“Spyder is pleased to announce their premier sponsorship deal with the NPPL, and their latest paintball series to be featured on Fox Sports Net, Xtreme Paintball, Beyond the Paint. The 13 episode series will air on Fox Sports Net every Tuesday at 4:30PM, starting October 2nd running through December 25th. Spyder is proud to be a presenting sponsor of this television series that will highlight players on and off the field, including JC Whittington and Wayne Davis from Spyder sponsored team Bad Company. Go inside the lives of these players on and off the field to experience an action packed television series.

Spyder will premier a 30-second commercial clip during each episode featuring the Spyder VS1, EMR1, and XTRA paintball markers. Click here to view the Spyder Commercial.

We are proud to be a major sponsor of the NPPL, and now the Xtreme Paintball television series to be featured on a nationwide network. Help us spread the word on this television series so we can continue the growth of this fast paced, widely addictive sport. Show times are listed below.”

2007 Schedule on Fox Sports Net

October 9, 2007: 4:30PM
October 16, 2007: 4:30PM
October 23, 2007: 4:30PM
October 30, 2007: 4:30PM
November 6, 2007: 4:30PM
November 13, 2007: 4:30PM
November 20, 2007: 4:30PM
November 27, 2007: 4:30PM
December 4, 2007: 4:30PM
December 11, 2007: 4:30PM
December 18, 2007: 4:30PM
December 25, 2007: 4:30PM

Here is a scenario: The round is coming to a end, it is you versus one other player. You feel confident behind your marker. You can see the win right in front of you, the two of you are in a gun battle, both snap shooting when you see it. The paintball that will end the round coming out of your barrel. You can tell that it is headed straight for the opponents chest. You pull back into your bunker so that a random shot from your foe does not hit you. After a second or two you peak back out just in time to see the ref all over him, checking for a broken shot. You know that its over. You proudly walk out of your bunker to get the flag and hang it for a team win. Then all the sudden you feel a paintball smack against your back, the thoughts of another player still in the game rush through your head. That is when your turn to see the very player you eliminated double taping his trigger. How could it be? You shot him. You ask the ref in confusion, He was out right? That is when you realize, your paint didn’t break. That your shot was probably a bounce. You walk back to the side line frustrated. This loss was mainly due to a simple choice of paint. You decided to save a few bucks by purchasing the cheapest paint when your opponent, the one who shot you decided to spend a little extra and get the good stuff.

As the scenario demonstrated, paint is important. In all my years of playing I have had this same scenario happen to me from both ends of the story countless times. These little “life lessons” have taught me that winning is easier to achieve when you have better stuff. This applies to paint. Most people use the common 35-45 dollar cheap paint. If they knew the difference between the “cheap paint” and the “expensive paint” they would have no problem spending an extra few bucks to get it.

A great example of paint that really works is GAP or Great American Paintballs. GAP is a little known and even littler used paint supplying company that sells amazing stuff. GAP sponsors the well known pro team Dynasty, but does not distribute much to local fields due to revenue for the second hand seller. GAP paint is high quality paint of which is less likely to bounce than almost all other paint. GAP is a prime example of the better paint that for a couple more dollars will go above and beyond your expectations.

Paintballs are still seen as an insignificant accessory of the game though few know hey can make the difference between success and failure. Should you sell all your paint right now and get better stuff? No. Stick with what you like, as long as it is reliable. But next time you are at the field, and are given choices such as low grade, mid grade, and premium, go with the premium, and make your choice on what to use in the future.

Dre Witczak

PBMansion.com

I will post more information as it becomes available to me.

Nick Marmol

Joy division defeated All Americans in two straight games, Joy takes third place, and All Americans finish with fourth. The first game between Dynasty, and Infamous results in a draw, but in the two games following, Infamous put up a good effort, but fall short to Dynasty’s onslaught and lose their next two games. Infamous end up in second place, and dynasty takes first and the grand prize of $25,000.

Check out the scored from the boston event.

