Alpha Black

Oh please.

For every paintball player that actually makes a living playing paintball, without a day job, there are, oh, ALL THE OTHERS running around calling themselves "professional" when they live in their mothers' basements while not working at the Quick Stop.

There are a few truly professional paintball players.  Very, very few.  And even those are barely getting by.  Everybody else is just faking it to make themselves feel better.

The prizes in the tournaments aren't big enough, the sponsorships aren't big enough for true professionals.

There just isn't enough money in paintball to support a bunch of actual professional players.  There may come a time where paintball reaches the level of skateboarding, but that day is far away.  And even skateboarding has precious few true professionals.

As for real pro sports, like football, soccer, tennis?  That's another whole planet that paintball will never see.  Comparing paintballers to actual professional athletes in terms of their value or obligations as role models for society is absolutely and completely inane.

Comparing paintball to football is silly.

jmac3 wrote: They are not "true professionals", so I will not even argue if that is the point you are making.

I think most people will agree with that.

Clearly there is a lot more money in paintball now than there was before, but it's not exactly the same level as those other sports...

a5Tpp789 wrote: Susan Storm wrote: If you have a day job, you are not a professional athlete. no but they are sponsored . . . My wife's bowling team is sponsored; it doesn't make her a professional athlete. . . . and on espn . . . So are domino tournaments. . . . and the only reason pros have jobs is because it is a new sport . . . Translation:  Not yet a real sport. . . . (a fast growing sport) but think to skateboardibg when it was new give it a few years look at ollie lang The fortunes of one person does not a sport make.

a5Tpp789 wrote: and the reason alot of people hate this is because it will feed into the steryotype that us paintballs are playing pretend war when we play for the same reason that other people play football, baseball, basketball

I play to pretend War. You should try it too it's a hoot and a holler. I play to have fun not to make a living out of it. I wear cammo and i have a paintball gun that emulates a real world gun. I use Grenades and every bit of nasty technology such as mines and tanks and what ever I please. becuase it's my right to as an American.

Evil Elvis wrote: impulse! wrote: Yeah pro players get a couple cases of paint for winning a big tourny.... And oh they have no endorsements..... Go find a political thread. Name any who are in the same scale of the average profesional endorced player. And no need to be mean just because Clark crushed your point. Anybody with a gun named after them (Lasoya, Bonebrake etc.) Anyone who is pictured in ads wearing any gear I.E. Dye. They don't post for free pants and jerseys. a5Tpp789 wrote: no but they are sponsored and on espn and the only reason pros have jobs is because it is a new sport (a fast growing sport) but think to skateboardibg when it was new give it a few years look at ollie lang Paying for Tourney fees and paint doesnt really add up to making a living. And you can find OPSWAR a milsim show on the Men's Network on statalite and SpecOps is also having a MILSIM tv show called Armchair Commandoes that's in production as well does this legitimize MILSIm as well? or does that only work one way?

If they are playing scenarios and winning money then yeah. Or having endorsements in ads for gear.

impulse...most of them get their paintball payed for.

That's what a "pro" paintballer gets.(quotation marks for whole thread)

Paintball related nonsense for free. Hotels, airfare, guns, paint, etc..

Watch Heroes for a Day and tell me pro paintballers are getting paid.

The few with big names(Lasoya, Ollie) may be getting paid. I bet they even have a day job.

Some have jobs within the industry, but they still have a day job.

All those pros you've never heard of go home and work I am sure to pay the bills.


Edited by jmac3 - 29 January 2008 at 9:22pm

^^^Carl, did you notice he missed the entire point?  The discussion isn't about whether or not paintball is a sport, the question was if it is a professional sport.

I'm with those that scoff at the idea of it being a 'professional sport' Perhaps someday, but as of now, No. not even remotely close.

Why? because the money just isn't there. Are there big named companies clamoring to buy ad space during the commercials of an NPPL tournament? Negative.

Granted, this isn't the be-all end-all stipulation for the qualification of 'pro sports' but man, be real about it. Getting sponsorship isn't all that difficult if you've got any skills at all. A company is willing to pay a few bucks to get their name sewn on a jersey.

Susan's absolutely right. Until the day comes where those claiming to be 'professionals' can be complained about for being 'overpaid' and as soon as multi-million dollar contract negotiations between teams become SOP, it just ain't 'professional'

....you might jump on my examples as being too money oriented, but lets face it, THAT is what is dictating what is a 'professional' nowadays.

sad but true.

jmac3 wrote: I think half the people were arguing that people were saying it's not a sport, and half were arguing saying it's not a professional sport.I think that is where the confusion lies.

It is really neither.