In this the winter of our discontent ... VFTD interrupts the cheap theatrics (and other posts patiently waiting to be posted, like the next installment of Year in Review) for a sobering prediction or two. I actually thought about skipping this one but two things changed my mind. Lots of good sites tell you what's happening but who else will tell you what's happening before it happens? And besides, in a week when the EPA has decided we are all pollutant emitters for the anti-social, anti-environmental behavior called breathing it sorta puts things into perspective, doesn't it?
It turns out last year was just a warm-up. A hint of things to come--and it's coming. And what it is, is bad. PBIndustry struggled last year and has spent much of the off season trying to position itself in light of continuing hard times. Recent rumors on diverse industry fronts tell a tale of digging in in the hope of holding on. For VFTD purposes survival mode within the industry will hit the pro game especially hard. No one familiar with the situation expected things to turn around but I'm not sure many expected things to get worse--and possibly substantially worse. This will hit both team sponsorships and league sponsorship hard.
Last year the PSP began with 13 pro teams. In 2010 I now don't expect more than 8 although the PSP may see about pushing that to 10 by encouraging a team or two intending to play semi-pro to move up. There has been talk about trying to make the pro division more appealing so let's say the combined number of pro and semi-pro teams will total 15 to 18 with or without a NPPL. On the NPPL front I'm wondering if reality is finally settling in as industry players and teams keep putting off making decisions and/or commitments for the coming season. In any event there will not be 16 pro NPPL teams regardless of additions as we rapidly approach the point where Paintball cannot even pretend to support two major leagues. The only thing I'm uncertain about is if I'm being too optimistic.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Recent Enlistments
VFTD would like to welcome recent recruits Matthew Holley and David Merritt to the ranks of the Deadbox Puppet Army. Thanks and don't be strangers.
Our motto is "No Strings Attached." Which may seem a bit odd for a puppet army but just because you're a puppet doesn't mean you have to like it--and can't fight back.
Our motto is "No Strings Attached." Which may seem a bit odd for a puppet army but just because you're a puppet doesn't mean you have to like it--and can't fight back.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
VFTD Interviews Stephen Baldwin
The following is an email interview conducted with Mr. Stephen Baldwin in response to the VFTD post titled, ‘More Pros & Cons.’ In addition to the twenty questions submitted Mr. Baldwin offered an introductory statement which is included. All the questions are in bold. All of Mr. Baldwin's comments are italicized. The content of the complete interview was agreed to by both parties and will hopefully serve to resolve the debate over the original post and give some insight into the current thinking of the Millennium board with respect to the 50 caliber paintball. I have foregone one final round of emails as Mr. Baldwin pronounced himself satisfied with this latest version and because he will be out of office and unavailable for the next 10 days or so and I thought it only fair not to delay his opportunity to be heard on this matter.
I have been in the industry since 1987, firstly as a field operator but predominately as a European Distributor. Through this time I have worked with many people in order to help expand the industry worldwide, whether they were competitors or colleagues, we all could work together constructively. The likes of Jim Lively, Bud Orr, Tim Schloss, Ross Alexander, John Gregory, Marty Tripes, Richmond Italia, Adam & Billy Gardener, Gino Postorivo, Jeff Perlmutter, Laurant Hamet, Bob Long, Ledz, Dave Dehann and many more have all contributed greatly to our industry / sport and its growth. Sadly not many of them are still in the industry and that appears to be to our detriment. Up until a couple of years ago there was always a willingness to work together. Recently this seems to have changed and a much more polarised and litigious industry has emerged. For sure some of this is due to the recession but also the fact that we don't have the ground base of entrepreneurs the industry relies on for new ideas and growth. Today, people with new approaches and ideas seem to have to spend their time defending themselves against those that don't want change for whatever shortsighted reasons they may harbour. In terms of tournament players, I was around during the 12g to CA changes, the Pump / Semi issues. All of these were much bigger than what we are talking about today and the industry made its changes and grew. Right now the growth of new players is at a very low point and the industry as a whole must address this or we wont survive. This is a fact that to argue against is naive and shortsighted. Although I don't consider that my own business arrangements are particularly relevant to the industry I answer the questions posed as follows to the best of my ability.
1. Are you an owner/partner with Mr. Hazeldine in Manic Paintball?
I am one of the minority share holders of Manic Paintball Ltd so is Scott Hazeldine. This information is public knowledge. For information Manic are a trade based company selling only to paintball fields and dealers. Their main product lines are Procaps, VForce & Tippmann. With the exception of DXS Tournament Paintballs & Grill/Profiler goggles, I have never been involved with tournament level products, with a minor exception a few years ago. My business has always been field based.
2. Are you in the employ of Procaps or simply their primary European representative?
I work for Procaps looking after the major European accounts. I have worked with Procaps for over 9 years and its in my DNA.
3. Is Mr. Hazeldine an owner of Dark Sports?
Yes, However I am not. Mr Hazeldine has no interest in The Millennium and I have no interest in other companies he owns except Manic & a property company.
4. Do Manic and Dark Sports share a suite of offices?
Manic has its own warehouse and offices. Dark Sports has a different warehouse at a different location. The building in which Manic is based has offices for other businesses some non paintball, including a dentist. Scott Hazeldine is an owner of the building so has every right to maintain his own office, which of course will, I'm sure, include some Dark Sports activity. Several of the partners of Manic have other businesses that are not common to the other share holders.
5. Where are the Millennium offices in relation to the Manic / Dark Sports offices?
They are in the same suite as Manic, as previously mentioned Dark sports operates from another building some 30 miles away. For convenience I need The Millennium offices close to me as I oversee head office and I manage all Millennium financial and legal issues.
6. Are you a board member/owner of the Millennium Series?
Yes and one of its founders. There are 5 Board Members with equal voting rights. Included in the 5 are competitors of mine, however, this does not hinder us working together for the common good.
7. Did the board vote on the inclusion of 50 caliber paint for the 2010 season?
A vote was not necessary as this has been a discussion over a long period of time and we agree that it may be a good thing for paintball.
8. Did you vote in favor of including 50 cal?
See [the answer to] 7
9. If there is anything you’d like to clarify or explain with respect to the various relationships identified in the post please do.
I feel my answers have verified my relationship with any company mentioned. My main focus has been and is primarily to assist Procaps in Europe and in some cases outside Europe. My involvement with The Millennium can sometimes work against my other interests but I have to accept this as our reason to be is to help the growth of paintball throughout Europe and at the end of the day this helps everybody.
10. Do you, in your Millennium capacity, have any documentation from GI Milsim, its principles or representatives, that demonstrate the 50 cal paintball meets all current safety standards and practices in the form that will be sold for tournament use?
Naturally as with all aspects of the Millennium events we have insured we comply with all insurance and legal requirements.
11. If not, have you, in your Millennium capacity, been given any other (verbal) (non-scientific) assurances that the 50 caliber paintball is safe in all ordinary tournament applications?
