My WORST day of paintball.... EVER!

[Silverback]

After 20+ years of playing paintball I thought I'd seen it all.... I could not have been more wrong.

I have been wanting to play at CPX Sports field south of Joliet, IL. since it first opened over 10 years ago. Today I finally got the chance.

Things started of badly when I woke to 12" of snow on the ground in Benton Harbor, MI. where I am working. (Have I mentioned that I REALLY hate the cold and snow?) After finally finding the field, using the directions on the CPX website; they were WRONG, and only after getting on the phone and wading through the various menus on their phone system, which has no HUMAN on it only pre-recorded messages. I finally got right directions with a warning NOT to use the directions on the website. I was then told that if I had further questions to consult the website!

I got to the field at 13:30 (1:30 PM) and paid my $18.00 registration fee, which included all-day air, not bad, but then. I went to get paint, and as much as I LOVE MARBALLIZER, the $90.00 a case price was a bit much, especially since this is the ONLY PAINT available! OUCH!!

As I entered the staging area, about 13:35, an announcement was made about third and final call for open (walk-on) players for a game on "Widowmaker" field. I was not ready, but I saw alot of players still hanging around and figured that another game would start soon.... Oh Contrare!

I got my gear together and headed for the target range to chrono my marker. Outside the entrance to the range, were sign saying, "GOGGLES ON!". When I walked into the nice covered range there were 5 kids and an adult (turned out to be their Dad!) working on a marker, and not one of them with a mask on. I said, "Guys, You need to put on your goggles." Nothing. I repeated, "Guys, You need to wear your goggles while inside the range." The Dad and a couple of kids turned around and scawled at me, like I had just told them they were ugly! No goggles, just dirty looks! They finished and left, then I chronoed my marker, then went and talked to the Refs about making a reminder announcement to wear goggles in the target range. It was about 13:45. I was told they would look into it, but no announcement was made.

I then got to stand around waiting for an "Open" game until 15:00 (3:00 PM) ONE AND A HALF HOURS AFTER I ARRIVED!!!!

We proceeded to a field called "Badlands" which is an interesting field of old cars, trucks, campers and vans arranged as a sort of "speedball" field. The game started, and a few players on the other team just started charging right down the middle of the field, they were hit several times and just kept coming. I hit a player, who stopped looked down, wiped off the hits and then kept coming! I started yelling for a ref, and getting out of the line of fire, while maitaining fire on several players with multiple hits. I got hit and left the field and watched as these players continue to play until forced of the field by a ref, which didn't happen very often.

We switched sides and started again, this time the players weht to the flanks, and started putting paint onto goggles, and yelling for the refs to check the players, I also told my team mates to shoot for the head and keep firing, but most went down in short order. I had another player pinned and was moving on him pouring paint onto his goggles at max Automag rate. This scum-bag would just wipe the paint off his goggles and keep shooting! (NO, THIS IS NOT A HEADSHOTS-DON'T-COUNT FIELD! But thanks for asking...) I got hit from an angle other than from scum-bag and left the field still trying to get one of the refs to do something! They were both standing in the dead zone. (nough said)

We went back to the staging area, and loaded up for the next game. A couple players came up to me and asked if I had had any problems with players not calling themselves out and continuing to play when hit, and I told them about the previous two games. These players told me that these guys had been doing it all day, and they do it every time they come out. I asked if the field management did anything about it, they said, NO.

We went out onto a field called "The Mounds" dirt mounds arranged into a small field about the size of a 5-man X-Ball field. At the start of the game I moved up the middle and caught a player out in the open dead-bang and lit him up. The player ran back around one of the mounds and appeared on the other end of it firing away at other players. I moved back and started my now all-to-familiar yelling for the refs. I was now firing on three different players on the right boundary. I got a ref to check them and he pulled all three. (Gee, go figure.)
Another player ran up the middle and I opened up over the mound at him. He took several shots to the side and head. He turned and started shooting at me, I returned fire and continued yelling for the refs. This player ran back behind a mound and joined another player who started shooting up the left flank. I hit the secound player several times, (the white marballizer fill showed up well on the brown and green jackets they were wearing) I even threw in a dozen or so bonusballs, but they kept shooting. One of the refs pulled both players and sent them to the far side, then he (the ref) headed back to the middle of the field. I moved around left to help when I was hit, I looked over and it was the SAME PLAYER I HAD ELIMINATED, AND THE REF PULLED!! (still wearing all the paint I had put on him!) As I was walking off the field the second guy (in the brown jacket) opened up on a kid about 11 or 12 years old, from about 10 feet away, AND OUTSIDE THE BOUNDRY TAPE!

At this point I was so pissed, I could hardly see straight, this young kid was covered in paint and doing his best not to burst into tears. I confronted the player in the brown jacket, and screamed at him why did he think the rules of the game did not apply to him and his buddies, and why in the hell he had shot up the kid from OUTSIDE the boundary line! He turned and told me to "Stop whining and BE A MAN!" I screamed back at him asking if shooting up kids, and playing after hit was he definition of being a man, and he told me to, "STOP ACTING LIKE A PU$$Y, AND BE A MAN!"

I am ashamed to say at that moment I wanted to see how far I could jam my Automag up this scum bags ass! But I was still in touch with some control and barely resisted the urge. At that point, our johnny-on-the-spot refs showed up and said that since there were so many problems on the field that we should probably head into the staging area. I checked the young kid out when we got back to the staging area, and except for two nasty welts on his arm, the rest of the shots hit the chest protector he was wearing under his jersey. The time was 16:18 (4:18 PM), I packed up my gear and left.

