[OBseRvATioNiST]

This post is directed to the ol' skool ballerz that remember when there was only one paintball league. When there was just the National Professional Paintball League. For those of you who never knew about back then, you might not understand where this is coming from. But those who do, read on. It's a testament to all of us who remember the NPPL for what it was. When we were all ballerz out for fun with our buddies from another coast! When there were no competing Series events and none of the political interference that has devastated our sport. It was just the NPPL. Now the NPPL is no more. But it's legacy will live on in those of us who remember what it used to be.

***

National Professional Paintball League. Gone! That ALONE is almost hard to bear for many ol' skool ballerz who can remember back when there was a time that this was the event to attend. The first national paintball series event of it's time and the only series paintball event in the world! Back then, every "pro" player practically knew all the names of other pro team's players because rosters didn't change on a weekly basis. Back then, the teams were more like a brotherhood, a family and a diabolical fraternal order of insane chaos and hilarious amusement! Going hard with ol' skool pumps and the Tippman .68 Carbines that are rec baller specials now! Remember when the Budd Orr blessed us with the Autococker and how every paintball manufacturer known to man made after market parts that we all had to have? Constant upgrades, constant color coordinating. It was endless! Remember when the gas guzzling Shocker first came and the divide it caused between die hard Cocker and Shocker fans? Back then, hyper tubes were the hottest fields to hit the scene! And most of the pro players you see today were snot-nosed trash-talkin' tweens with egos the size of your grandfather's balls! There are a lot of big names from then that have gone on to make the paintball industry what it is today. You know them as the owners of industry names such as DYE Precision, Smarts Parts, JT USA and many, many more. We have also seen big names fade away. But that is the way it goes. It's like hanging with your high school friends from freshmen to senior year. After that, you don't get to see all of those dudes often and when you do bump into them, some have gone on to bigger and better things while others are not so fortunate. Some just fade away. We all have our fade away favorites. Shout outz to all of them, where ever you are. Will Arroyo, what'z good?

There is so much more to say but let's hear what everyone else has to add. I'll post up more subjects of interest as this thread grows so post up. Say as much as you want to say about anything and everything to do with the ol' skool some of us knew up to the tragedy that the "race for TV" has unfolded before us. The realities of outside influence has hit us hard.

Where do we go from here?

[Dk-79]

I started playing in 2000. I'm nowhere near old school but I've been able to watch the sport go from the fun weekend outing to a no holds bars, disrespectful, blood sport.

I'll keep an autococker to show to my kids someday but the sport is eating itself and nobody cares. As long as they can get away with ramping, why should they?

On a side note, when I first met Chuck he was a completely pompous prick to me. He wouldn't even shake my hand. I've been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Oh Chuck, even if you're gone and hated my the paintball comunity.. I told you so.

[jorlax27]

freeflow cockers

[chain hang]

Even though im only 16 i started playing in 2000 and my favorite pb movie of all time has to be push with Image (before Trumama took the name of course), old school 'Avalanche w/ rocky Lasoya and Poorman, old school ironmen with bryon beni and shane when he still played and Wing's first year as a pro. I still play hyperball about every other time i go to the field. Now i wish ppl would just be laid back and not to concerned on what the latest trend is in the sport and just play to have fun with your buds and not worry about being the best all the time.

[FiresofSirius]

Ground Zero

[wwhooper]

Originally Posted by FiresofSirius

Ground Zero

And snipers.

[CarnageKid1]

Originally Posted by OBseRvATioNiST

This post is directed to the ol' skool ballerz that remember when there was only one paintball league. When there was just the National Professional Paintball League. For those of you who never knew about back then, you might not understand where this is coming from. But those who do, read on. It's a testament to all of us who remember the NPPL for what it was. When we were all ballerz out for fun with our buddies from another coast! When there were no competing Series events and none of the political interference that has devastated our sport. It was just the NPPL. Now the NPPL is no more. But it's legacy will live on in those of us who remember what it used to be.

***

National Professional Paintball League. Gone! That ALONE is almost hard to bear for many ol' skool ballerz who can remember back when there was a time that this was the event to attend. The first national paintball series event of it's time and the only series paintball event in the world! Back then, every "pro" player practically knew all the names of other pro team's players because rosters didn't change on a weekly basis. Back then, the teams were more like a brotherhood, a family and a diabolical fraternal order of insane chaos and hilarious amusement! Going hard with ol' skool pumps and the Tippman .68 Carbines that are rec baller specials now! Remember when the Budd Orr blessed us with the Autococker and how every paintball manufacturer known to man made after market parts that we all had to have? Constant upgrades, constant color coordinating. It was endless! Remember when the gas guzzling Shocker first came and the divide it caused between die hard Cocker and Shocker fans? Back then, hyper tubes were the hottest fields to hit the scene! And most of the pro players you see today were snot-nosed trash-talkin' tweens with egos the size of your grandfather's balls! There are a lot of big names from then that have gone on to make the paintball industry what it is today. You know them as the owners of industry names such as DYE Precision, Smarts Parts, JT USA and many, many more. We have also seen big names fade away. But that is the way it goes. It's like hanging with your high school friends from freshmen to senior year. After that, you don't get to see all of those dudes often and when you do bump into them, some have gone on to bigger and better things while others are not so fortunate. Some just fade away. We all have our fade away favorites. Shout outz to all of them, where ever you are. Will Arroyo, what'z good?

