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<channel>
<title>Paintball Guide | Published News</title>
<link>http://hype.pbguide.com</link>
<description>Your source for paintball link resource and latest paintball news</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:59:04 CEST</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
	<title><![CDATA[One Liners: September Week 2]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/one-liners-september-week-2/</link>
	<source url="http://paintballx3.com/latest/one-liners-september-week-2.html"><![CDATA[One Liners: September Week 2]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Keith Idema is doing his thing, In Mexico, schemer goes by 'Black Jack'The Master Blasters are Back!New Issue of Paintball SceneForest Brown, Founder of Farside, Challenge Park, Friend to the game of paintball, Passed AwayGet Sauced!Paintball on "Community"Paintball Videos from the 80sJunior Cadets & Paintball ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:59:04 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>paintball X3</category>
	<votes>1</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/one-liners-september-week-2/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Teeth Whitening at Home]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/gear-news/teeth-whitening-at-home/</link>
	<source url="http://www.teethwhiteninginstructions.com"><![CDATA[Teeth Whitening at Home]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Are you afraid to smile because of your yellow stained and discolored teeth?  Visit www.teethwhiteninginstructions.com to get free trial offer of an amazing teeth whitener and give yourself a big whitening smile. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:29:56 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>ellaoliver123</author>
	<category>Gear News</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/gear-news/teeth-whitening-at-home/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Buy Actos (Pioglitazone) without prescription.Antacids Drugs.]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-actos-pioglitazone-without-prescription-antacids-drugs-/</link>
	<source url="http://www.buyaldaracream.com/buy-actos.htm"><![CDATA[Buy Actos (Pioglitazone) without prescription.Antacids Drugs.]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Actos comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once daily with or without meals. Follow the directions on your label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Actos exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. <br /> <br />Actos is used, alone or in combination with other medications, to treat type 2 diabetes in people whose diabetes cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone. Actos is in a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones. It works by increasing your body's sensitivity to insulin, a substance your body produces to help control blood sugar levels. <br /><br />We are currently updating our information . <br /> ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:59:18 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>demon45</author>
	<category>Blogs</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-actos-pioglitazone-without-prescription-antacids-drugs-/</guid>
</item>

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	<title><![CDATA[Buy Actonel (Risedronate) without prescription. Arthritis Drugs Online pharmacy.]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-actonel-risedronate-without-prescription-arthritis-drugs-online-pharmacy-/</link>
	<source url="http://www.buyaldaracream.com/buy-actonel.htm"><![CDATA[Buy Actonel (Risedronate) without prescription. Arthritis Drugs Online pharmacy.]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Actonel comes as a tablet to take by mouth once a day. It is important to take Actonel 30 minutes or more before the first food or drink of the day other than water. Take Actonel in an upright position (sitting or standing) with a full glass of plain water (6 to 8 ounces). Do not take Actonel with mineral water, coffee, orange juice, milk, or other dairy products. Wait at least 30 minutes after taking Actonel before you eat, drink, or take other medications. Do not suck or chew the tablet; swallow the tablet whole. Do not lie down for 30 minutes after taking Actonel. Standing or sitting upright helps you get the full dose and decreases heartburn and the risk of injury to your esophagus. Follow the directions on your label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Risedronate exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. <br /> ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:57:47 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>demon45</author>
	<category>Blogs</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-actonel-risedronate-without-prescription-arthritis-drugs-online-pharmacy-/</guid>
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	<title><![CDATA[Buy Aciphex without prescription.Antacids Drugs Online pharmacy.]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-aciphex-without-prescription-antacids-drugs-online-pharmacy-/</link>
	<source url="http://www.buyaldaracream.com/buy-aciphex.htm"><![CDATA[Buy Aciphex without prescription.Antacids Drugs Online pharmacy.]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Rabeprazole (ra-BE-pray-zole) is used to treat certain conditions in which there is too much acid in the stomach. It is used to treat duodenal ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which the acid in the stomach washes back up into the esophagus. Rabeprazole is also used to treat Zollinger-Ellison disease, a condition in which the stomach produces too much acid. Sometimes rabeprazole is used along with antibiotics to treat ulcers associated with infection caused by the H. pylori bacteria (germ).Rabeprazole works by decreasing the amount of acid produced by the stomach.This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription  ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:55:21 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>demon45</author>