As I was packing several players from my side came over and told me that this was not the first time this had happened, and they thanked me for standing up for them. I player told me he was glad to not feel alone anymore. Is this what these players have to deal with on a regular basis?

I am ashamed of losing my temper at this game, I am usually the person who is calming things down and reminding people that we are supposed to be having fun. I'm still re-running the events of the day in my head trying to figure out if there was anything I could have done to defuse this situation.
If what some of the players were saying is true, I'm not sure I could have done anything,since it looks like this has happened before. I cannot imagine trying to enjoy myself at a field that allows this kind of play.

It just shows me how lucky we as players are that we have fields like PBC, Bear Claw, Hole in the Wall, and all the other fields mentioned in this forum.

I wrote this trying to make sense of the days events, and my reaction. Any feed back, good or bad will be appreciated.

Sam "Silverback" Moyers

[GImpy]

WOW.. GOOD job man but I think a automag is too good to be sticking up a scum bags A hole. but what can you do when people cheat and the staff wont do anything. BOY COTT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111 11

[Wubby]

Wow, thats insane how those kids acted. I deffinatly would not have been able to hold my temper and i would have probably yelled like you did in the first game and in the second there would have been some contact..

[DMmasta]

that is preposterous... absolutely preposterous... i cannot believe that you made it as long as you had I would have definitely spoken to management about it... and if they wouldn't do anything have their insurance company have a surprise inspection on reffing and rules...

[SirRod]

Silverback:
I feel your pain brother. This seams to be the norm today. There is no honor with some paintballers. Espically when there aren't enough ref's for honest upright play, that shouldn't be needed if the cheeters had some sence of honesty.
Your post would make a good blog.
In my blog's is a post about Waynes World Grand Finale in 2001.
I would be honored if you all would read it and comment. It also has a picture of the dammage to my extreamly thin skin...Taken a few days after the incident.
Great post....
It also helps psychologicaly speaking to Write about it and get it off your chest, it gives closure.

There is a Review web sight I don't remember it's name but thats a great place to leave your story as well...

My Blogs http://www.pbjunkie.com/forums/blogs/sirrod/

[the boss]

This gentlemen is the generation of baller coming behind us and this what they bring to the sport. I hate it and it is getting more prevalent. I had two guy show up at my field with Plexiglas's armor under their clothes and want to play no mercy, go figure that one. All you can do is lead by example and don't support the fields that allow it . There is no excuse for bad reffing it is just sorriness on the field owners behalf and sorriness on the refs.
Sorry for being blunt.

[T-Bone]

Dang, in that situation I would have snapped. Good job keeping your actions under control. Personally I wouldn't ever play there again and would tell everyone I know not to go there.

[TroedOff]

I agree with T bone on this one. I wouldn't play there anymore, and wouldn't recomend anyone playing there. I comend you for not losing it. I would have had at the very least a screaming match.

[thumper]

much of this sounds familiar...

I suggest going out one day with a camcorder, record the ahole in question. (Im sure the behavior will repeat itself). Do same with refs. Upload the juicy bits to utube and drop links to the video in every forum on the planet so others will benefit and you will get justice. then Email the guy's wife w/ the video so she can see her hubby in his glory..

Personally I like to see speedball fields play speedball - with drivebys, play till called out, bonusballing "just to be sure" or what ever is the norm these days separated from woodsball fields. Let the woodsball fields build up and celebrate the woodsball culture and actively discourage anything else. It really is a different game with different rules.

Tip of the day: look for fields where pump ball is making a comeback, and I think you will find the oldschool paintball you may be looking for.


reference links:

Reffing drive bys:
http://www.pbjunkie.com/forums/paint...ned-24344.html

[Milkshake]

When players who come to my house try that stuff, I make them leave. I will not tolerate it one bit. I bought a chrono to eliminate the hot shots, some still try and crank it back up, randon checking (handheld)helps with that. The cheating happens, it is how the refs handle it that is a concern. If they get buy with it one day, they will continue thinking it is part of the game. I loved the way our pump days at BB were handled. You would think there would be arguing, that was not the case. Most of the day we had no reffing, handled all of it ourselves. I am not saying that there were not enough refs, far from the case. It was a busy day for Jimmy's place so we let the refs handle the other fields. If the owner of a field cannot keep things under control, he does not need a business like that. Me and my son went to a place in LA on a family visit, not going to mention the name, local to Slidell. There were people shooting in the staging area, out in the parking lot, all over the place. They were shooting hot at certain players on pourpose and laughing about it. I was ashamed to be a player. We went there with our semi cockers and were scorned because we shoot semis instead of high $ markers. I stayed for a while just to use up the paint I bought, then left. If I go back there and it is the same I will not play but will have a long talk with the management about their TEAMPLAYERS actions.
I have read alot of your posts in the past Silverback, and you seem like an honorable player. I look forward to meeting you one day in the future. You did the right thing posting about the actions that took place, maybe someone will read it that can help get that place back under control. We as players can only hold our emotions in check for so long. I have been surprised with all the testosterone that flies around that we can control ourselves to the degree we do. Keep playing with honor and self control, even if your opposition does not. You are the better person for it in the long run.