?

Because that's what's happening... "You won't give me what I want so I'm going to spend a bunch of my money making sure we all lose."

Wonder what Tony is going to do when he gets his first "Give me the call I want or you're fired" tantrum from Bart.

CadeX said...

Damn you Baca! You know I want to comment so bad.

Anonymous said...

Feels Like to me that nppl just took out the trash for psp , .. good luck psp u r better off for let theses two ( red eye, and little napoleon) go

Anonymous said...

Cade u know I love yah brotha...
Saunders

Anonymous said...

I think Tony will get a grip on the refs and with some help from the PSP refs I am sure there will be an improvement in the NPPL's officiating, not to mention some better rules and a more consistent outcome for reffing decisions.
Not sure what Tom can bring to the PSP. Tom's an airsoft guy now, so he will get some contacts for those sales, plus he will be able to sign up teams for the UWL. Wait - are the PSP paying Tom to be there or is it the other way around?

Anonymous said...

For NPPL reffing, there is no place to go but up....

Anonymous said...

I love how when camille and tom left it was said to be on their own free will because the NPPL was just a shitty league. Then these people who have managed the NPPL for years (and NPPL management is always talked about as being terrible) are now going to make a positive difference in the PSP. Then Tony joins the NPPL and its only because the NPPL stole him. haha. Paul and the entire psp fanboys are so far up their own ass it's insane.

Baca Loco said...

Dustin
You need to stop huffing glue. It's causing you to see things that aren't there. Nowhere did I suggest that anybody "stole" anybody on either side.
PS--the only pathetic fanboy around here is, er, you. :) Keep (trying) to read. Maybe you can ask a fifth grader for some help.

CadeX said...

I just figured out who benefits the most from Mineo moving to the NPPL...

Pops

Baca Loco said...

Yep, chaos may ensue.