Stay with me for a moment, as I am going to explain some obvious things before I reach my true question; Paintball has struggled to find its identity on the main stage. Paintball has failed over the past 30 years to find some sort of uniformity other than its simplicity… point the gun.. I mean marker, pull the trigger and eliminate your opponent. For such a simple concept, much like throw a ball, kick a ball, score a touch down, or score a goal, we have failed to agree on the sports “mainstream” version we’re going to promote. NPPL, PSP, Macaroni and cheese, what have you, we have one sport, with many different leagues contending for center stage and what’s the big difference?

Are there two NFL’s? How about NBA’s? MLB’s? Why on earth are there 2 national paintball leagues and about to be a third? Where have we gone wrong here? The image paintball portrays on a national level (my opinion), is that paintball is confused as a whole. One minute it’s this, playing under these rules and the next it’s something else, kinda similar but not. Where are you paintball?

I hope this new league is as great as everyone claims. I hope it either is so amazing people switch to playing it with a sense of urgency or on the flip, it fails quickly instead of slowly drawing more and more people and the sport apart.

We need, the sport needs, uniformity if we ever want to play in the real big leagues, where money is made, where people want to watch and companies actually pay to advertise, then we need “A” standard. Until then, national leagues and the majority of “professionals” of these leagues will continue to be part time desk jockeys during the day and 30,000 dollar millionaires at night.

So, in the future, I hope someone can answer the following questions: What does this league bring that’s so different? Is it the format? Is it the cost? Is it the giant financial backing that will bring it to the mainstream? Is it the sound business plan, market research and management team thats going to develop it into a mainstream market? Is it a little different from most, just “more” fun? (which there’s nothing wrong with). Or is it truly what tournament paintball has been waiting for?

Given this is PbNation, I’m sure someone is going to read my post in a malicious manor, call me a dirty name and tell me to mind my own business (being that most know me as a figure in the outlaw ball community). I assure you that this post is not meant for that reason. I wish everyone luck, I hope it succeeds if it’s what’s good for the mass and ultimately stabilizes the tournament scene.

- Murdoc

Thank you to TekHouse (“BeeTee“) for making a complete idiot of himself on our site,  trying to astroturf this very blogs comment section no-less.  It appears though that we achieved our goal, BT Warrior Forum has been returned to it’s original free status:

BeeTee says: And the normal unrestricted access is back too.

All  evidence on their site has been deleted but this blog will remain for future reference.

Over the past year there has been a steady increase  of pressure on BT Warrior members to donate.  For those of you not familiar with “BT Warrior” it’s a forum and BT user community run in association w/BT  or in some type of partnership with BT. This ‘donation fever” has culminated into a series of fits waged by BT Warriors frontman TekHouse.  Yesterday he blocked access to the entire forum with a simpering little message about how donations were needed. This morning TekHouse has decided to block key sections of the forum from members who have not yet donated.  Yes that’s right, they went ahead and blocked peoples access to key parts of their community because they haven’t donated.  I will update this blog periodically w/real time info but for now here’s some interesting screen grabs:

UPDATE:

After posting a link to this article it appears TekHouse or some Mod over at BT have deleted my accouint.

UPDATE:

Really juicy thread over at PBnation, check it out here.

TekHouses response before thread deletion

UPDATE:

PBnation deleted our thread. Simply amazing the turn around time it took for their mods to act on it, mere hours. Especially considering that the thread didn’t even violate their rules. Be on the look out for a new thread.

UPDATE:

New PBnation thread here.

UPDATE:

Literally seconds after reposting the thread, it gets deleted and I recieve an infraction – here is what it says:

“Reason: Inappropriate Content
——-
If a thread was deleted please do not just repost it. Please go to the TTMA forum and discuss it with the Mods there. They will do their best to answer your issue and work with you.“

UPDATE:

New  thread posted in the PBN TTMA Forum here.

Sleek and secksy out of the box, it also owns foobs from the get go with almost zero tinkering.  I just bought one and used it at Super Game and it didn’t take long for it to break in at all.  Even when running on HPA I could go through almost 10 pods, with the Ninja SLR reg you can go up to twenty!

This gun is a must have for anyone interested in a new high end marker.  For a more technical and detailed review (that I agree with) you can visit this link.

For the time being we are all using Tiberius products however that could change in the future.  There have been rumblings about an FS compatible “D Mag” for the Tacamo A5 mag converter which would be kind of nice if you think about it. I’ve also heard a rumor today about Metadyne offering FS tubes/feeders for their Thumper pump, taking a quick look around and it appears to be substantiated.

And thats not all, it appears that there is a company that is actually offering manufactured FS clips for the TPX!  Holy shit, people have been making mods like this for a while, now I’m interested.  If you know of any other possible conversions or new FS ready markers please post in the comments section.

What ever you do, don’t be surprised if you get a silver beard on OKC Mountain.  We love our FS rounds and we will shoot you in the face.

If you remember, not long ago in a previous article I wrote, it was stated that an honest player almost needed to strap on a chastity belt before they entered a public field. Due to the wallet molesting prices and the venereal diseased players who infested those fields, the days of the 70’s free love were replaced by a post -apocalyptic paintball era, where instead of a hot chick experience, we received a rash.