See [the answer to] 10
12. If yes, by whom, and under what circumstances.
See [the answer to] 10
13. If no, did the subject of safety ever enter into the Millennium’s deliberations with regards allowing 50 cal paint.
See [the answer to] 10
14. Does the MS have now or expect to negotiate prior to the 2010 season a sponsorship agreement with either Dark Sports or GI Milsim?
GI Milsim are hopefully about to sign for 2010 along with some other new sponsors. Obviously I cant go into further detail until contracts are signed. We will be announcing all new sponsors as they are confirmed.
15. What was the board’s thinking with respect to allowing the use of the 50 cal paintball?Nobody is forcing anyone to use 50 caliber paintballs, it is an option for teams to decide if they wish to use it. The Millennium has always been primarily interested in the growth of the sport and industry in Europe. You maybe unaware that there is no common law throughout Europe for paintball guns. In some countries paintball is illegal with 68 caliber. However with 50 caliber many of these countries will be able to play paintball legally which can only be to all our benefit. If 50 caliber brings new players from new countries and younger players due to lower joules then we can only see advantages and not disadvantages. 50 caliber is not something new it has been around for over 20 years but up until recently only 68 caliber guns were developed.
16. As the sponsorship kit is unclear will gun sponsorships carry down to the open divisions this year and possibly reduce the variety of guns the players may use at an MS event?
There are no changes to the gun sponsorship rules from 2009. With the addition of new gun sponsors this will widen the choice of guns available to those divisions effected by this rule.
17. What is the grade of netting used on the Arena fields?
We have a different net density to the type commonly used in the USA. Our netting is a much heavier density from top to bottom and complies with EU safety standards, In fact we get criticised because it obscured viewing to some extent. Again because of the lower energy of 0.50 cal it is actually much heavier than would be necessary with this caliber alone.
18. Does the MS have any ratings numbers for last year’s TV show broadcasts?
We are awaiting those final figures from Europsport one and two, as soon as they supply the figures for both Europe and South East Asia we plan to send a press release out. I do have these figures as at the end of September.
From 18/12/09 to 25/09/09: 37 Programmes were shown from 14.00 - 23.00 with the bulk being shown between 20.00 - 23.00. It was available in 32 million (46 Countries), households in Europe and 2.8 million in SE Asia and broadcast in 11 languages.
19. Has the board reconsidered the licensing fees for the locked divisions given that total team numbers are in decline?
We are looking at several aspects that relate to this issue. Most importantly is to ensure new teams enter the series and that existing teams can afford to exist. At the same time the Millennium needs to balance its books. We are currently working on some ideas that will be made public shortly.
20. In light of the volatile state of paintball in Germany right now does the MS have any concerns holding a series event there?
If you are referring to the Berlin incident some of the reports have been exaggerated to make for better reading. This incident had nothing to do with the legal issues from early this year. It is a situation that we constantly monitor and always have done. Right now we see no reason to suggest there is any potential problem on the horizon.
Thank you. That concludes the email interview with Mr. Stephen Baldwin of the Millennium Series.
I have been in the industry since 1987, firstly as a field operator but predominately as a European Distributor. Through this time I have worked with many people in order to help expand the industry worldwide, whether they were competitors or colleagues, we all could work together constructively. The likes of Jim Lively, Bud Orr, Tim Schloss, Ross Alexander, John Gregory, Marty Tripes, Richmond Italia, Adam & Billy Gardener, Gino Postorivo, Jeff Perlmutter, Laurant Hamet, Bob Long, Ledz, Dave Dehann and many more have all contributed greatly to our industry / sport and its growth. Sadly not many of them are still in the industry and that appears to be to our detriment. Up until a couple of years ago there was always a willingness to work together. Recently this seems to have changed and a much more polarised and litigious industry has emerged. For sure some of this is due to the recession but also the fact that we don't have the ground base of entrepreneurs the industry relies on for new ideas and growth. Today, people with new approaches and ideas seem to have to spend their time defending themselves against those that don't want change for whatever shortsighted reasons they may harbour. In terms of tournament players, I was around during the 12g to CA changes, the Pump / Semi issues. All of these were much bigger than what we are talking about today and the industry made its changes and grew. Right now the growth of new players is at a very low point and the industry as a whole must address this or we wont survive. This is a fact that to argue against is naive and shortsighted. Although I don't consider that my own business arrangements are particularly relevant to the industry I answer the questions posed as follows to the best of my ability.
1. Are you an owner/partner with Mr. Hazeldine in Manic Paintball?
I am one of the minority share holders of Manic Paintball Ltd so is Scott Hazeldine. This information is public knowledge. For information Manic are a trade based company selling only to paintball fields and dealers. Their main product lines are Procaps, VForce & Tippmann. With the exception of DXS Tournament Paintballs & Grill/Profiler goggles, I have never been involved with tournament level products, with a minor exception a few years ago. My business has always been field based.
2. Are you in the employ of Procaps or simply their primary European representative?
I work for Procaps looking after the major European accounts. I have worked with Procaps for over 9 years and its in my DNA.
3. Is Mr. Hazeldine an owner of Dark Sports?
Yes, However I am not. Mr Hazeldine has no interest in The Millennium and I have no interest in other companies he owns except Manic & a property company.
4. Do Manic and Dark Sports share a suite of offices?
Manic has its own warehouse and offices. Dark Sports has a different warehouse at a different location. The building in which Manic is based has offices for other businesses some non paintball, including a dentist. Scott Hazeldine is an owner of the building so has every right to maintain his own office, which of course will, I'm sure, include some Dark Sports activity. Several of the partners of Manic have other businesses that are not common to the other share holders.
5. Where are the Millennium offices in relation to the Manic / Dark Sports offices?
They are in the same suite as Manic, as previously mentioned Dark sports operates from another building some 30 miles away. For convenience I need The Millennium offices close to me as I oversee head office and I manage all Millennium financial and legal issues.
6. Are you a board member/owner of the Millennium Series?
Yes and one of its founders. There are 5 Board Members with equal voting rights. Included in the 5 are competitors of mine, however, this does not hinder us working together for the common good.
7. Did the board vote on the inclusion of 50 caliber paint for the 2010 season?
A vote was not necessary as this has been a discussion over a long period of time and we agree that it may be a good thing for paintball.
8. Did you vote in favor of including 50 cal?
See [the answer to] 7
9. If there is anything you’d like to clarify or explain with respect to the various relationships identified in the post please do.
I feel my answers have verified my relationship with any company mentioned. My main focus has been and is primarily to assist Procaps in Europe and in some cases outside Europe. My involvement with The Millennium can sometimes work against my other interests but I have to accept this as our reason to be is to help the growth of paintball throughout Europe and at the end of the day this helps everybody.
10. Do you, in your Millennium capacity, have any documentation from GI Milsim, its principles or representatives, that demonstrate the 50 cal paintball meets all current safety standards and practices in the form that will be sold for tournament use?
Naturally as with all aspects of the Millennium events we have insured we comply with all insurance and legal requirements.
11. If not, have you, in your Millennium capacity, been given any other (verbal) (non-scientific) assurances that the 50 caliber paintball is safe in all ordinary tournament applications?