	<category>Blogs</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/buy-aciphex-without-prescription-antacids-drugs-online-pharmacy-/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[What is Tournament Paintball? part 3]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-3/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-3.html"><![CDATA[What is Tournament Paintball? part 3]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[It is evident now that competitive paintball is where the drive and desire to move tournament paintball into the realm of sport has taken us. It is what it is and it was inevitable. Competitive paintball will continue to develop. If the vehicle hadn't been xball it would have been something else. It is also evident that the current difficulties are the result of a number of factors some of which have nothing to do with playing the game. There will be no one stop easy fixes. Most of us  have no way to affect the outcome regardless. But there may be some things that can be done in the present to help build a more sustainable and broader tournament base.Before offering some practical suggestions I think it's also important to make the conceptual distinction between competitive paintball and tournament paintball. Of course both terms represent a form of competition but competition is also an aspect of all paintball. Today, wherever you are, the default definition of tournament paintball is related to the xball brand of competitive paintball. And if that is what potential and beginning tourney players think tournament paintball is they (and we) are limiting their options and reducing the number who will try it out. What I mean is the PSP needs to undo everything it's done in the last couple of years with the affiliates and universal classification. (Bet that got your attention.) No, that's not what I mean but I do think one option is to offer tourney play at the local level that isn't the first few steps up the national and international competition ladder. Alternatively (or in combination with) local and regional competitive paintball needs to lower the bar to participation.For example our local practice field also hosts a PSP affiliate series with the bulk of participating teams being D3, 4 &amp; 5. And what do those teams do to get ready for their next regional event? They spend their weekends scrimmaging each other full points and burn through paint at tournament rates. It hardly matters if the events themselves are reasonably priced if teams can't afford to practice. And they are preparing to compete this way because that's what we taught them to do. If that is the minimum requirement to compete in D4 is it any wonder we're losing teams?Let's review: At present competitive paintball is too expensive for its target demographic and simultaneously (and unnecessarily) restricts the opportunities of a significant number of the most dedicated players.What to do? We broaden the definition of tournament paintball in order to legitimize a wider variety of tournament options. (Sure, this already happens as a practical matter but only in a piecemeal haphazard way.) Lower costs for competitive paintball. Lower the bar to tournament play with alternatives to competitive paintball. Slow down the "career" track and also offer options that don't involve a "career" track. Reconnect with the disenfranchised players.(Sorry. No easy button involved. And if you're still uncertain I am not throwing the PSP or anybody else for that matter under the bus. The further sport paintball moves from generic paintball the more intermediary steps it needs along the way to provide a conduit of future players.)Ok, back to what to do. How to lower costs? Shoot less paint. Which can be accomplished a few ways. I do not favor limited paint or drastically lower ROF--at least not at the national sport paintball level of competition. Do not release the field layout prior to the event. (It's deja vu all over again. Yes, I've suggested this before.) Without the layout there's little point in shooting truckloads of paint weekend after weekend. Teams will have to adapt. Find new ways to train and not be forced by the system to try and keep up with the next team by shooting extreme amounts of practice paint. Teams could literally save thousands of dollars. The rest of my suggestions relate primarily to the local &amp; regional tourney scene. Lower the bar to tournament play. Something that is already happening in places. We need to see more generic 3-man and 5-man paintball events. And keep those players out of the UCP (Universal Classification Program) of APPA [or on an alternate local track] until they begin playing the bottom rung affiliate league events. We need some reseeding stand alone Open events. And for the time being we need to trim the number of total events down.The specifics aren't important. Different areas will likely require different choices but the baseline goals need to be the same. Entry level tourney play that doesn't require the dedication, commitment and expense of competitive paintball as a gateway opportunity. Keep it simple with 3-man and/or 5-man. No pre-release of the layout. Strictly limit who can play. (I'd be sorely tempted to disallow anyone with an existing APPA i.d. but there's probably some room for consideration there.) Simplify divisions. Want to limit ROF? Give it a try. Or limited paint? Sure. The goal is a low pressure tourney environment a step or two above walk-on play for the most part. Ranking