Nowadays, we’ve seen the suck dissipate, and with regular penicillin treatments, the mongrels have vanished to the shadows. With the weak gone and the strong surviving, we’ve seen one miraculous thing happen… players, teams and fields have come together more now, than ever.

With the economic gremlins eating our dollars, the scene has seen some shrinkage, but what that shrinkage has created, is something beautiful. Though paintball players in the northwest have traditionally gotten along, we have seen a heightened level of love between groups, across genres, and with field owners in Oregon.

For years players have asked for BYOP (Bring Your Own Paint) and cheaper field fees. I don’t know if it’s the economy talking, but the fields and promoters have answered.

Look at High Desert Scenario (D’s Hobbies) in Bend, Oregon. They offer some of the best scenario games in the state for $10. S&F paintball, Lebanon, Or. Which recently hosted Oregon’s first “Quad Tactical Tournament” (which was a success and highly recommended), and what did they charge? You guessed it, $10 dollars, and guess what, both those places are clean, have excellent customer service and offer sweet fields.

In the Metro area, let’s look at Action Acres, they go out of their way to cater to players and teams by offering BYOP and awesome entry prices, not to mention, the customer service and lunch specials are par to none.

Impact Action Sports is new to the scene and after it’s first year in operation, it’s clear they too, are doing it right. Offering and catering to groups and events, they have become a local favorite to many. Both Impact and Action Acres have become new homes for the growing pump scene.

Sniperz Den has seen some amazing growth over the last 2 years by hosting Dan Bonebrake’s Supergame. The field owners have done some sweet construction and hands down offer the best woodsball in Oregon. With that said, most importantly, they care. The owners love to work with the players who strive to run their own events and grow the scene.

What’s the common theme here? The players have come together and are working towards a shared goal of making this scene something we want, rather than just a market.  The relationships of both players and field owners, has come so far, but we hope to see it come further. A huge thank you to the owners and players for bringing us this far.

Now, let’s talk about where we can see growth and we can do to help us reach the next level.

Paintball Suppliers, from being in the scene the time I have, I know this industry is cut throat. It’s widely known that in Oregon storeowners traditionally haven’t gotten along with each other… understandable. We can’t change that, but we’d like to see is more of a relationship between stores, fields and players. A grand example is what D’s Hobbies has in Bend. The role the store has played in establishing The High Desert Scenario paintball field and Club is amazing to me. I would guess they see at least 70% of the paintball business in Bend. You may say Bend is small, I agree compared to Portland, but for those of you who would under estimate what they have over there, I ask you eat your words until you’ve experienced what they have first hand, at that point you will realize that the Portland area is missing the right “store” in our equation.

Don’t get me wrong, we have great stores, but regardless of whose fault it is, players are reluctant to go there. Whether it be price, products, politics, are others, people only drop in, grab the essentials and get out. I’d love to see that change. A store that can work together with a field and players to get the results their customer’s want will win our business 100% of the time.

Next on the list, though we’ve done a great job doing this, I’d love to see the continuation of teams and players coming together whom in the past, have not. The break down of old barriers between groups will be key in seeing the sport expand in our scene. How can we accomplish this? As a team, decide on supporting an event or team promoted game that you normally wouldn’t. Also, reach out and become active members of other teams websites and actively engage them.

We are moving in the right direction here in Oregon. With events like the new WCPS, the Quad Tactical Tournament, Supergame and Black Rock, all of which were demanded by players and were delivered, this scene is going in the right direction. Starting from the attitude of the players, the willingness of stores and fields to support us, we can create the best paintball scene in the nation, much like Portland has done with beer.

This is a peoples marker, one of the few that actually works well so for the price you really can’t beat it.  I also hear that Azodin practices something called ‘customer service’  thus setting it apart from 99% of paintball product companies.

If you’re looking to dabble in pump games this marker is an excellent choice.

http://www.azodin.com

Often times you will find someone selling an low to mid grade gun with a bunch of accessories and a bag of old paint.  Here is a hint:  Just because you bought that doesn’t mean that other people are going to.  You might think it’s fair to charge near retail price for something but that’s just not how the market works.  Most people don’t see the same value in it because A. They didn’t buy it and B. They’re probably not as interested in it as you are (or were).

No one is saving up $600 dollars just to buy your overpriced GI Joe milsim toy.  You have to think about it from a consumers point of view.  There is an opportunity cost to every paintball purchase that you make.  You can’t buy everything and so you have to choose what you’re going to buy with the finite amount of cash that you have (or will have).

Anyway I’m not going to go on and on about it, one of my biggest pet peaves is stingy people and at risk of sounding like my girlfriend – I had to vent.

Thanks for reading.

As most of us know Paintball is tightly controlled in most European countries and Australia.  And I guess it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that ze Germans were thinking about banning paintball in 2009.

During the height of an election campaign following a horrific school shooting, Wolfgang Bosbach of the Christian Democrat Party stated that, “These games simulate murder.”  In the end Paintball wasn’t banned but it was discussed at a national level freaking out thousands of German paintball enthusiasts (verboten).