Pro

1. San Diego Dynasty
2. Los Angeles Infamous
3. Stockholm Joy
4. Pittsburgh All Americans

Semi-Pro

1. SA X-Factor
2. SD Aftermath
3. Boston Paintball
4. Redz Infamy

Division 1

1. Rock-It Kids
2. Naughty by Nature
3. Dynasty Entourage
4. Miami Devious

Division II

1. SCP Epic
2. NEX
3. Splat Kids
4. STD Factory

Division III

1. FYT
2. Team RNT
3. Air Assault Factory
4. Storm Riders

Keep Checking back for more event coverage, and player interviews

Nick Marmol

PBMansion

Sponsors can be a great help to a beginner team, amateur teams, and even professional teams, but be careful which sponsors you choose for your team as they may end up being a demoralizing choice, or a wasted effort. From experience, I can say you will want to avoid hand out sponsorships that offer nothing but insignificant discount percentages. You may be excited to land your first deal, but you don’t want to get caught up in a contract deal for discounts that will not help you at all. One sponsorship I would recommend for your team’s first year is Redz Comfort where your team can purchase matching gear at cheap prices. Never accept a hand out sponsorship just for the sake of collecting as many companies as possible as “Sponsors.” If you did not have to create a sponsorship resume to gain sponsorship, chances are your sponsor is a wasted effort.

Below are requirements a lot of companies consider a necessity in order to earn a sponsorship.

• Team must have at least one team consisting of at least five players.
• Team must compete either locally or nationally, and must have tournament experience.
• Team must provide a full length, in depth sponsorship resume.
• Team must regularly provide in depth team updates to their sponsorship representative.
• Team must have a Website.

When you are a beginner team, try not to stress over getting sponsors, you should try to work out deals with local fields where you can get entry or paint discounted or free so you can practice cheap. Aside from practice, tournaments should be your number one priority. Try to place high in as many tournaments as possible. You should start with rookie tournaments so you have better chances. Once you get some tournament experience, and some 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place wins, you will be more likely to land a good sponsorship deal.

When you finish your first season with some successful wins, and you have picked up some decent sponsors, you will want to try to talk to your sponsor representative to get better deals for the new season. You should offer your opinion on what you think is fair, and ask the representative what he thinks. From there, you should be able to agree upon a reasonable deal. In addition to working out better deals with current sponsors, you may want to sign new sponsors, and drop some old ones. By this time you should have some basic knowledge down on how to approach a sponsor, and what kind of information to put on a resume. You will get better and better at working out deals as you get more experience with it, but dropping a sponsor will always be an awkward task. You should always think of the best way to express how the company is not meeting your needs, and can no longer offer you the assistance you need. remember though to do this in a mature and respectful manner because each and every sponsor should have been an important milestone in your paintball career, and you may run into this company as a sponsor later down the line.

When you send a sponsorship resume, companies will look for all of this information inside.
Top of page:

• Team Logo
• Team Name
• Team Website
• Team Owner
• Team Owner E-Mail Address
• Team Owner Address
• Team Captain(s)
• Date (mm/dd/yyyy)

Body of resume

• Team Summary with action pictures, and off field pictures. (2-3 Paragraphs)
• Team Goals (2-3 Paragraphs)
• Team Roster, include following information:

Picture:
Name:
Age:
Years of Experience:
Marker:
Hopper:
Mask:
Pants:
Pack:

Body (continued)

• Previous tournaments and standings
• Current sponsors
• Any important Information about your team
• Background information on team members (not relevant to paintball)
• What can you offer your sponsors in return.
• What do you look for in a sponsor

End of Resume.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the basics of a paintball sponsorship resume, try submitting your teams resume to these recommended sites:

PBMansion-Paintball Mansion

Redz-http://redzcomfort.com/sponsors.asp

Dye-http://www.dyeprecision.com/sponsorship.html 

Karnage Paintballs-http://www.karnagepaintballs.com/custompages.php?id=16

Good Luck,
Nick Marmol

THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY GUNS!!!! there are a lot more out there, but these are probably your best bets since they are commonly used and easy to maintain. (most)

Tippmann 98 custom BASE: 139$

The 98 custom is considered a tank due to it being virtually invincible. Being an Open-Bolt semi-automatic marker it lets the user learn to play the game easily. With a simple upgrade, this can turn into an electronic marker, but at a high price (150-200$). The electronic version can fire automatic, semi, Auto-response, 3 shot burst, and turbo. Very reliable. Heavy. Best used for beginning woodsball play.