There is so much more to say but let's hear what everyone else has to add. I'll post up more subjects of interest as this thread grows so post up. Say as much as you want to say about anything and everything to do with the ol' skool some of us knew up to the tragedy that the "race for TV" has unfolded before us. The realities of outside influence has hit us hard.

Where do we go from here?

here is to the old days will done sir
fade away favorites: jax warros

and big up to chain-hang

[jorlax27]

lockout

[Tritonian]

I use to love playing ten man and especially playing in the woods toting those 2 special tubes of Pro Ball Platinum in white to knock the wood bunkers down!
Really want to bring back the ten man format for just 1 event a year if I can find a venue.Anyone game??? 1 woods field,1 hyperball field,1 airball(with the big Diablo mouth in the center)and 1 mounds field.
Long live Badlands Meat grinder Hyperball field!!

[bronc.v2]

10-man for life!

[LEE665]

Originally Posted by jorlax27

lockout

.

still have thier poster in my garage as we speak..



some of the kids on my team have seen it, and said, who's that ?...rofl..

[SmrtPrtsIon101]

Originally Posted by Tritonian

I use to love playing ten man and especially playing in the woods toting those 2 special tubes of Pro Ball Platinum in white to knock the wood bunkers down!
Really want to bring back the ten man format for just 1 event a year if I can find a venue.Anyone game??? 1 woods field,1 hyperball field,1 airball(with the big Diablo mouth in the center)and 1 mounds field.
Long live Badlands Meat grinder Hyperball field!!

Sounds like my field every weekend

[captainspaulding]

Originally Posted by Tritonian

I use to love playing ten man and especially playing in the woods toting those 2 special tubes of Pro Ball Platinum in white to knock the wood bunkers down!
Really want to bring back the ten man format for just 1 event a year if I can find a venue.Anyone game??? 1 woods field,1 hyperball field,1 airball(with the big Diablo mouth in the center)and 1 mounds field.
Long live Badlands Meat grinder Hyperball field!!

up until about two years ago I owned that diablo ten man field with the big mouth and the horned ball bunkers it had two GIANT y shaped bunkers for the snake. We played on it for the first time at world cup either 2000 or 2001
and it was sold to a field in CT.
we bought it from them and stored it for a few years, only used it a couple times. now it belongs to camelot paintball in chicoppee Ma.


I miss ten man
I miss pan am limited paint events
I miss WPF skyball
we were part of something special, something important (at least to us)
that was the golden age of tournament paintball
I miss those days.
I wish I could go back

[-FoCuS-]

I miss
Mech guns
Hyperball
10 man
Supair with tubes!
Paintball wasnt a bunch of winey kids
Skyball
Zap IAO
When the snake looked like a snake!

and that big diablo field we played on down here in coventry CT for a year or 2 the carwash thing was awesome. And chad owns it? now its contimated!

[TeamDarkRage]

Bandlandz for the win!!!!!!! The zipper is sick.. I miss that format 10man

[John]

Originally Posted by CarnageKid1

fade away favorites: jax warros

Haha, I played a couple events with them. They were a great 5-man team for sure. I just saw PGP (the owner) a couple weekends ago in Florida.

Originally Posted by jorlax27

lockout

Yeah, I played against them a lot when they were one of the top teams in the world. They were a real favorite with their old school black longsleeves. I still have one of those jerseys in my basement.

[BOOGPRO]

Umm just to clarify a couple of things.#1 NPPL wasnt the first national league .That honor gose to the Lively series.The NPPL was formed cause they wanted to change it from the way the Lively series was run and to make it a league for the players by the players.#2 Do not forget the Automag which most every old school baller had one at one time or another except for most west coast ballers for that was Cocker country for sure.When we used pumps dont forget the PMI pump line(which spawned Anihilators,Glenn Palmers designs) ,Phantoms ,Budd Orr Snipers(which became cockers)and the ever faithful Nelson 007.#3 The teams that have left us Swarm IL ,Lockout( which i won a world cup with) Image,Consant Pursuit ,Strange,Tour De Force,Predators and many many more.#4 the players who have left us like Oh the name you know or Vu the name you knew or the likes of Fred Schultz and Todd Adamson there are so many that i have seen come and go in my 27 years in the sport.So this holiday season raise your glass for a toast to the NPPL may it live forever in our memories of a good times and better persons that we will never forget.

[Warparty]

You beat me to it Boogpro. All to many people are not aware that with out the work of Jim Lively tournement paintball would never have gotten to where it is today. It is true that the NPPL took the tournement out of the woods, but every one needs to remember that it stands on the shoulders of giants.

[BrandonLambertson909]

What about winning or losing a game because you had to chrono OFF the filed.....WOW, those cuold be seriously intense moments waiting to get chronoed off.......please no beep, please...hahaha

[BOOGPRO]

LOL yeah those were tense moments and yes we lost a couple of games and tournys due to Beep beep beep then it was **** **** **** !!!!

[John]

Thanks for making me feel young Boogie. I got to see the last couple Lively events in the mid 90's and then play a solid decade in the NPPL. My first "national" events were played at the Splat-1 Indoor in Knoxville though.