Unfortunately winning World War II hasn’t made the United States immune to the same kind of silly ideas.  In 2008 a mommy in Connecticut started collecting signatures to ban paintball in the state after her son was shot in the eye in an accident that was 100% avoidable with even the most basic of safety precautions.

Most unfortunately the petition drive had support from plenty of moron townspeople and Democratic State Rep. Patricia Widlitz, who also sponsored a ban on sparklers in 2001…yes, sparklers. “We just couldn’t get it through,” Widlitz said. “It’s hard to legislate common sense.”

I’ll say…

I was also able to find at least one mention of a Connecticut city banning paintball within city limits.  Additionally I found other instances of city governments considering the same thing – all of which were dated back a few years with no follow up reporting.

These are just a few examples of attempts to ban paintball by private citizens and local/state politicians.  They are rarely if ever successful however that can always change.  If the government is telling people what to eat, what light bulbs to use, where you can smoke and what color car you can own it’s not hard to imagine calls to end paintball.

And if you disagree with me then you have personal problems and I can’t help  you.  Yeah I said it sister.

Haters gonna hate

I think it’s reasonable to say that most people play paintball because it’s fun. When people get huffy, paintball just becomes work.  Let it go and get back to having fun.  Laugh about it, talk about it but don’t betch about it.  No one likes to hear a crying baby in the woods.

My gun is bigger than yours

There’s a difference between belching orders  and working together.  Instead of pontificating why not try collaborating.  Lead from the front, move up and see who follows you.

Honor your opponent

If you get hit 3-4 times and none of them break, why not still call yourself out? Your opponent landed that many shots on you. It fosters good layzar will.

Boundaries dude, boundaries…

No, I cannot share this tree with you, it’s not big enough.  Please go find your own before we both end up getting shot.

Safety First!

There’s no reason why a safety briefing needs to last more than 15 minutes.  98% of the people have heard it all before, droning on about it for an hour isn’t going to make anyone safer.

Inside Job

Refs get a lot shit lately. We’re not going to pile it on but we’re also not going to let them off. If you’re refing, be prepared to answer questions about objectives. Establish some sort of communication system allowing you and other game operators to shape a quality game experience.  Anyone can go out on their property and blast each other.  Offer something more to your consumer and really invest in your referee staff.

Get Chron’d

We could simply say don’t hog the chrono but it’s more complicated than that.  Everyone’s been there, feverishly molesting your gun to make the velocity go up or down. After 3 tries of fiddling your marker and you’re still not getting anywhere., than it’s time to step aside and let other players get chron’d.  Holding up the show is not good p8nt etiquette.

BOB LONG VICTORY: The gun of Marloc. Slayer of yellow team SG37, vanquisher of MVT event awards and King of OKC. His might and wisdom belong to every throng of paint his Excalibur thwacks through its barrel. The Bob Long Victory might look like just another space gun to the untrained woody, but don’t let its sensual curves and it’s elongated trigger guard fool you.  This marker is a beast. It literally mows down anything in its path. The souls of a thousands newbs are encased within it’s light and highly ergonimic design.

BT SA-17 Pistola: OK, I’m wading into dangerous territory with this one.  I recently sold my TPX pistol because I thought it was too big. Just like my Tiberius before that.  So why on earth would I consider purchasing a larger pistol? A pistol that doesn’t even have a clip either.  I’ll tell you why: versatility.  This bad boy is like a mini pump. Throw on a longer barrel, roll with a hopper, roll with a tube, hook it up to a remote, use cartridges, stick it in Santa Clause face when you rob him. If Billy Mays were alive he would say, “IT DOES EVERYTHING!”  I love it.

TIB T-4:Old news right? Yeah, and the clip is too big, I know. But still, this thing looks like it could shred a peepee at 500 yrds. If Shawna divorces me the first thing I’m going to do is go out and buy this thing. It’s the first paintball gun where a sight actually does something, imagine that. It’s also the first woodsball gun to validate all the unnecessary bullshit, even better!

SP1: Standard issue for many OKCer’s you can’t talk about hawt p8nt shit and forget to mention it. In fact, the SP-1 is thinking about bitch slapping the rest of the guns on this page. That and taking their mothers out for fine dining like the southern gentleman it truly is on the inside. I’ve never rolled with one but I’ve had my peepee shot several times by it, and let me tell ya: I tinkled. Wondering which gun you’d like to replace your 50lb. A-5 with? Here’s your answer.

MacDev Drone: I don’t know a thing about this gun but I love it.

Why? I have no idea, but it deserves to go on this page because it’s hawt.

TM-7 LE: Like begging your girlfriend to wear a paintball mask in bed and succeeding, BT went the extra mile to introduce the limited edition TM-7. Conveniently repriced to the original debut  price tag! And don’t think you’re getting the updated selenoid either, that’s still another $75.   Yeah I already have one but I don’t want to paint it.  Like a classic car sitting in the garage I’ve been inches away from buying one of these and watching it collect dust in my closet.  Everyone has their paintball fetish, don’t judge.

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