See [the answer to] 10
12. If yes, by whom, and under what circumstances.
See [the answer to] 10
13. If no, did the subject of safety ever enter into the Millennium’s deliberations with regards allowing 50 cal paint.
See [the answer to] 10
14. Does the MS have now or expect to negotiate prior to the 2010 season a sponsorship agreement with either Dark Sports or GI Milsim?
GI Milsim are hopefully about to sign for 2010 along with some other new sponsors. Obviously I cant go into further detail until contracts are signed. We will be announcing all new sponsors as they are confirmed.
15. What was the board’s thinking with respect to allowing the use of the 50 cal paintball?Nobody is forcing anyone to use 50 caliber paintballs, it is an option for teams to decide if they wish to use it. The Millennium has always been primarily interested in the growth of the sport and industry in Europe. You maybe unaware that there is no common law throughout Europe for paintball guns. In some countries paintball is illegal with 68 caliber. However with 50 caliber many of these countries will be able to play paintball legally which can only be to all our benefit. If 50 caliber brings new players from new countries and younger players due to lower joules then we can only see advantages and not disadvantages. 50 caliber is not something new it has been around for over 20 years but up until recently only 68 caliber guns were developed.
16. As the sponsorship kit is unclear will gun sponsorships carry down to the open divisions this year and possibly reduce the variety of guns the players may use at an MS event?
There are no changes to the gun sponsorship rules from 2009. With the addition of new gun sponsors this will widen the choice of guns available to those divisions effected by this rule.
17. What is the grade of netting used on the Arena fields?
We have a different net density to the type commonly used in the USA. Our netting is a much heavier density from top to bottom and complies with EU safety standards, In fact we get criticised because it obscured viewing to some extent. Again because of the lower energy of 0.50 cal it is actually much heavier than would be necessary with this caliber alone.
18. Does the MS have any ratings numbers for last year’s TV show broadcasts?
We are awaiting those final figures from Europsport one and two, as soon as they supply the figures for both Europe and South East Asia we plan to send a press release out. I do have these figures as at the end of September.
From 18/12/09 to 25/09/09: 37 Programmes were shown from 14.00 - 23.00 with the bulk being shown between 20.00 - 23.00. It was available in 32 million (46 Countries), households in Europe and 2.8 million in SE Asia and broadcast in 11 languages.
19. Has the board reconsidered the licensing fees for the locked divisions given that total team numbers are in decline?
We are looking at several aspects that relate to this issue. Most importantly is to ensure new teams enter the series and that existing teams can afford to exist. At the same time the Millennium needs to balance its books. We are currently working on some ideas that will be made public shortly.
20. In light of the volatile state of paintball in Germany right now does the MS have any concerns holding a series event there?
If you are referring to the Berlin incident some of the reports have been exaggerated to make for better reading. This incident had nothing to do with the legal issues from early this year. It is a situation that we constantly monitor and always have done. Right now we see no reason to suggest there is any potential problem on the horizon.
Thank you. That concludes the email interview with Mr. Stephen Baldwin of the Millennium Series.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
VFTD Post Updates
Aight, I'm getting bored waiting for some news to surface so here goes.
Word is the buyer of JT Europe is a French company called Cybergun best known for their line of Airsoft gear. The company has licensing agreements with a who's who of the world's armaments manufacturers and they also make those cheesy little kids splat paintball-type plastic guns.
On the SP front as the kids from ProPaintball recently reported there've been a lot of rumblings including the inability of retailers and customers to make contact with any reps and a rumor that the doors will close for good at the end of the month. In checking into it briefly all I got was confirmation that the banks had stepped in back in September and have been calling the shots since then. (Something VFTD reported and was roundly denied.)
In NPPL news there's a team not named Bushwackers or Rage dropping out. No names as I don't know whether the players know yet or not. (Btw, that doesn't mean I expect either Rage or the Bushwackers to continue in the NPPL.)
Speaking of NPPL related news I'm wondering how Frank the Tank's departure from Procaps might affect Avalanche next year. C'mon, Dale, spill the beans. Where's Frank going? And ask him while you're at it what's up with Ava. (Or, you know, Frank, you could just drop me a line or post up in comments.)
Word is the buyer of JT Europe is a French company called Cybergun best known for their line of Airsoft gear. The company has licensing agreements with a who's who of the world's armaments manufacturers and they also make those cheesy little kids splat paintball-type plastic guns.
On the SP front as the kids from ProPaintball recently reported there've been a lot of rumblings including the inability of retailers and customers to make contact with any reps and a rumor that the doors will close for good at the end of the month. In checking into it briefly all I got was confirmation that the banks had stepped in back in September and have been calling the shots since then. (Something VFTD reported and was roundly denied.)
In NPPL news there's a team not named Bushwackers or Rage dropping out. No names as I don't know whether the players know yet or not. (Btw, that doesn't mean I expect either Rage or the Bushwackers to continue in the NPPL.)
Speaking of NPPL related news I'm wondering how Frank the Tank's departure from Procaps might affect Avalanche next year. C'mon, Dale, spill the beans. Where's Frank going? And ask him while you're at it what's up with Ava. (Or, you know, Frank, you could just drop me a line or post up in comments.)
Agenda, Agenda, Whose Got An Agenda?
In the comments section to the post entitled, More Pros & Cons, Mr. Stephen Baldwin, a founder and board member of the Millennium Series, objected to, I think, what he read between the lines given the way the post was structured and subsequently denounced VFTD as having an agenda and being rubbish. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure so I will, as always, post to my satisfaction and leave you lot to decide what's rubbish and what isn't. With respect to the agenda claim however I think a few words are in order.
On the subject of the 50 cal paintball I have posted in excess of a dozen times and probably more than two dozen times ( search 'small ball') and I am comfortable suggesting that my point of view is comprehensively expressed across the sum of those posts. Having an opinion is not the same as having an agenda. But for those coming late to this party I will try to state my views simply and succinctly. My concern regarding the small ball is that there are no checks or balances in place protecting the game and as a result the limited number of industry power brokers are able to push change from the top down. There is nobody in a position to act on paintball's behalf who doesn't also have a monetary stake in the outcome of any significant move or decision. It wouldn't (it won't) be hard to press the major leagues into acceptance and then whatever faults the small ball might have the game will be expected to adjust (again) accordingly.
On the general subject of agendas Dictionary.com says, "a list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc." That implies both action and the capacity to impact the outcome. Much as it pains me I have no illusions about VFTD altering the paintball landscape. And, again, an opinion is not an agenda. As regulars well know I'm not shy about expressing opinions. VFTD is commentary and observations about the paintball news of the day as it effects competitive paintball but VFTD doesn't make the news or drive the news. Finally VFTD isn't beholden to anyone in paintball, industry or otherwise, so this site doesn't support or secretly promote anybody else's agenda either. Now all of that is easy to say but hard to prove. Keep reading and make up your own mind.