Smart Parts Ion: $180-$220

This marker is very easily changed to suit your mood, Body kits are interchangeable so you can put on a new color when you feel like it. Customization is decent, and it has an Impulse threaded barrel. With 17 balls a second and four firing modes (Auto, Semi, Burst, and “Rebound”) this is a decently fast marker. An anti-chop system and a light body also make this gun easy to use, a nice choice for a beginner with speedball in mind. It is also very easy to take apart because it has so few parts where as Tippmans, for example, arguably are slightly harder to take apart. This gun can take Co2 with an anti-siphon tube, but it is not recommended.

Spyder Imagine: $100-$115

At $108 this Marker is a bargain. The Three firing modes are Semi-auto, auto, and three shot burst. 14 balls a second and a rear cocking system makes this gun pretty comfortable. Vertical ball feed, tournament velocity adjuster, and an expansion chamber are some handy features too… This is a great beginner gun and in my opinion is probably right up there with the Tippmann as a beginner gun.

Bushmaster B2K4 with PDS: $215-$230

This marker has 36 cycles per second and a “Cocker” Threaded barrel making it very easy to find a aftermarket barrel. It has a dual ball detent to put a stop to double firing. Also, having a four way adjustable trigger makes it VERY comfortable to fire. For 250$ its a decently nice beginner marker.

Diablo Wrath: $250-$275

This is a step up from an entry level marker. Some features:
-Air Ram Operating System
-LCD Trigger Frame
-HPR and LPR
-Quick strip bolt
-Clamping feed neck
-Dual Break Beam Eyes
All in all thats pretty much all you need to know about the wrath, what you get is just that, a step up from an entry level marker.

Tippmann 98 Custom Pro: $140-$175

This is a little bit better than the 98 custom. With a longer barrel, the option of an e-grip (Makes the marker electronic) or a Response trigger, a drop forward, and a double trigger. Not bad if you are planning to put an e-grip on it since it already has a fine trigger.

Tippmann A-5: $230-$260

The Tippmann A-5 is a paintball marker with the patented Cyclone Feed System. The Cyclone Feed System Links the Feeder Sprocket to the Air System. The Faster you shoot, the faster the Tippmann A-5 feeds. Pull the Trigger 15 times a second, and the Tippmann A-5 feeds 15 balls per second. The Tippmann A-5 can also be heavily upgraded, there are e-grips, response triggers, and much, much more, I must say, it is a very hot gun. Like the 98 custom, this gun can be customized to scenario needs as well, with many upgrades to make it look like an AK, or an M-16, it’s a good gun if you don’t mind the bigger cyclone feed on the side instead of buying an electric hopper.

Pirahna R6: $115-$130

This is your average Semi-Automatic paintball marker, with an aluminum threaded barrel. This marker is corrosion resistant due to it being made of aircraft grade aluminum. With a price of only $120 this is a very in-expensive and heavy duty paintball marker.

Triumph XL, XT, EXT: $100-$170
XL: This is a Semi-Automatic paintball marker under the name of Triumph ( A company owned by Tippmann). This marker looks to be designed for the entry-level speedball player. It has a composite body similar to the grip frame of an A-5, and a center feed-neck like most speedball markers.

