XML FeedsI Understand VS Respecting Paintball!
By TB on Mar 5, 2012 | In TB's Soapbox
So I decided today to compare two movements in paintball right now. I am sure based on my previous posts that people have visited the Respecting Paintball Facebook page and if not, here take a look: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/117454714983147/ or you can head over to their website: http://www.respectingpaintball.com/. Yes I know I am sending them traffic but it's ok, as I only have 30 people a month read this, so I am sure I will not overwhelm their servers. ;) I got to say that these people set themselves up pretty high in paintball as the moral compass that EVERYONE should be compared to. IN fact, if you choose to disagree with them then you are outcast, banned and even black balled. I am not the first, nor will I be the last. Like all things human, a pecking order has developed and much like any other forum out there, the people in charge get to say and do whatever they want in the name of the cause that they have chosen. Compare Ed Rieker and PB Nation to Mike Phillips and Tech PB and then compare both of them to Respecting Paintball and Tina "Golden Girl" Ruzzo. It is all the same, the message may be different but the effect on the glue eaters psychology is the same. The funny thing is when these people have to interact or fail to do so for the 'Good" of their cause whatever that is. It is rather laughable and pathetic, but I digress.
Here is the newest movement on FB, I Understand (http://www.facebook.com/groups/277389755664069/). This is based on a set of papers that Billy Smith of Low Country Paintball has everyone read before his games. In fact he reads them and even interperts them for the slower people in the crowds or even the people who look for the gray areas. He is pretty emphatic that this set of guidelines is as stringently enforced and the rules of play for the game/field. But lets compare the two shall we? For those that don't want to visit either page. Here is a quick breakdown:
Respecting Paintball Pledge
I WILL BE UPFRONT, HONEST AND SHOW INTEGRITY AT ALL TIMES.
I WILL HAVE COMPLETE RESPECT FOR THE GAME AND ALL PLAYERS.
I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
I WILL NETWORK AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR MY NEIGHBORING TEAMS.
I WILL HELP PUSH THIS SPORT FORWARD ON A POSITIVE PATH.
I WILL POST, COMMUNICATE AND SHARE EVENTS FOR ALL PAINTBALLERS.
I WILL NOT HAVE TO ASK FOR RESPECT ON THE FIELD, I WILL EARN IT.
copyrights Tina Ruzzo/ Golden Girl
And now I Understand
I Understand...
1) I understand I am entering a paintball game where I may be and more than likely will be shot, sometimes even overshot and it will cause pain, bruising etc.
2) I understand there may be players on the field who play aggressively or in an aggressive manner. That is their perogative to play that way.
3) I understand that the referees are here for my safety and to enforce game rules and I will not argue with their decisions, regardless of whether I agree with the decisions made.
4) I understand I must abide by all rules provided by the producer for this event and not doing so may cause my ejection from the game.
5) I understand I am entering this contest to play against players who may be of a better caliber than me and I appreciate the challenge.
6) I understand I may be overshot in certain situations and accept that as part of this type of game.
7) I understand I should read and understand all rules for this game and be governed by those rules accordingly.
8) I understand I must use event paint only at this event. Any other paint used will cause me to be removed from the facility without a hint of remorse from the staff.
9) I understand I SHOULD CONSULT THIS FORM BEFORE CONSULTING THE REFEREE OR PRODUCER.
10) I understand this game is for fun and should be played in a manner to ensure all players enjoyment.
11) I understand I am to be respectful to all staff and referees as well as management of this game.
12) I understand that if my team is losing, it is not the producers fault, the referee, the paint or the air guys fault. Maybe the other team is just better and complaining because my side is losing will not help in the least.
13) And finally, I understand that I am playing this game of my own free will and I am free to leave the premises of this game at any time I am not happy. I understand that the producer, paint vendor, referees and air guy are really trying hard to provide for me and a lot of other players an enjoyable game, and if for some reason that I cannot find my happy spot, it is not their fault. My griping and complaining about how I was overshot or the other team is a bunch of aggressive meanies or even the refs are cheating is really pointless and probably one sided, so I am deciding here and now to enjoy this game to the fullest.
By signing below I am signifying that I have read the above and I understand all that is stated above and that by signing below I am agreeing with all that is written above.
Name______________________________________________________ Date_____________________
The above document was handed out at LCP via Billy Smith, property of Billy Smith and LCP.
Which would you prefer? I am going to leave this for a few days and then I am going to come back and discuss some more about these 2 groups and the high hypocrisy of 1 vs the standard of the other. Can you guess which is which? Better yet if you read the pages and see some of the comments going on in both of them can you make your own determinations about the ability of the people in charge of these groups to hold themselves and their "friends, supporters and groupies" in check?
6 comments
I liken their mentality to going to church. To keep in good faith with the church, they pass around a collection plate and tell you the more you add, the better chances you will get into heaven. Yea Right, go sell your snake oil to someone else. 
LCP "I understand" - excellent, tell it like it is."Respecting paintball" - fuzzy open to personal interpretation. I started a long item by item break down of this but don't have the oommph for it, but 'respecting paintball' to me does not mean playing 'nice' it means playing the game fully, not playing ay half speed becasue that's all your opponent can match.
"Fuck the other team" -Slogan seen on T-Shirts @ Viper Paintball's Twilight Zone 3: Stonehenge, Brazos Survival Games, Sugarland, TX.My my, how times change.
I still don't think you can all get along. Never, ever will.
The fact that there are even two, competing lets-all-get-along memes proves me right.
Damn, I had forgotten LCP's paper. I loved it the first time I read it.ALL fields should have this everytime they hold a scenario. It might not get through to everyone who reads it, but as long as it gets its message through to some of the 'usual' whiners, mission accomplished.
To me the Respecting Paintball movement is more geared toward the walk-on and backyard ball crowd. Basically it is a good mentality for recreational "It's only a game so lets all have fun" play. The I Understand movement appears to be geared more toward competitive play. Some of the points really drive home that events are by nature competitive aspects of the sport. Points 1 and 6 basically state that when you are shot out you need to exit quickly and make it known you are eliminated. Points 2 and 5 enforce what most should already know, most people play to win and there is always someone better than you.
Personally I like #5 since the best way to improve is to go against someone of greater skill.
On the surface I have no real problems with the list of ideals from the "Respecting paintball" camp. What I see as the problem is they have a difficult time with living up to their own ideals. Basically making that a moot article, I have to go with "I understand" as a much stronger base. If you don't understand, you can always ask and witness these understandings in action. As it goes now, you can't witness the "respect" in action as they are already excluding players from the ALL PLAYERS category. But then again, TB is trying to show them the hypocracy that they live by and they just don't get it.
| « Paintball mil-sim with Hezbollah | Fear is the mother of morality or The Ban TB Association is working overtime. » |