In the meantime the interview is moving along smoothly. Mr. Baldwin has sent in round 1 of his responses and I am currently drafting a "final" form for the interview for him to pass off on. Hopefully it will be up in the next day or so.
On the subject of the 50 cal paintball I have posted in excess of a dozen times and probably more than two dozen times ( search 'small ball') and I am comfortable suggesting that my point of view is comprehensively expressed across the sum of those posts. Having an opinion is not the same as having an agenda. But for those coming late to this party I will try to state my views simply and succinctly. My concern regarding the small ball is that there are no checks or balances in place protecting the game and as a result the limited number of industry power brokers are able to push change from the top down. There is nobody in a position to act on paintball's behalf who doesn't also have a monetary stake in the outcome of any significant move or decision. It wouldn't (it won't) be hard to press the major leagues into acceptance and then whatever faults the small ball might have the game will be expected to adjust (again) accordingly.
On the general subject of agendas Dictionary.com says, "a list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc." That implies both action and the capacity to impact the outcome. Much as it pains me I have no illusions about VFTD altering the paintball landscape. And, again, an opinion is not an agenda. As regulars well know I'm not shy about expressing opinions. VFTD is commentary and observations about the paintball news of the day as it effects competitive paintball but VFTD doesn't make the news or drive the news. Finally VFTD isn't beholden to anyone in paintball, industry or otherwise, so this site doesn't support or secretly promote anybody else's agenda either. Now all of that is easy to say but hard to prove. Keep reading and make up your own mind.
In the meantime the interview is moving along smoothly. Mr. Baldwin has sent in round 1 of his responses and I am currently drafting a "final" form for the interview for him to pass off on. Hopefully it will be up in the next day or so.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
MLP '09: Year In Review
Intro to Venues Review
Venues, vendor villages and the general event experience separate from the competition are the subjects of today's review. The commentary on the MS will, of necessity, be limited since I didn't attend any of them. However, in following the MS this season and talking to players and others present at various events I think it's fair to say offered the best locations even if the German venue is well isolated and there were (mostly homegrown) some complaints about Campaign's location in (not in) Basildon. Otherwise it's hard to argue against Malaga, Antalya and EuroDisney outside Paris. Oh, I know, there's still plenty to find fault with and it doesn't begin or end with the MS. NPPL 2.0 had HB and Vegas baby but it also had SC Village--looking like the outdoor set of a direct to video post-apocalyptic zombie movie and Pev's place (a nice weekend rec field and/or local tourney practice facility) in rural Virginia. The PSP had ... um, generally pretty decent grass everywhere they played. And that's the issue in a nutshell.
What distinguishes a national (or international) event from a local or regional event? Or what should? In the early years of this decade venues were more than venues. There were markers in the competition between leagues and they were symbols that the dream was coming true. At least some thought they were. Instead they proved to be cries for attention. Now some of us are disillusioned, others have never known different and the big time paintball universe is changing again. Does a national (international) event need to be more than a large scale local tourney? If so, in what ways?
I was never a fan of the NPPL's stadium parking lot tour approach because I felt they were giving too little consideration to the playing surface and besides, it never worked--either to attract "fans" or investors. (That said, the first time looking out over the fields and taking in Mile High and the Denver skyline it was easy to believe paintball was oh so close.) But it did change the status quo and every one's expectations. Now there seems to be two distinct options when it comes to venues. One choice is to make the venue part of the draw while the other has focused on the utility of the venue in terms of the competitive environment. I don't think it needs to be one or the other but that seems to be the way things have evolved--at least with respect to U.S. based MLP.
Oops. Running long so the actual venue breakdown will have to wait for next time.
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Monday Poll
This will be the last Monday Poll before an end of the year hiatus I expect to last anywhere from two weeks to a month. By then things should be cracking again as next season player, team & league info is released.
Since I'm busy at the moment--fending off irate Princes of Paintball among other things--it seems a good time to keep the poll simple and upbeat. Name your all time favorite venue for a tournament. I will include 'Other' once again and would really be interested in having the handful of 'other' voters take a moment to comment on their fave. (Yeah, I know, fat chance.) (With some of the MS events I'm gonna just name countries, others by event and the same for some of the Old Skool options I'm tossing in for the geriatric crowd. Try not to get confused between specific events and the location where an event occurred.) [Nope--turns out I stayed with cities, mostly.] (Though some choices will undoubtedly be chosen on the basis of memories of a specific time and place.) If a venue is completely unfamiliar you can probably look it up over at WARPIG which has a terrific archive of tourney reports and photos. It's before your time, Cephalopod. (Link on the sidebar.)
UPDATE: 3 votes for 'Other' so far and not one comment. Really, kids, why bother? I wonder how many of the Disney WC votes are nostalgia votes. What a weird thought.
Monday Poll in Review
Who will be playing PSP pro in 2010? What's the "likely"cutoff percentage? I guess that's open to interpretation so let's go top 8 vote getters with the next two as runners up. That will give us a 10 team pro division (and I don't really see more than that competing.)
Beginning at the bottom with 1% of the vote are the Bushwackers closely followed by Joy Division (6%) and Arsenal (12%). While Joy isn't given much of a chance I know Mags and the boys would love to take on the challenge and 4 trips stateside compared to 5 Euro events might not be as impossible as it seems. And of course there's the MS gun sponsorship that wouldn't be an issue over here. Arsenal seems less likely given T4's involvement in NPPL 2.0 but they are a team with the resources to play both. XSV & the Dogs finished at 20% and 23% respectively. Rumor has been that the Dogs are looking to move into 7-man and for XSV it's probably a matter of final sponsorship numbers and whether or not the team wants to add some outside talent or continue building up. Next up are the Hurricanes and Impact, both with 46% of the vote. Both camps have had some rumors floated about their intentions for the upcoming season and while it may be the 'Canes need sufficient sponsorship to keep up, Impact can and will do whatever Bart wants. If one or both aren't there next season it will be paintball and PSP's loss.
And the runners up are: Aftershock (54%) and X-Factor (60%). The uncertainty here is with X-Factor rebuilding and so little, relatively, being known about Shock's support. This is probably about right, in poll terms, but it wouldn't surprise me to see either of them when teh dust settles.
That leaves Philly (62%), Infamous (70%), Aftermath (82%), Damage (82%), Viscious (84%), Dynasty (90%), Red Legion (90%) & Ironmen (95%) as the top eight vote getters and most likely opening event pro division according to The Monday Poll.
I guess we'll know before too long. Best of luck to all the teams & players.
Since I'm busy at the moment--fending off irate Princes of Paintball among other things--it seems a good time to keep the poll simple and upbeat. Name your all time favorite venue for a tournament. I will include 'Other' once again and would really be interested in having the handful of 'other' voters take a moment to comment on their fave. (Yeah, I know, fat chance.) (With some of the MS events I'm gonna just name countries, others by event and the same for some of the Old Skool options I'm tossing in for the geriatric crowd. Try not to get confused between specific events and the location where an event occurred.) [Nope--turns out I stayed with cities, mostly.] (Though some choices will undoubtedly be chosen on the basis of memories of a specific time and place.) If a venue is completely unfamiliar you can probably look it up over at WARPIG which has a terrific archive of tourney reports and photos. It's before your time, Cephalopod. (Link on the sidebar.)
