Paintball on ESPN. This is not bad a blow to the sport

[SuddenOutburst]

I was watching RPM2day like a week ago, and they had a segment where like 10 Indy race car drivers were playin paintball, and what the cool thing was, They did it in a safe manner, and werent like freaking out when they got shot. It was kinda cool, they knew nothing about paintball, but who cares, they were having fun. But no one was being a Jackass and doing stupid ****. So maybe it help alittle. I dont know well, TEll me if you saw it.

[Kepow'Ob]

A long time ago, atleast two or three years ago, on ESPN2, they had a game of speedball. This was the first time I saw paintball, and was one of the things that made me want to play. It showed a touny or something, not sure (it was awhile ago), and was done really well from what I can remeber. I kept trying to find another game, but they I could never find one, anyone ever seen anything like this?

[tahoe80]

about 6 months ago, in the locker roomI saw a story on Foxsports about paintball. I'm pretty sure it was SC village but it was a great story. Wish I was at home to tape it when it aired.

It ended with the reporter grabbing an Angel and playing and pretty much looking like a total newbie but really showed paintball in a great light.

no of that "militia, military, war violence....bla bla bla" stuff just showing it as an alternative sport.

[Joel_5]

Yeah one day a long time ago i saw the end of a game on espn.(before i had ever played) I liked it and wanted to watch more but i never saw it again. A month or two a local news station did a report about paintball at a local tourney and i saw some guys i knew. They had a news guy go and play. He actually didn't do that bad.

[Gtbuck]

ESPN had a contract with the NPPL i think, or some other organisation. They showed some games from several tournaments for 2 or 3 years up until about 2 or 3 years ago then they never renued the contract, or either they dissolved it, either way they quit showing it and never picked it back up. There was an article on warpig about it at one time because they kept the broadcast schedule. don't know if it's still there though.

[The Cuban]

a few years ago i saw on espn a tourny game of speedball that the teams used 10 round "clips" that they loaded onto their standard feed markers.

[Mr. Y2K]

yes espn and the nppl had a contract. espn got all pissed off that the nppl would only run a hand full of tournys each year and they wanted to make it a weekly show, so espn tore up the contract and will probably never let the nppl back on the air. although I have been hearing that espn has taken back those remarks and is willing to talk to the nppl about having a monthly show again.

[PIG]

hey i heard that exact same thing acouplemonths ago eMagMan

[Iceman999]

yeh kepow'ob i saw that too. i could never find it again either. thats to bad though i would have kept watching it. im still waiting for the day that paintball will be back on espn.

[ToddsquaD]

Yeah I saw it one afternoon several years ago on ESPN2, but I never saw it again after that. It was really cool too, they had little cameras mounted under the barrels of some of the players guns so you could watch where they were shooting from a 1st person perspective. it ruled.... They could easily do a weekly show on paintball though. They could do product reviews on new equipment, reports on scenario games, tournaments, tounament coverage and all kinds of stuff. Kind of like a news show about paintball that would encompass the whole sport rather than just one specific crowd. It would certainly gain more viewers that way, as well as be more informative for the "non-player" who might be interested in learning more on the sport. I'm not saying dumb it down or anything, but maybe do it like "Motor Trend TV" does. Give all the info about products, (field test it etc) go to trade shows, tournaments and cover all the bases of paintball play rather than just a monthly show on the occasional tourney. Then they could dedicate some shows to tournament coverage when they come up. Sory for the long rant, but it's just my .02.....

SquaD

[paintballerguy13]

a while back 3 doors down(from my home town) did a concert back here in mississippi and all the radio stations, new stations, and my paintball field! sponsored it. it was great because all the radio dj's, news casters, and news crews came out to the field that day and they had it on tv for like an hour. it really hleped boost the sport in my area. i live in biloxi, mississippi which is by no means a small town, its a very big city, and too have all the radio dj's and news casters come out was just a great thing for us.i was even interviewed by one of the news casters becuase i was reffing and called him out :D

[pballer512]

has ne1 watched that show Manhunt on UPN?They make the paintball guns sound like sniper rifles!

[scantron]

i saw it
IT SUCKS
they ran up to people and shot them point blank and only got like three shots a game.

this show won't help paintball get ontv:tdown:

[PBalla(LCD)]

I remember flipping through the channels and seeing Paintball a few years or so ago. Too bad I was too young to care.

[Phoenix_T]

I also saw paintball on ESPN 4 years ago but it was banned from ESPN because many people wrote how they thought it was wrong to be shown on tv. I wish it would come back somehow because it is what got me really into paintball and I know i would try to watch or tape every game.

[Phoenix_T]

The speedball championships were 4 years ago but thanks to people whom thought this was wrong to show on tv it wasn't allowed to be shown anymore which sucks because that is waht got me into paintball. The only other time i have ever seen it was 2 years ago in the before the college football east vs west game it showed all 70 of the football players playing paintball down in Florida. However, this is all i have seen paintball and i wish that paintball would come back to ESPN because i know that i would watch or tape every game.

[oldyellr7]

Its so sad to be clicking through the channels and find 30 baseball games a day, but when we start looking for paintball, u see maybe a few a year. Something has to be done to improve this. Television is the way to american's heart, a few properly aired shows that display sportsmanship, teamwork, and safety is what the sport of paintball needs.

[Ak|rA`]

at the june event for the local series i play in (www.imageweb.org/icc) there was a brodcasting crew there...i'm not sure what station they were from, but they were interviewing people and even the cameraman and reporter had masks on even though they were on the "safe" side of the netting, which i though was cool.

[Bartman411]

Everyone who reads this, and wants paintball to be aired again, amail espn, and tell them that you want it to go back on, maybe if we get enough people then they will listen. It couldnt hurt.

[Phoenix_T]

Actually i have done that already, by emailing ESPN. All i got was a confirmation letter from ESPN saying they got my email but I am still hoping they take it seriously.

[EvolutionCocker1]

whats the phone number to call espn? i wanna have a little chat with them about showing paintball on there channel.

[Bartman411]

Ya, they're yet to email me back, and as far as the phone #, I have no idea, I looked on the site but couldnt find it. Good luck.

[lazysnowboarder]

If we all emailed them and found the phone number asking to put paintball on t.v and flood there message boards with paintball stuff then maybe just maybe they'll listen. Also, does nppl have phone number? maybe if we called them telling them to try to make ammends with espn for the sake of paintball they will.......

[phatboy]

Originally posted by scantron
i saw it
IT SUCKS
they ran up to people and shot them point blank and only got like three shots a game.

this show won't help paintball get ontv:tdown:
Yeah, and they wear shop glasses.

[Phoenix_T]

I dont know what some of you guys are talking about on how it sucked. I think you had a **** in your eye or something because what I'm talking about was the best beginning of Paintball on TV. It had great teams like the ironmen and it was 5 years ago so they may not have had the paintball we know today but i hate to tell you guys that it was the best and they should have it back on ESPN without a doubt.

[0oPezcoreo0]

They used to show paintball every saturday morning at 6am about 4 or 5 years ago.