Anyone watch espn's coverage of the paintball tournament?

[torpid]

ESPN showed a lot of paintball this weekend. Some sort of tournament. Anyone watch it and/or follow paintball tournaments? It was kind of interesting. The camera rarely showed any useful action, but ESPN had a lot of fancy graphics and figures. Most of the excitement is in watching the little numbers on top get squished out. Is there any sport that ESPN can't cover with relative excitement?

Before it began I was expecting guys with insane mini-gun paint guns, grenades, mortars, etc. It wasn't that at all, everyone used the same basic semi-automatic gun. Lots of screaming and hiding. Doritos and car washes. I guess all those people at the paintball arenas who spend gazillions of dollars in order to have the best equipment aren't taken all that seriously then?

 

[Lorax]

watched some of it, kind of amazing how fast some of those players shoot. too bad the camera angles don't really tell you what's going on.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Lorax
watched some of it, kind of amazing how fast some of those players shoot. too bad the camera angles don't really tell you what's going on.

Yeah. I think they could make it a lot more fun with a stationary camera that is well-placed, like in basketball, tennis, etc.

 

[swtethan]

you dont need all out guns, just good gun + skill +strategy

 

[MikeMike]

it was a speedball tourney, because speedball has suddenly taken over paintball and not your wooded attacks and stuff.

the guys were amazing, their gear was amazing, the amount of paint used was even more amazing.

if i could afford that much paint, i would still be playing.

 

[morkman100]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
it was a speedball tourney, because speedball has suddenly taken over paintball and not your wooded attacks and stuff.

the guys were amazing, their gear was amazing, the amount of paint used was even more amazing.

if i could afford that much paint, i would still be playing.

They spill more paintballs loading their hoppers than I used to use for the entire day!

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
it was a speedball tourney, because speedball has suddenly taken over paintball and not your wooded attacks and stuff.

the guys were amazing, their gear was amazing, the amount of paint used was even more amazing.

if i could afford that much paint, i would still be playing.

Yeah, it was something like a reload every 20 seconds, probably several bucks per reload. Plus there were some guys who seemed to spill half their load any time they made any move. I was thinking how stupid it was to have bad containers, because won't you lessen your team's chances if half your ammo spills as soon as you break?

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Go Sacramento!!!!

Yeah, I watched a couple episodes and it was entertaining, but it was like watching a round of CS:S from the overhead map.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Go Sacramento!!!!

Yeah, I watched a couple episodes and it was entertaining, but it was like watching a round of CS:S from the overhead map.

With announcers, though. Who seemed to see a lot more than humanly possible.

 

[AntMan530]

cant believe they were playing for 50k!

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Go Sacramento!!!!

Yeah, I watched a couple episodes and it was entertaining, but it was like watching a round of CS:S from the overhead map.

With announcers, though. Who seemed to see a lot more than humanly possible.

Forget the announcers. The refs are crazy. Dive behind barrier dodging fire and grope a player all over checkin for paint then dashing off again. That job could be punishment.

 

[sygyzy]

Are your questions serious? If so, I'll answer them.

 

[torpid]

Which questions?

 

[xanis]

Even though I dislike speedball, I found it pretty entertaining to watch. I'm used to slower-paced woodsball, but apparently I've been living under a rock because speedball is the new hotness... You're right, everyone essentially uses the same type of semi-auot marker. Dynasty has the Shocker, XSV has the Ego, Naughty Dogs have ICDs, but they all basically shoot insanely fast. It all comes down to what sponsor each team has and what marker they get provided with.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: torpid
Which questions?

In your original post. About what type of equipment they use and so forth. It's pretty clear you don't really know anything about the sport and I would gladly explain it to you if you'd like.

 

[ghost recon88]

Some people have too much time and money to be spending on hobbies like that IMO. I mean honestly, who ever thought "paintballing" could be a career, and that some multi-million dollar business would be sponsoring a "paintball" team. Ether that or I've just been out of it for WAY too long.

 

[SupaDupaCheez]

I didn't watch any of it (nor have I ever played) but it seems like 'helmet cams' on all of the players would be cool. They could always make a rule that if you get hit in the helmet, the shot doesn't count.

 

[silent tone]

I've seen past coverage of speedball tourneys and don't really get the appeal. Each match is over in 30 seconds and pretty much the same thing happens each round.

 

[Josh123]

I'd love to have the money to play speedball. I watched some of the coverage and wished I was there. I think its great having your adrenaline pumping in a situation like that. And just imagining getting to do that for a living........its kinda like people making a living playing computer games.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
In your original post. About what type of equipment they use and so forth. It's pretty clear you don't really know anything about the sport and I would gladly explain it to you if you'd like.

I didn't really have any questions, just noting surprise at how simple their equipment was. I have played several times, and each time I go we always go by fields of people where one or two guys, almost always overweight balding guys for some reason, have absurd rapid fire equipment and huge backpack reservoirs.

I had assumed that these were the "serious" players since I had not previously ever witnessed a tournament or other paintball event, but that is obviously not the case. The mortars thing was a joke. Grenades wasn't, though. I've seen people with those as well. In fact, one time when playing a stray grenade landed in my area. Fortunately it was as expected completely worthless and did not get any paint on me despite landing one inch away.

 

[GoingUp]

I like to watch Dodgeball on the Ocho

 

[torpid]

But, feel free to provide any insight. I don't claim to know anything about this sport, that is why I watched it.

 

[JDrake]

mmm paintball
but nope I missed it

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: sygyzy
In your original post. About what type of equipment they use and so forth. It's pretty clear you don't really know anything about the sport and I would gladly explain it to you if you'd like.

I didn't really have any questions, just noting surprise at how simple their equipment was. I have played several times, and each time I go we always go by fields of people where one or two guys, almost always overweight balding guys for some reason, have absurd rapid fire equipment and huge backpack reservoirs.

I had assumed that these were the "serious" players since I had not previously ever witnessed a tournament or other paintball event, but that is obviously not the case. The mortars thing was a joke. Grenades wasn't, though. I've seen people with those as well. In fact, one time when playing a stray grenade landed in my area. Fortunately it was as expected completely worthless and did not get any paint on me despite landing one inch away.

They might be what some people consider the "serious" paintballers but in my eyes paintball = war games, and that speedball crap is a disgrace. OMG I CAN BUY A FAST GUN AND LOTS OF PAINT I WIN! I realize it takes more skill than that since I have played both woodsball and speedball but woodsball is so much more fun and more difficult to master. I don't even know why they have flags out there, its not like you can capture the flag withouth eliminating everyone, they should just make it elimination. I loved when one of my friends would put on his ghillie suit and hide, waiting for an unsuspecting victim to get close. I started a paintball club in HS, we were nerds but it was awesome. We recorded history of our "battles." Some of my best times with my best friends.

On a side note, we made up a game called Gettysburg, where you take off your hopper and you only load balls one at a time into your gun. You play in an open field in lines across from each other like in the old "civilized" battles. If you got hit in the arm, you couldn't use it anymore, same with leg. 3 arm/leg shots and you die. Plus when you die your body can be used as cover by those who are alive. Its great with people shooting with one arm hiding behind other peoples "bodies." Try it with friends, you will be laughing for hours afterwards.

 

[quikah]

Yeah, they all have the basic same equipment, $1k markers and enough paint to cover a house. I think you are underestimating the equipment the pros use. They aren't the cheapo rental guns you get at the field, they are expensive.