UPDATE: 3 votes for 'Other' so far and not one comment. Really, kids, why bother? I wonder how many of the Disney WC votes are nostalgia votes. What a weird thought.
Monday Poll in Review
Who will be playing PSP pro in 2010? What's the "likely"cutoff percentage? I guess that's open to interpretation so let's go top 8 vote getters with the next two as runners up. That will give us a 10 team pro division (and I don't really see more than that competing.)
Beginning at the bottom with 1% of the vote are the Bushwackers closely followed by Joy Division (6%) and Arsenal (12%). While Joy isn't given much of a chance I know Mags and the boys would love to take on the challenge and 4 trips stateside compared to 5 Euro events might not be as impossible as it seems. And of course there's the MS gun sponsorship that wouldn't be an issue over here. Arsenal seems less likely given T4's involvement in NPPL 2.0 but they are a team with the resources to play both. XSV & the Dogs finished at 20% and 23% respectively. Rumor has been that the Dogs are looking to move into 7-man and for XSV it's probably a matter of final sponsorship numbers and whether or not the team wants to add some outside talent or continue building up. Next up are the Hurricanes and Impact, both with 46% of the vote. Both camps have had some rumors floated about their intentions for the upcoming season and while it may be the 'Canes need sufficient sponsorship to keep up, Impact can and will do whatever Bart wants. If one or both aren't there next season it will be paintball and PSP's loss.
And the runners up are: Aftershock (54%) and X-Factor (60%). The uncertainty here is with X-Factor rebuilding and so little, relatively, being known about Shock's support. This is probably about right, in poll terms, but it wouldn't surprise me to see either of them when teh dust settles.
That leaves Philly (62%), Infamous (70%), Aftermath (82%), Damage (82%), Viscious (84%), Dynasty (90%), Red Legion (90%) & Ironmen (95%) as the top eight vote getters and most likely opening event pro division according to The Monday Poll.
I guess we'll know before too long. Best of luck to all the teams & players.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Big Bullet Giveaway
To support and promote the new National Pump League (and the fun of pump paintball generally) the Big Bullet wants to give you a sweet CCI Phantom VSC marker worth $400+. But there is a catch. It's a contest so you've got to compete for the win and the prize. On the other hand it ain't hard to do. Go to the Big Bullet and register with the forum. Then, in the contest thread write a 100 to 500 word essay on 'Why I Play Pump.' (Just in case you're wondering how you'd know why I play pump it actually means why do YOU play pump. Hope that helps.)
That's one fine looking marker. Btw, the paragraph above is 107 words. It's a piece of cake. Get going.
That's one fine looking marker. Btw, the paragraph above is 107 words. It's a piece of cake. Get going.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Burning Question
Who did JT Sports (Jarden) just sell JT Europe to? What exactly did they get? Does this mean JT is backing out of Europe or simply restructuring their distribution? And didn't MAXs out of Germany do most of the heavy lifting anyway?
Okay, that's a whole bunch of burning questions but at least they're all related. I coulda thrown in a what gun will Dynasty be shooting in '10? But I didn't. But if I had ...
UPDATE: The identity of the buyer was relayed to VFTD this morning but so far no press release confirming the purchase has been issued. Here's a hint--it's a French company.
Okay, that's a whole bunch of burning questions but at least they're all related. I coulda thrown in a what gun will Dynasty be shooting in '10? But I didn't. But if I had ...
UPDATE: The identity of the buyer was relayed to VFTD this morning but so far no press release confirming the purchase has been issued. Here's a hint--it's a French company.
More Pros & Cons
But mostly pros. You know, the whole who supports small ball, who doesn't. It looks like the Millennium board has another supporter, besides Laurent Hamet, in Steve Baldwin. VFTD isn't sure it understands all the ins and outs yet but this is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Here's what there is so far. There is a UK-based company called Manic Paintball that distributes Procaps. Whether they are strictly UK or also move product in Europe isn't entirely clear. (They self identify as the exclusive UK distributor but there are some who think they operate beyond those borders.) At one time Mr. Baldwin was sales director for Procaps Europe though what his current relationship is with Procaps VFTD doesn't know. There is also the new company called Dark Sports which was incorporated last April. It claims to be the UK & European distributor for GI Milsim and small ball. Here's the fun part. Mr. Baldwin is a director and equal shareholder in Manic paintball with the owner of Dark Sports, Mr. Scott Hazeldine.
Mr. Curious would love to know how much Procaps knows about all this given their unwillingness to produce small balls for GI Milsim and their relationship with Manic.
UPDATE: Apparently Mr. Baldwin finds this post objectionable although his solicitors found it very interesting. Can't please all of the people all of the time. VFTD has invited Mr. Baldwin to correct any factual errors. See the comments for more.
Here's what there is so far. There is a UK-based company called Manic Paintball that distributes Procaps. Whether they are strictly UK or also move product in Europe isn't entirely clear. (They self identify as the exclusive UK distributor but there are some who think they operate beyond those borders.) At one time Mr. Baldwin was sales director for Procaps Europe though what his current relationship is with Procaps VFTD doesn't know. There is also the new company called Dark Sports which was incorporated last April. It claims to be the UK & European distributor for GI Milsim and small ball. Here's the fun part. Mr. Baldwin is a director and equal shareholder in Manic paintball with the owner of Dark Sports, Mr. Scott Hazeldine.
Mr. Curious would love to know how much Procaps knows about all this given their unwillingness to produce small balls for GI Milsim and their relationship with Manic.
UPDATE: Apparently Mr. Baldwin finds this post objectionable although his solicitors found it very interesting. Can't please all of the people all of the time. VFTD has invited Mr. Baldwin to correct any factual errors. See the comments for more.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
2009 Major League Paintball (MLP): Year In Review
This is a rather daunting project as it requires I remember what happened, mostly, during the '09 season and while I can recount--in minute (positively excruciating) detail--dozens and dozens of games played over the years there are (I'm sure) innumerable things that occur at events of which I'm blissfully unaware. Mostly 'cus I couldn't care less. For example I know I walked through a vendor village or three this past season--because the layout forced me to--but I can't, from clear memory, recount who was or wasn't present at any particular event because I don't pay any attention. It's not that vendor presence is unimportant in the grand scheme of things, just that it's unimportant to me in the moment. All that means is that the VFTD Year in Review will tend to be rather eclectic and necessarily incomplete. Otherwise I have no idea how this is gonna work out.
