It’s quiet. As I sit here on yet another red eye flight across the country, I ponder on dedication; a virtue that is all too familiar with professional paintball team San Diego Dynasty. Their commitment to excellence over the last twenty years of paintball has been nothing short of astonishing. I wonder how many red eye flights this team has seen in their more than 70 event wins and dozen plus series titles? Likely too many to count, but within that dedication lies the true drive of this organization. It isn’t the feeling of victory after a long and grueling event, nor the elation of lifting up the first place trophy and check, but the dedication to one another as both friends and brothers united through the sport of paintball. Their shared drive to achieve paintball greatness through each-other has taken them on a journey through one of the most historic and dominating runs in all of professional sport’s history. Hidden away from the bright lights of the professional football field, or halls of hardwood on the NBA courts lies a different kind of field, a paintball field, which has been largely dominated by a single organization for twenty years. Sure, there have been other great professional teams throughout the history of this sport, but none more committed to the drive for excellence than Dynasty. The NXL Windy City Major saw Dynasty add another win to the long scroll of event victories and championship titles as a paintball organization. The core roster of Alex Fraige, Ryan Greenspan, and Yosh Rau have been here since the start and are, arguably, one of the greatest sports teams of all time. Dynasty started their event like so many others, with each other, having fun and joking around the same way now as they did when they were merely teenagers with a dream. That isn’t to say they didn’t prepare, as Dynasty has one of the most interesting dynamics in the entirety of team sports in their preparation. While most teams tend to have a hierarchy or structure in which a coach delegates his strategy, Dynasty is a democracy. All players and the coaches give their input in the direction and strategy of the team, and in that dynamic lies their success. They are known for their elite ability to control opposing teams from the first horn and their preparation before the event is critical when the pressure is high and a finals victory is in the balance. Ryan, Marcello, Alex, and Yosh seem to be the most vocal when it comes to strategy and its implementation on the field, but its coach Kevin Bredthauer who has the job of dictating lineups, play calls, and reactively coaching against the opposing team. It's a well-oiled machine in which each player is a key component in its operation. While at the event with Dynasty, one factor of their success that is noticeable was their bond as teammates; almost like brothers. They never leave each other's side throughout the day and are constantly talking, joking around, and strategizing when at the field and the hotel. It's a bit unique, as I often walk around the pro pits and see few other professional teams fraternizing in the way that Dynasty does. They started the event against the Los Angeles Ironmen. Veteran front player, Alex Fraige plays a critical role from the start and collects over a dozen eliminations while on the field for Dynasty. Not since the departure of Angel Fragoza have we seen Alex in the snake as the first attacker with such regularity. He is running with purpose, making the crucial snake bunker off the break and asserting his will. Alex has an interesting dichotomy in his personality. I don’t think I have ever quite seen a player who is able to instantly turn his competitive switch on and off in the way Alex does. On the field, he is fraught with an incredible level of fiery passion, yelling out each of his eliminations as he speeds down the field. But, the second he steps off the field, he goes right back to his calm, relaxed, and comical self, making jokes and sharing stories. Alex found another gear for this event, and in my opinion, played maybe the most effective tournament of his career since Huntington Beach 2005 at the NPPL. Win number one, 7-4. The second game against the scrappy and tenacious squad of ac Diesel may have had a different narrative, but much of the same result; more Dynasty dominance. Blake Yarber and Mike Urena are the enforcers of this team without question. They bully their way down the field; Mike in the snake and Blake in the center, and punish opponents mercilessly. When the guard of Dynasty is pierced, Blake is always quick to take off down the field and sway the momentum back in Dynasty’s direction. A fun moment occurs mid-match; Alex Fraige runs full speed while pointing at an opponent yelling “Hey I shot that guy” as he aggressively dives into the snake. Another 7-4 win, one step closer to the goal of winning the event. Primarily, attackers of the professional paintball league tend to get all the credit. They are the ones making huge moves, racking up eliminations, and getting all the glory akin to a running back or wide receiver on the football field. But, without guys like Marcello Margott, Yosh Rau, and Ryan Greenspan, a team like Dynasty would never be able to achieve all that they do. From the back line of the field, they wage a nuanced war of strategic laning and rigorous communication that often doesn’t fill the stat sheets, but provides critical support that is absolutely needed to win a pro event. These support players affect the game on multiple levels; from their break shooting to assert their will on the opponent, to ensuring their players are in the right position, they are the consistent driver that leads Dynasty to greatness. The first match of Saturday starts, and the MLKings come out firing against Dynasty, quickly earning a 2-1 lead and looking in control. More often than not, when things began to turn against Dynasty on the field, they look towards Ryan Greenspan and Marcello Margott to put up their iconic Blue Wall along the back line and combine for one of the most elite defensive guards in professional paintball. This proved especially potent during point four