XT: Essentially the same thing as the XL, but included is an expansion chamber, a longer barrel and a grip on the front of the marker.

eXT: The same thing as the XT only it has an electronic grip built in so you have four firing modes instead of 1; Single shot, three shot burst, Safty full auto at 12 BPS, and Safty full auto at 15 BPS. This would make a very nice Entry or mid level speedball player. Upgrades may come soon but I really haven’t seen anything for it yet except barrels.

Spyder Pilot: $100-$140

The Spyder Pilot is a nice gun for beginners. It is electronic and comes with an anti-chop bolt so it’s harder to chop a ball. This gun is pretty fast for it’s price and is recommended for beginners.. They don’t make a lot of upgrades for this gun but there are always barrels and those types of upgrades.

ICD Promaster: $230-$255

The Promaster is a pretty nice gun if you discovered that you like paintball and you want a gun that still fits your budget. This and the Ion are about equal, I would say the promaster is a little better out of the box. This gun takes “Cocker” threads and like most electric guns, has eyes.

Spyder VS2: $230-$255

The VS2 is a nice gun for it’s price. It’s on the same level of the Ion and the Promaster out of the box. It has been controversial whether this gun can take Co2 or not. Some people say it can and some say it can’t. The VS2 has an On/Off, Clamping feedneck, eyes, 2 piece barrel, and an Infinity trigger. Nice gun for the price.

BT-4: $90-$130

The BT-4 is the exact same as the Tippmann (Basically). In fact, the BT in Bt-4 stands for Ben Tippmann. The creator of the BT series. This is a good gun if you are planning to go into scenarios and want realism as a factor.

Spyder VS1: $130-$150

All the VS1 is, is basically a downgraded version of the VS2. This gun can take Co2 because it doesn’t have the same regulator as the VS2 and the VS3. This gun is a good choice for beginners, it also has eyes so you don’t break a ball.

I would say for all these guns I wouldn’t go crazy on the hopper, at the most get an Evolution II but your best bet is just to get an Viewloader revolution, just because then you don’t have to keep shaking and shaking the gun to get the balls unclogged and mix ‘em up… Some guns like the Ion, VS2, Promaster, Bushmaster, Wrath, would probably need a Evolution II at the least.

Barrels: When it comes to barrels and guns in this price range, don’t go crazy.. try to go for a 20-40 dollar barrel at the most.. If you can find used, that’s even better. Get about 20-50 bucks off just because someone else had it before you. go for a 12-16 inch barrel. I have a 14″ and I like it.

What are eyes?: Eyes are just a detection system that only lets you shoot if it senses a ball is in the breech of the gun. Once the ball passes the eyes, the gun will be able to shoot. THIS IS NOT THE SAFETY/ON OFF BUTTON. I’ve seen accidents happen because people put the eyes on thinking that there is no ball in the gun and it goes off. Just because they are too lazy to put the safety on/ turn the gun off. This is a system that makes it so that you don’t chop a ball in half due to your hopper not feeding fast enough and etc.

You can find all of these paintball products at PBMansion’s Paintball Store

You can view all of our previous winners here:
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
May 2007

Thanks for reading,
Nick Marmol
Paintball Store

Nick: First, I would like to say thanks for being a part of this interview, and the first player interviewed by PBMansion.

Bobby: It’s my pleasure.

Nick: So how does it feel to know that you will be one of the youngest professional players in this sport, are you excited to get to play with your new team?

Bobby: Absolutely, I played with The palm beach vipers the past 3 events I have learned a lot about how to play paintball. I have been Helping the Ironmen the entire time I have been playing for the Vipers so I have learned double, if not triple. And now that I know I will be playing with the Ironmen, not just talking with them, I know that I will Learn even more and become a MUCH better paintballer.

Nick: How do you think you excelled so fast in the sport, what would you say helped you get to the point you are at now?

Bobby: Watching, Listening, Drilling. Watch the pro’s, listen to what they say, drill it over and over and over again.

Nick: What was your motivation to move forward in this sport?