The review begins with the '08 off season and the moves made by the MLP leagues in preparation for the '09 season. Last December I knew enough (or thought I did) to begin speculating on how the '09 season would unfold. The month began with the New World Order and closed out with Dreamworld which nicely bookended the PSP/MS and the emerging USPL. VFTD introduced Major League Paintball Held Hostage Day 1 on January 2 to illustrate the plight of the tourney baller and competitive paintball generally. VFTD graded the initial announced changes to the PSP in PSP Under Fire and followed up throughout the month as info became available. As you might recall the big changes were ROF, revised penalties in the lower divisions and Race 2 and match time changes as well as some Classification changes and the introduction of the UCP. VFTD went on an extended, multi-post rant about the Classification system and was generally uneasy about the appearance of the PSP moving to a standard that more closely resembled the MS. (A concern retained to this day as the Eurotrash continue to promote the idea and the PSP, for whatever reasons, continues to move in that direction.) VFTD closed out the month with some more piling on of the Classification system. The big news was a growing certainty that the USPL would actually begin operations in '09 and begin their season with a Huntington Beach event. The other big news--besides the PSP's myriad of wholesale changes both big and small in the move to Race 2--was the MS touting a TV deal with Eurosport and introducing some restrictive sponsorship regs they claimed "protected" sponsors but did so after a fashion easily recognized by a Sicilian enforcer. Whereupon the PSP introduced a similar measure which failed miserably and was rescinded at World Cup.
2009 began with the MS trying to enforce use restrictions on non-sponsored products among players--in the upper divisions--(which could extend to the lower divisions this year?) even as they charged licensing fees for locked divisions teams (whose total numbers were reduced from 2007) using their TV deal as justification. The PSP made extensive rules and other game changes on the basis of economic necessity (teams & league) but also introduced the prior year's state-of-the-art WC webcast as a regular event feature. The USPL revived the 7-man national series (sorta) with the original 16 pro teams as equal share owners and proceeded to buy up some equipment and rights to the NPPL name & logos and announced a split schedule of national and regional events beginning at HB.
That's the set-up for everything that happened later. (For the six of you who noticed, yes, sadly I've left the The Grand Tour out the review because I don't know a lot of details and because, in the end, it wasn't so grand after all.) The continuing Review will be much more of a hodge-podge I suspect as VFTD begins breaking the leagues and events down--probably tomorrow--as I rate the venues.
Hey, if I left anything good (important) out feel free to give me grief in the comments.
The review begins with the '08 off season and the moves made by the MLP leagues in preparation for the '09 season. Last December I knew enough (or thought I did) to begin speculating on how the '09 season would unfold. The month began with the New World Order and closed out with Dreamworld which nicely bookended the PSP/MS and the emerging USPL. VFTD introduced Major League Paintball Held Hostage Day 1 on January 2 to illustrate the plight of the tourney baller and competitive paintball generally. VFTD graded the initial announced changes to the PSP in PSP Under Fire and followed up throughout the month as info became available. As you might recall the big changes were ROF, revised penalties in the lower divisions and Race 2 and match time changes as well as some Classification changes and the introduction of the UCP. VFTD went on an extended, multi-post rant about the Classification system and was generally uneasy about the appearance of the PSP moving to a standard that more closely resembled the MS. (A concern retained to this day as the Eurotrash continue to promote the idea and the PSP, for whatever reasons, continues to move in that direction.) VFTD closed out the month with some more piling on of the Classification system. The big news was a growing certainty that the USPL would actually begin operations in '09 and begin their season with a Huntington Beach event. The other big news--besides the PSP's myriad of wholesale changes both big and small in the move to Race 2--was the MS touting a TV deal with Eurosport and introducing some restrictive sponsorship regs they claimed "protected" sponsors but did so after a fashion easily recognized by a Sicilian enforcer. Whereupon the PSP introduced a similar measure which failed miserably and was rescinded at World Cup.
2009 began with the MS trying to enforce use restrictions on non-sponsored products among players--in the upper divisions--(which could extend to the lower divisions this year?) even as they charged licensing fees for locked divisions teams (whose total numbers were reduced from 2007) using their TV deal as justification. The PSP made extensive rules and other game changes on the basis of economic necessity (teams & league) but also introduced the prior year's state-of-the-art WC webcast as a regular event feature. The USPL revived the 7-man national series (sorta) with the original 16 pro teams as equal share owners and proceeded to buy up some equipment and rights to the NPPL name & logos and announced a split schedule of national and regional events beginning at HB.
That's the set-up for everything that happened later. (For the six of you who noticed, yes, sadly I've left the The Grand Tour out the review because I don't know a lot of details and because, in the end, it wasn't so grand after all.) The continuing Review will be much more of a hodge-podge I suspect as VFTD begins breaking the leagues and events down--probably tomorrow--as I rate the venues.
Hey, if I left anything good (important) out feel free to give me grief in the comments.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pro Rosters
The kids over at ProPB are reporting a possible change in the pro rosters from 8 (+1) to 9 (+1). There have been rumors since Cup and it was/is an item up for discussion. I am hesitant however to object now mostly because I can't make a complete argument in favor of simply making it 10 and leaving it alone. (The rest of my argument depends on information about possible 2010 changes that have not been released yet.) Despite leaving my best case unspoken I think there's still a solid rationale for calling it 10 and calling it a day.
The +1 was appreciated as an acceptable mid-season modification (and helped my team in particular) but I don't understand the point of agreeing to 10 but only partway. Wasn't last year's semi-pro roster at 10? What's a team supposed to do? Work their way into a pro spot and have to cut or reduce the role(s) of their roster? 10 players is also much more convenient for practice for non So Cal teams. Most of the candidate teams for a pro spot favor a 10 man roster and for those that might not (only one I know of) nobody is compelling anyone to carry a roster maximum so why is it such a big deal?
Part of the rationale last year was that a reduced roster made the game more athletically demanding than a larger roster and/or it was an imposed limitation designed to help teams save money. But aren't rules that result in the best possible competition more important than the supposed appearance of more athleticism and if you're bringing 9(+1) that's still 10 guys so you practice with 10, train 10, pay for the tenth but don't get to use them in the normal course of an event. What a terrific idea! /sarcasm
A move to 10 is a worthwhile change. One in the interests of the teams.
--No, this isn't the post I was undecided about posting though ambivalence seems to be the order of the day.
The +1 was appreciated as an acceptable mid-season modification (and helped my team in particular) but I don't understand the point of agreeing to 10 but only partway. Wasn't last year's semi-pro roster at 10? What's a team supposed to do? Work their way into a pro spot and have to cut or reduce the role(s) of their roster? 10 players is also much more convenient for practice for non So Cal teams. Most of the candidate teams for a pro spot favor a 10 man roster and for those that might not (only one I know of) nobody is compelling anyone to carry a roster maximum so why is it such a big deal?
Part of the rationale last year was that a reduced roster made the game more athletically demanding than a larger roster and/or it was an imposed limitation designed to help teams save money. But aren't rules that result in the best possible competition more important than the supposed appearance of more athleticism and if you're bringing 9(+1) that's still 10 guys so you practice with 10, train 10, pay for the tenth but don't get to use them in the normal course of an event. What a terrific idea! /sarcasm
A move to 10 is a worthwhile change. One in the interests of the teams.
--No, this isn't the post I was undecided about posting though ambivalence seems to be the order of the day.
Heavy Water?