should be seasonal as long as divisions remain competitive and keep those players off the UCP. Let them track at their own pace as much as and as long as possible. Those that want greater challenges will make the necessary moves on their own.The idea of open events is aimed at the D2 and D1 ranked players no longer playing because there are lots of them and very few options for them to keep actively involved short of trying to maintain a competitive commitment. Anyone can play an open event and skill level by team doesn't matter because by the final round of play all the teams are seeded against similar skill levels. Say the promoter decides on three divisions of play; A, B &amp; C with prizes tiered as well with A having the best. Every team that signs up has a shot at all three packages. The teams are assigned divisions randomly and Round 1 is played. The reseed puts the most successful teams in bracket A, the mid-pack in B and C for the rest. Round 2 confirms the seedings but also allows some potential movement. Reseed and play Round 3 and there you have it. Round 3 winners receive the prizes for their brackets. It's a good way for lesser teams to get to compete against better ones and at the end of the day still vie for prizes and/or trophies and it doesn't penalize any player regardless of classification status. There's also no reason not to run these kinds of events along with affiliate league play. What should be avoided is offering or trying to offer too many events over the course of the season. Too many choices dilutes the product and odds are, particularly in the current environment, the majority will end up picking &amp; choosing. Far better to have a few rock solid events in place early so teams can see it's a do-able schedule and plan ahead.A few words on the UCP. It's worlds better than it was. It's also appropriate for competitive paintball. I still wonder if it's flexible enough but I am not opposed to it or the concept behind it. I just think that in the here and now there is no good reason to push every tournament player onto a one size fits all fast track. Because it doesn't and there's no reason it should. What competitive paintball needs--among other things--isn't a larger pool of rec players but a larger pool of tournament players that have an opportunity to grow and develop at their own pace.This is hardly a conclusive post but it's a start. There's so much more to all this that hopefully I've made a dent. Regardless, I have no doubt it's a topic that will be revisited again and again. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:59:19 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-3/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Paintball News]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/paintball-news-1/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/paintball-news.html"><![CDATA[Paintball News]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[That's the forum over at TheNation and the specific item that caught my interest was a new billboard campaign from KEE. Check it out. What do you think? (Title is link.) ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:59:18 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>4</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/paintball-news-1/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Round End Table]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/round-end-table-1/</link>
	<source url="http://www.roundendtable.org/"><![CDATA[Round End Table]]></source>
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	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:50:27 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>daemonbs</author>
	<category>Blogs</category>
	<votes>5</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/blogs/round-end-table-1/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Gagnez un SAB Millennium 2010 chez Elite Paintball]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/gagnez-un-sab-millennium-2010-chez-elite-paintball/</link>
	<source url="http://www.speedball-world.com/gagnez-un-sab-millennium-2010-chez-elite-paintball-competition"><![CDATA[Gagnez un SAB Millennium 2010 chez Elite Paintball]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Elite paintball (Bretagne, Morbihan, Ploermel), déjà connu pour recevoir le TGO, organise un circuit Xball dont la première manche se déroulera le 17 Octobre prochain avec à la clef, pour le vainqueur du circuit, le terrain Millénium 2010 sur lequel se seront déroulées les 5 Manches. Les seconds vainqueurs recevront 50 boites de bille et les 3èmes l&#8217;inscription gratuite à ce même circuit la saison suivante. Des lots qui auront de quoi satisfaire les 3 premières équipes. Pour tous renseignement contacter Arno au 0686513733.<br />Dates :<br /><br /> 17 Octobre<br /> 20 Novembre<br /> 27 ... ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:59:14 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>speedball world</category>
	<votes>5</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/gagnez-un-sab-millennium-2010-chez-elite-paintball/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Free 72 Hour Trial Subscription to the Paintball Business Journal]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/free-72-hour-trial-subscription-to-the-paintball-business-journal/</link>