Bobby: To be the best.. that’s why everyone should do anything. If you just play to play, what is that doing your team and yourself? I think that if you have no ambition to play a sport then you should not play competitively. you should want to be the best at everything you do, there should be no half assing it.

Nick: When you started paintball, was your goal to become a professional, or were you just playing for fun?

Bobby: I first started playing in the woods for fun. Just with friends, and then I was introduced to tournament paintball; and I was immediately hooked into wanting to be a professional.

Nick: When you started competitive play, was your family supportive?

Bobby: Not entirely, they for saw it to be kind of a pointless dead end hobby. Then I dragged them to a national event where they finally saw it as a sport. Ever since they have been fully supportive.

Nick: Before you got on the Ironmen, who was your favorite player, your inspiration to reach the level you are at now?

Bobby: Obviously everyone looks up to Oliver, he’s a great guy and he knows the game to an incredible extent. But I looked to everyone of the Ironmen for inspiration, Especially Billy Wing. I could just sit down next to him and talk paintball with him for an hour at a time about the game and situations we’ve seen and tournaments we’ve played in. I look to all the Ironmen for inspiration. Brandon Short, Ryan Williams, Billy Ceranski, Marcello Margott, the whole roster, Inspiration.

Nick: Being such a young player, what are your feelings knowing you will play alongside great players such as Mike Paxson, and Oliver Lang?

Bobby: They are normal guys with normal intentions, I have hung out with all of them on a normal basis which is huge for me. I look forward to playing along side them and learning the game from them as much as possible.

Nick: At what age did you start paintballing?

Bobby: I was, I Believe 9. It was over summer break

Nick: What was it about paintball that got you hooked on the sport?

Bobby: The adrenaline rush for sure. Living behind a gun and battling for your life. It’s just plain out fun. It’s never the same.

Nick: What kind of advice, or tips would you give new players to help them excel in the sport?

Bobby: KEEP PLAYING PAINTBALL, Never stop. You don’t get on a pro team if you don’t get noticed, you don’t get noticed if you don’t play paintball.

Nick: Was there ever a rough time, where you felt like you were going nowhere, and just throwing your money away on this sport?

Bobby: Yes, for the longest time. And then as I kept working through it and playing, I caught a HUGE break with DYE and the Ironmen.

Nick: What previous teams have you been on?

Bobby: Oh jeez, where does the list start? I started out with a small team just playing around at little local events, a team called Minor Infraktion. From there, I Moved to a local Fields team called MVP Punishers. I then played a Few local events with Hi-tec Field team, then I played with the MVP punishers more. Then CFP D3 X Ball team, then Vindicated D3 5man, then Open X Ball with the Palm Beach Vipers.

Nick: Which of those teams do you think had the biggest impact on your paintball lifestyle?

Bobby: The Palm Beach Vipers for sure. That’s where I got my most experience.

Nick: Are you more comfortable where you are at now, or did you feel a little more at home on any of your other teams?

Bobby: This is the most comfortable of any of my teams. I am friends with all of the Ironmen, they are good, fun guys.

Nick: How do you get along with everyone on your new team? Is there anyone on the team you can really relate to?

Bobby: I can really relate to all of them, They are all great paintballers. Brandon Short is real fun to hang out with, As well as Marcello. They are the younger kids on the team so I tend to get along with them real well.

Nick: Do you like all the travel involved with this sport? What do you enjoy most about traveling for events?

Bobby: LOVE IT! It’s probably the best part of the whole experience. I really enjoy traveling and meeting new people with different lifestyles.

Nick: What other hobbies do you enjoy outside of paintball?

Bobby: Well. I actually used to play baseball A LOT, and I quit for paintball. I also play the drums for a hobby, I do that in pretty much all my spare time.

Nick: Is there anything else you would like to add before we close this interview?

Bobby: Everyone who plays paintball should display a professional sense. Whether it be an Event or at a Local Field. Show people that its a sport not a Stupid pointless hobby.

Nick: Thanks for your time.

Stay around for more interviews with more of the sports top players.

Nick Marmol