Word on the street is that KEE now has a heavier fill formula for the small ball and will be shipping samples soon. Word too is that it may be prohibitively expensive and/or eat up the cost savings between small ball and a regular 68 cal ball.
Btw, today's scheduled post has been delayed. It's written but I can't decide whether I want to post it or not. In the meantime I'll see about coming up with something else. Perhaps it's time for the Year In Review.
Btw, today's scheduled post has been delayed. It's written but I can't decide whether I want to post it or not. In the meantime I'll see about coming up with something else. Perhaps it's time for the Year In Review.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Monday Poll
I'm tempted to run a Monday Poll on taking a break from Monday Polls--not because I don't like them but mostly because once you lazy slackers get too used to anything it loses its appeal and the value of the polls is directly related to your participation--or more correctly, lack thereof. But I'm not going to let you off that easy. No by god, there will be a poll and you will have to choose to ignore it. (It's for your own good really because nobody likes a quitter.)
Some time ago VFTD ran a poll looking for the likely number of pro teams in 2010 and unsurprisingly the consensus range ran from 8 to 12. We've also done the which teams will be playing semi-pro next year so it would seem to be about that time to pick the pros for the 2010 season. (Btw, I'm limiting this to the PSP for a couple of reasons. Adding the NPPL will likely skew results involving teams many don't consider "Pro" and I'm leaving out the MS because the list would become cumbersome and much of the dominate North American VFTD audience doesn't really know much about Millennium teams. If anyone wants a Monday Poll on the other pro league leave a comment.)
For this poll you may choose as many or as few from the available list as you think you will see on the field competing next year as PSP pros. And you may (as always) offer other suggestions in the comments.
Monday Poll in Review
Thanks to all who took a moment to add their vote, it is appreciated. I found the results not unexpected but still interesting. Perhaps most surprising was the crossover vote, if you will, from other playing categories of paintball; rec, pump and so on (10% of the total) as they are seldom topics of conversation here. I was also pleased to see a general paintball diversity reflected in the numbers for two reasons; it means there is some fairly broad interest in competitive paintball outside tourney circles and it opens up the possibility of different points of view being part of the ongoing dialogue. I was also happy to see 19% of the vote come from tourney players not part of the national scene as it means VFTD is reaching an important part of the competitive paintball community. The future is not national level events as we know them today. Last, and certainly not least, the industry was well represented with 20% of the vote.
And now for a spot of demographics. The typical poll seems to generate between 70-85 votes over a week's time. There are a few hundred unique visitors a day, low hundreds most days, but still hundreds so there's no good excuse not to see those voting numbers rise. You know who you are. (It's all part of a cunning VFTD plan, by the way. I suck you in by getting a vote or two out of you and before you know it you're adding an occasional comment and in no time at all VFTD actually becomes an ongoing dialogue on competitive paintball even as the shy and retiring types remain anonymous. I don't care who you are, or aren't, or whether your point of view comes with an agenda or not as I am a firm believer that a robust dialogue is its own reward.) (That concludes the VFTD comments drive for 2009.)
Some time ago VFTD ran a poll looking for the likely number of pro teams in 2010 and unsurprisingly the consensus range ran from 8 to 12. We've also done the which teams will be playing semi-pro next year so it would seem to be about that time to pick the pros for the 2010 season. (Btw, I'm limiting this to the PSP for a couple of reasons. Adding the NPPL will likely skew results involving teams many don't consider "Pro" and I'm leaving out the MS because the list would become cumbersome and much of the dominate North American VFTD audience doesn't really know much about Millennium teams. If anyone wants a Monday Poll on the other pro league leave a comment.)
For this poll you may choose as many or as few from the available list as you think you will see on the field competing next year as PSP pros. And you may (as always) offer other suggestions in the comments.
Monday Poll in Review
Thanks to all who took a moment to add their vote, it is appreciated. I found the results not unexpected but still interesting. Perhaps most surprising was the crossover vote, if you will, from other playing categories of paintball; rec, pump and so on (10% of the total) as they are seldom topics of conversation here. I was also pleased to see a general paintball diversity reflected in the numbers for two reasons; it means there is some fairly broad interest in competitive paintball outside tourney circles and it opens up the possibility of different points of view being part of the ongoing dialogue. I was also happy to see 19% of the vote come from tourney players not part of the national scene as it means VFTD is reaching an important part of the competitive paintball community. The future is not national level events as we know them today. Last, and certainly not least, the industry was well represented with 20% of the vote.
And now for a spot of demographics. The typical poll seems to generate between 70-85 votes over a week's time. There are a few hundred unique visitors a day, low hundreds most days, but still hundreds so there's no good excuse not to see those voting numbers rise. You know who you are. (It's all part of a cunning VFTD plan, by the way. I suck you in by getting a vote or two out of you and before you know it you're adding an occasional comment and in no time at all VFTD actually becomes an ongoing dialogue on competitive paintball even as the shy and retiring types remain anonymous. I don't care who you are, or aren't, or whether your point of view comes with an agenda or not as I am a firm believer that a robust dialogue is its own reward.) (That concludes the VFTD comments drive for 2009.)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
MS Looking For A Sugar Daddy
The Millennium kids may not know when or where one (or two) events will be most years until the season is underway but they know what they want in sponsorship cheese and we're not talking wedges or sampler packs either--strictly wheels o' cheese and the larger the better.
But first, where are my manners? Here's hoping you all enjoyed a happy thanksgiving with family and friends. I went to visit my Dad for the holiday and came down with a mysterious strain of the turkey flu which is apparently not contagious and can only be caught when consuming excessive amounts of, who woulda guessed, turkey. (The big dumb bird for those who weren't sure.) By now y'all ought to know my middle name is wretched excess--it used to be danger but I had it legally changed--so I was a prime if unwitting candidate. But never again. I have sworn off turkey for the next 364 days.
So during the holiday what should come over the transom than the 2010 Millennium sponsorship kit and its quite an impressive package. VFTD covered the 09 version last year here and here. (These are actually only related posts. I couldn't find the ones I was looking for. Again. And, you know this story all too well, I got bored and quit looking.) Given that this year's pack is chocked full of Millennium goodness I'm going to try and limit my comments to some of the highlights. Up first is a list of Millennium firsts and highlights that bears a resemblance to reality. That's followed by an incomplete schedule for 2010 though it does include dates and countries this year so that's a plus. Next comes the justification for asking for wheels of cheese as the MS proudly announces the massive media blitz that will accompany this season's events and how that translates into buckets full of exposure for prospective sponsors. And just so you're clear on how massive that media blitz will be the MS goes into great detail on 2009's media blitz. And the list is impressive. Except it's unclear to me how some of the numbers correspond to promotion of sponsors and others are highly questionable. For example there's the generic reach numbers of the TV network but no actual viewer numbers from last season. There's a list of magazines MS reporting or ads appeared in for a total number of MS-related pages in print (and discounting the mags no longer printing and the always inflated claims mags make over readership) the question remains how does that translate into a benefit to the sponsor(s)? Same for the list of other media coverage as well as the exclusive list of internet media outlets covering the Millennium. (And apparently one of us--me or the MS--doesn't understand the meaning of "exclusive.") Then there's the MS website claims. 90K hits a day. Every day of the year. 2.7 million a month and approx. 32.5 million a year. Of course a hit isn't a unique visitor or a page view or a click through on a sponsor's link even so even if the claim is legit (and it isn't) what does it really amount to? But everyone expects the MS (or anybody else) to put the happiest possible face on stuff like this so it isn't a big deal even if it isn't clear what real benefit it provides league sponsors.