	<source url="http://paintballx3.com/latest/free-72-hour-trial-subscription-to-the-paintball-business-journal.html"><![CDATA[Free 72 Hour Trial Subscription to the Paintball Business Journal]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Sign up before September 22, 2010 and get $50 off a One Year  Subscription to the Paintball Business Journal Website (reg price is  $120 per year). Subscribers get access to all of the site's articles  (more than 100), and a year's worth of new articles published here every  Monday and Thursday. Pay here using PayPal and we'll get you started today. Sign up for a Five Year Subscription and pay just .50 cents per week.Free 72 Hour TrialIf you’d like to take the Paintball Business Journal for a FREE 72 Hour Test Drive, simply Create an Account  and we’ll set up your trial subscription, giving you instant access to  the entire site’s contents.  ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:59:03 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>paintball X3</category>
	<votes>6</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/free-72-hour-trial-subscription-to-the-paintball-business-journal/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[ARMY Rangers vs NAVY Seals OUTBREAK! Biological/Chemical Warfare]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/army-rangers-vs-navy-seals-outbreak-biologicalchemical-warfare/</link>
	<source url="http://paintballx3.com/scenario/army-rangers-vs-navy-seals-outbreak-biologicalchemical-warfare.html"><![CDATA[ARMY Rangers vs NAVY Seals OUTBREAK! Biological/Chemical Warfare]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[BYOP event, eight 1 hour missions, role playing, THOUSANDS in prize give aways, many vendors, HUGE Smoke bombs, HUGE Pyrotechnics, The GAUNTLET, and several paintball tanks including The JULIUS, BLACK PLAGUE, GRINDHOUSE, COSTIVINOUS, HERETANK, The A TEAM Van, and The MANWAGON. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:59:03 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>paintball X3</category>
	<votes>8</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/army-rangers-vs-navy-seals-outbreak-biologicalchemical-warfare/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Tippmann Expands Popular X7 Phenom Marker Platform]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/tippmann-expands-popular-x7-phenom-marker-platform/</link>
	<source url="http://thefordreport.com/2010/09/tippmann-expands-popular-x7-phenom-marker-platform/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tippmann-expands-popular-x7-phenom-marker-platform"><![CDATA[Tippmann Expands Popular X7 Phenom Marker Platform]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Since its introduction in late 2009, the X7 Phenom from Tippmann Sports has taken the paintball world by storm. Today, the company is proud to announce that the X7 Phenom platform is expanding with the introduction of a mechanical-only version of the popular marker as well as several new tactical-style magazines. The new mechanical-only X7 [...] ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:59:22 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>The Ford Report</category>
	<votes>10</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/tippmann-expands-popular-x7-phenom-marker-platform/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Valken Sports goes live with Shopatron]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/valken-sports-goes-live-with-shopatron/</link>
	<source url="http://thefordreport.com/2010/09/valken-sports-goes-live-with-shopatron/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=valken-sports-goes-live-with-shopatron"><![CDATA[Valken Sports goes live with Shopatron]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Valken Sports has put the finishing touches on their latest eCommerce system; SHOPATRON. This new system allows Valkens participating dealers to further-increase their retail sales and funnels local players in to their establishments. SHOPATRON will accept on-line orders from customers and will then send the orders over to the closest, stocking facility and the order [...] ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:59:21 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>The Ford Report</category>
	<votes>10</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/valken-sports-goes-live-with-shopatron/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Warped Paintball Park NPPL Affilate Event]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/warped-paintball-park-nppl-affilate-event/</link>
	<source url="http://paintballx3.com/tournament-press-releases/warped-paintball-park-nppl-affilate-event.html"><![CDATA[Warped Paintball Park NPPL Affilate Event]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Warped  Paintball Park is hosting another NPPL affiliate event on Sept. 25th -  26th.  Now's your chance to get a free NPPL entry into the Las Vegas  Championship! Check it out here. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:59:04 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>paintball X3</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/warped-paintball-park-nppl-affilate-event/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[September 2nd, 2010]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/september-2nd-2010/</link>
	<source url="http://thefordreport.com/2010/09/september-2nd-2010/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=september-2nd-2010"><![CDATA[September 2nd, 2010]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Everything found here was either directly observed by the staff, sent in by members of The Ford Report Mailing list, or quoted by anonymous Ford Report Minions. Keep in mind at all times&#8230; The Ford Report is for entertainment purposes only! Some of the things posted here may not be completely accurate. These posts may [...] ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:59:17 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>The Ford Report</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/september-2nd-2010/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[No Power in Heaven or on Earth]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/no-power-in-heaven-or-on-earth/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-power-in-heaven-or-on-earth.html"><![CDATA[No Power in Heaven or on Earth]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Can stand before the mighty Deadbox Puppet Army. I know, this isn't Friday and I normally do enlistments on Friday but it's been awhile--and I'm giddy as a schoolgirl--so here it is.VFTD is pleased (excited, thrilled) to welcome the latest recruits, j.c. &amp; Jonathan to the DPA. Thanks, guys!And to encourage some of you other slackers to consider enlisting I'ma take a minute and remind t.c. &amp; Jonathan of some of the perks in being a member of the DPA. The army will be mobilised, when the time is ripe, via message through the VFTD secret decoder ring. And there's the DPA secret handshake designed to reveal infiltrators and falangist scum. Along with the weekly email blast/newsletter that updates the truth in order to keep the revisionist lies of the power structure from weakening our resolve. Oh, and there's the T-shirt but its still in the design stage. And decoder rings are currently on back order. And I'm having a little trouble remembering the secret handshake and the database is a little thin since nobody actually registers--it's a security measure--but as soon as those kinks get worked out the DPA will function like a well-oiled machine. Join today and you too can be a cog in our machine. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:59:26 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/no-power-in-heaven-or-on-earth/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[A Pre-Monday Poll Query]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/a-pre-monday-poll-query/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/pre-monday-poll-query.html"><![CDATA[A Pre-Monday Poll Query]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[First, my apologies for the slow week of posting. I'm working on a new project while maintaining several older ones that are usually behind my ever optimistic scheduling without the added pressure of another competing project. Anyway, this is a first.I'm looking to you lot to supply answers for the upcoming Monday Poll. It's going to be a mostly just for fun poll so instead of you telling me afterwards what I should have done you get an opportunity to make this a better poll by offering up your insights in advance. Then if I don't use your answer you can tell me afterwards how much better the poll would have been if only I'd had the good sense to include your answer--which was obvious, brilliant, clever &amp; amusing. The trifecta plus one!The upcoming poll question will be: Why do referees huddle? It happens all the time. In PSP divisional and NPPL play it's usually ex post facto (after a penalty has been assessed) but on the pro field it also happens at times before a call is made but after a flag is thrown. I've often wished Derder or Social or somebody filming would jump in the ref's huddle like they do the players huddles but until we have conclusive video evidence of what's going on I want your answers. You've got the weekend to supply an answer or two--or even three--as the poll will go up Monday, with or without you. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:59:24 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/a-pre-monday-poll-query/</guid>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[What is Tournament Paintball? (part 2)]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-2/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-2.html"><![CDATA[What is Tournament Paintball? (part 2)]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Picking up where yesterday's post left off--(it's no longer yesterday unless you are willing to subscribe to a very loose or generous definition of "yesterday" but better late than never)(Right?)--the last thing I want to do is assign blame. Sure there were decisions made that people disagreed with, either then or later. Yes, there were decisions made that had little or nothing to do with the players. And hindsight is closer to 20/20 with the advantage of seeing how things turned out. But even with hindsight only a few things seem clear to me and I'm a lot more interested today in where things go from here than I am in portioning out culpability like Paintball's judge &amp; jury. It isn't going to change anything so what's the point?What does yesterday's brief history tell us, if anything? In pure numbers the largest events ever occurred after the woods were completely abandoned. Field size did shrink over the last dozen years but the biggest turnouts happened after most of the field shrink had reached present levels or were close to it. There was a dropoff with the introduction of xball but the numbers rose year to year until 2007, when WC fielded over 360 teams. And while 2008 was lower the numbers still topped 320 teams. Throughout the huge event era the 5-man turnout floated just below or above 200 teams. Capped ramping to 15 bps was the rule during a 4 year period during the build-up of xball. Prior to that actual ROF were all over the place as they have been all along in the various NPPL incarnations but not consistently crazy fast until the Halo hit the market. Today PSP is 12.5 for everybody. After an introductory season and the massive positive hype about HB the NPPL took off in year 2 with the 7-man format. One league focused on the perks and the other on the paintball. High end sponsorship dollars peaked around '05-'06. Both leagues were pursuing TV and the Russian Legion introduced a previously unseen level of professionalism in their organization and training. A level of professionalism the other pro teams needed to compete with to stay relevant.Today events take up less time than ever. Guns are still fast. Across the board officiating is about as good as it's ever been. Running events