The fun news though is the new sponsorship options; the title sponsor or the kryptonite sponsor--take that Superman. (No, I have no idea why they called it a kryptonite sponsorship.) For a mere 150K Euros one lucky sponsor can make this year's series the One Lucky Sponsor Millennium Series in all official publicity. In addition the title sponsor gets all the benefits of the kryptonite sponsorship (100K) including prop colors and logos on the central field and lots of assorted banners, logos and links as well as priority placement in the vendor village blah blah blah. (The kryptonite sponsorship is only available if there is no title sponsor.) My logo is bigger than yours. Now this is actually an interesting idea and pretty common in real sports. How it will translate to the MS is something else again.
Another interesting change is a trader's ghetto for the non-sponsor and one time vendor. The catch is that the trader's products for sale must be covered by a seasonal sponsor and also be vetted by that sponsor in order to have permission to pay through the nose for a spot in the ghetto. For example, Bob's Gun Emporium can only sell markers made by a seasonal gun sponsor and only if the sponsor/maker agrees.
And there is a laundry list of other sponsor options as well. Everything from Arena sponsorship (5K) to SPL field sponsor (15K), field sponsor (7.5K), ref sponsor (7.5K plus 100 goggles, lenses, pants and 200 custom jerseys), field tents, VIP, press, scoreboard/scoresheet, gun rack, field drum and trash can sponsors. All of these are predicated on TV coverage that may or may not actually ever appear on a Eurosport broadcast. My favorites are field tents and trash cans. For 5K you are allowed to provide 200 trash cans to the MS for each event. (Probably like the GIMilsim trash cans at Campaign.) When you think garbage think (your logo here.) And for 5K you get to provide the MS with 50 3 meter square tents that become the property of the MS. But best of all "No charge will be incurred for setting up the tent, cleaning and maintenance and no shipping charges between the events of 2010. No hidden charges and no extra charges will be billed to “Your Company.”
The Millennium may not know where their events will be held yet but they know what they want industry to pay to be a part of them. Even more interesting will be how much sponsors will actually end up paying in order to be an MS sponsor. Finally somebody has figured out how to make TV pay real dividends.
But first, where are my manners? Here's hoping you all enjoyed a happy thanksgiving with family and friends. I went to visit my Dad for the holiday and came down with a mysterious strain of the turkey flu which is apparently not contagious and can only be caught when consuming excessive amounts of, who woulda guessed, turkey. (The big dumb bird for those who weren't sure.) By now y'all ought to know my middle name is wretched excess--it used to be danger but I had it legally changed--so I was a prime if unwitting candidate. But never again. I have sworn off turkey for the next 364 days.
So during the holiday what should come over the transom than the 2010 Millennium sponsorship kit and its quite an impressive package. VFTD covered the 09 version last year here and here. (These are actually only related posts. I couldn't find the ones I was looking for. Again. And, you know this story all too well, I got bored and quit looking.) Given that this year's pack is chocked full of Millennium goodness I'm going to try and limit my comments to some of the highlights. Up first is a list of Millennium firsts and highlights that bears a resemblance to reality. That's followed by an incomplete schedule for 2010 though it does include dates and countries this year so that's a plus. Next comes the justification for asking for wheels of cheese as the MS proudly announces the massive media blitz that will accompany this season's events and how that translates into buckets full of exposure for prospective sponsors. And just so you're clear on how massive that media blitz will be the MS goes into great detail on 2009's media blitz. And the list is impressive. Except it's unclear to me how some of the numbers correspond to promotion of sponsors and others are highly questionable. For example there's the generic reach numbers of the TV network but no actual viewer numbers from last season. There's a list of magazines MS reporting or ads appeared in for a total number of MS-related pages in print (and discounting the mags no longer printing and the always inflated claims mags make over readership) the question remains how does that translate into a benefit to the sponsor(s)? Same for the list of other media coverage as well as the exclusive list of internet media outlets covering the Millennium. (And apparently one of us--me or the MS--doesn't understand the meaning of "exclusive.") Then there's the MS website claims. 90K hits a day. Every day of the year. 2.7 million a month and approx. 32.5 million a year. Of course a hit isn't a unique visitor or a page view or a click through on a sponsor's link even so even if the claim is legit (and it isn't) what does it really amount to? But everyone expects the MS (or anybody else) to put the happiest possible face on stuff like this so it isn't a big deal even if it isn't clear what real benefit it provides league sponsors.
The fun news though is the new sponsorship options; the title sponsor or the kryptonite sponsor--take that Superman. (No, I have no idea why they called it a kryptonite sponsorship.) For a mere 150K Euros one lucky sponsor can make this year's series the One Lucky Sponsor Millennium Series in all official publicity. In addition the title sponsor gets all the benefits of the kryptonite sponsorship (100K) including prop colors and logos on the central field and lots of assorted banners, logos and links as well as priority placement in the vendor village blah blah blah. (The kryptonite sponsorship is only available if there is no title sponsor.) My logo is bigger than yours. Now this is actually an interesting idea and pretty common in real sports. How it will translate to the MS is something else again.
Another interesting change is a trader's ghetto for the non-sponsor and one time vendor. The catch is that the trader's products for sale must be covered by a seasonal sponsor and also be vetted by that sponsor in order to have permission to pay through the nose for a spot in the ghetto. For example, Bob's Gun Emporium can only sell markers made by a seasonal gun sponsor and only if the sponsor/maker agrees.
And there is a laundry list of other sponsor options as well. Everything from Arena sponsorship (5K) to SPL field sponsor (15K), field sponsor (7.5K), ref sponsor (7.5K plus 100 goggles, lenses, pants and 200 custom jerseys), field tents, VIP, press, scoreboard/scoresheet, gun rack, field drum and trash can sponsors. All of these are predicated on TV coverage that may or may not actually ever appear on a Eurosport broadcast. My favorites are field tents and trash cans. For 5K you are allowed to provide 200 trash cans to the MS for each event. (Probably like the GIMilsim trash cans at Campaign.) When you think garbage think (your logo here.) And for 5K you get to provide the MS with 50 3 meter square tents that become the property of the MS. But best of all "No charge will be incurred for setting up the tent, cleaning and maintenance and no shipping charges between the events of 2010. No hidden charges and no extra charges will be billed to “Your Company.”
The Millennium may not know where their events will be held yet but they know what they want industry to pay to be a part of them. Even more interesting will be how much sponsors will actually end up paying in order to be an MS sponsor. Finally somebody has figured out how to make TV pay real dividends.
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