is almost clockwork these days and if you take paint tabs off the table going to an event is still expensive but adjusted for inflation not a lot more expensive than it ever was. So how to explain the decline?Some want to place the start of the decline before the current and ongoing general economic malaise with the flattening of industry sales. The idea being the sales numbers were indicative of a drop off in new players entering the game and the trickle down eventually has impacted tourney ball. (The player spigot got turned off and it took awhile for the reduced flow to reach the tournament faucet.) I find that explanation less than persuasive in part because the industry downturn was at least partly self-inflicted in my estimation. (Most of the rest of the conventional wisdom fits in here as well. Stuff like ROF chased newbies away. Funny thing is I think there has been a trickle down that has affected tourney play.) The last two years WC has had 191 and 183 5-man teams signed up with both years at well over 300 teams total. The consequential decline was during the season at the NOT World Cup events and, of course, all this year. What I think is fair to say is that the level of growth we were used to stopped prior to the full effect of the recession hitting. But at this point the economy at large is depressing competitive paintball across the board--along with pretty much everything else.Here's where I take the leap and offer a different--if not altogether new--analysis of the situation. Some of the pieces remain the same, just re-ordered a bit. (This is, btw, focused primarily on the PSP, and its sphere of influence, as the larger more active league. That and NPPL 1.0 &amp; 2.0 mostly self-destructed.)The first piece of the puzzle was the move to xball. Xball was intended to be a format compatible with and comparable to mainstream sports. It was designed for TV and it skewed tournament paintball's core demographic younger. (The younger demo has less resources and less ability to organize.) Until this last year the classification system pushed too many players up the ranks--and during part of that period it was done by design as a way to try and fill the upper ranks. Instead, it dumbed down the skill level and pushed players (not teams) into ranks that made it difficult for them to continue competing at the national level and almost impossible at the local and regional level. (None of the PSP affiliates operate a division above D2.) The last piece of the puzzle is what I'm calling the sports mindset--which is something that was cultivated in the xball era. At the pro level the arrival of the Russian Legion and the drive toward a truly professional league pushed all the top teams to develop more formal organizational structures along with expanded training &amp; practice routines. (It also drove up the team costs that have since forced teams to drop out.) And that attitude--along with a practice regimen--trickled down the divisions. Which isn't, of itself, a bad thing but it has changed the definition of tournament paintball. It isn't your Daddy's tourney ball anymore. It's demanding, it's expensive and it has raised the entry bar to potential new players and teams. The end result has been an artificially short competitive paintball "career" for players starting at a younger age in a more expensive, cutthroat version of what used to be tournament paintball. Tomorrow (eh, next time) what to do about it.  ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:59:21 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/what-is-tournament-paintball-part-2/</guid>
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<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Over at ProPaintball]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/over-at-propaintball/</link>
	<source url="http://viewfromthedeadbox.blogspot.com/2010/09/over-at-propaintball.html"><![CDATA[Over at ProPaintball]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[Is the first part of a multi-part series entitled, Anatomy of a Pro Paintball Roster. It's terrific. Just the sort of thing I'd do if I wasn't a lazy slacker. Be smart and check it out.Oh yeah, link is the post title. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:59:20 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>View from The DeadBox</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/over-at-propaintball/</guid>
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<item>
	<title><![CDATA[Xclusive Review: BT Pro Pants and Jersey]]></title>
	<link>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/xclusive-review-bt-pro-pants-and-jersey/</link>
	<source url="http://paintballx3.com/gear/xclusive-review-bt-pro-pants-and-jersey.html"><![CDATA[Xclusive Review: BT Pro Pants and Jersey]]></source>
	<description><![CDATA[  Tournament paintball players used to have all the fun. They got all the technology, money, ingenuity and style the paintball industry could muster thrown at them on a regular basis while the recreational and scenario players either picked up the scraps or waited for a trickle-down. Times have changed and the paintball world has finally figured out that recreational paintball drives the industry, tournament paintball is contracting and scenario play continues to grow. Proof that the paintball industry has recognized this shift is are a host of new and well-designed products specifically targeting serious scenario players like the new Pro pants and jersey from BT Paintball. ]]></description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:59:04 CEST</pubDate>
	<author>pbguide</author>
	<category>paintball X3</category>
	<votes>7</votes>
	<guid>http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/xclusive-review-bt-pro-pants-and-jersey/</guid>
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