against the MLKings. Risking a multiple point deficit, one of the hardest things to overcome in paintball, Marcello sprung into action. Immediately off the break he was applying pressure from the back line on the way to two eliminations. Then, in a brilliant move akin to fine art in motion, he won a 1v1 against Kyle Barry to close out the point and tie the game. It was this moment that turned the tides and Dynasty went on to win the match 6-2, never allowing MLKings to score another point. As the sun begins to set on Saturday, and the impending darkness starts to creep in over the iconic Gaelic Park in Chicago, Dynasty is facing off against one of their long-time rivals. This time it is the Red Legion, affectionately known as, simply, “The Russians”. The Red Legion’s ruthless and unrelenting style of play often overwhelms their opponents. Their coaching is among the game’s elite and their ability to scout and dismantle teams has earned them a feared reputation in the NXL. Their style has led to nearly two dozen event wins for their program. But, none of that matters to Dynasty; they treat the Red Legion like any other opponent and never give them a chance to win the match. Ryan Greenspan is especially impactful in this game, while Dalton Vanderbyl seems to be counter-punching down the dorito side at will. Not even one of the historically greatest teams in professional paintball has found a way to slow down “The Dragon”, San Diego Dynasty. It's a 7-3 win for Dynasty and a perfect 4-0 record in the preliminary round. Saturday night comes, and while many teams are preparing for the finals, or playoff day, at the Windy City Major, Dynasty treats this time a little differently.They get back to the hotel late and use a bit of extra time as the night wanes on to bond and enjoy each-others company. They have been here, at this moment, finals eve, nearly one hundred times before; they know what they need to do. They grab some food and enjoy the company of each-other, smiling and laughing, as they all strategize their own war on tomorrow's game-plan in their heads. As the morning starts on yet another NXL finals day, the field is bustling with players. They all share the same excited, yet nervous feeling as they mentally prepare for a grinding day of play with hopeful anticipation of a 1st place trophy. Dynasty is quite intriguing in this regard; one would think after more than 70 pro wins that the feeling of victory has become normalized for them; the reality is quite the opposite. They are still as excited at the prospect of winning an event today as they were 20 years ago, sharing war stories from the weekend with each other as the dew blanketed over the paint covered grass begins to burn away in the morning sun. Their path to the finals begins with NRG Elite. The young and rapidly improving program is coming off the best preliminary round showing in their short history as a pro organization. For Dynasty, this team reveals flashes of their own start in the early 2000’s, just a bunch of friends trying to take over the paintball world. However, its NRG's first Sunday ever, and the inexperience of the NRG team is evident. Dynasty dismantles the red hot team on their way to another 7-3 win. The team takes time to gather together after their quarter-finals win and begins to watch the remaining teams in the playoff mix to see who their next opponent will be in the semi-finals. But, while Eric Crandell, Victor Gamboa, and Kevin Bredthauer watch with a refined and stern focus, the players on the Dynasty roster are with each other, joking around, and sharing stories from the previous match. Watching the Dynasty modus operandi is interesting; they hang on every word of their fellow teammates as if they weren’t even on the field while the story unfolded and have expressions of shock and excitement when the “big move” is broken down. Their appreciation for one another and bond through this game is admirable, and is a shining example for which every team in this game should strive for. Los Angeles Infamous walks out onto the semi-finals field. After dispatching the previous five opponents easily, they have no plans of seeing their finals run end here. The "Skeleton Squad" has been an intense rival to Dynasty for the majority of their organization's history. Thomas Taylor knows this rivalry especially well, as he spent the majority of his career battling Dynasty for supremacy of the pro paintball world with both the team he started, XSV, and his current team Infamous. For the first time this event, Dynasty looks breakable. The ferocious and razor sharp attack waged by Infamous is met, blow for blow, and the Dynasty backline refuses to break guard. Marcello Margott was especially critical for Dynasty, consistently shutting off the field and stemming the bleeding caused by the relentless onslaught of Los Angeles Infamous. Ryan Greenspan continues to be arguably the best utility player in this league, and he fills the voids left in Dynasty's guard seamlessly all match. It may be the best game of the weekend, and moves Dynasty into yet another finals match. The semi-finals score, 5-3. While the divisional teams of the NXL are battling for their own respective podium finishes, Dynasty is off game-planning for San Antonio XFactor, one of the best teams in the pro division. They are quick to respect the elite coaching of Ryan Brand and his ability to rapidly diagnose and respond to opponent’s game-plans. But, even the best game planning in the world may not be able to slow down this team. They know each other. They know every move, every response, and every intention of one another, formed through decades of friendship and battle on the paintball field. The match starts and Dynasty is in control immediately. It is evident the game plan is built around isolation of XFactor’s best players, Billy Bernacchia and Archie Montemayor. By focusing on removing the support around these players, they force Billy and Archie into uncomfortable situations. They both respond admirably, but the Dynasty pressure is just too much to handle. XFactor wasn’t willing to go down easily and puts up a strong resistance, but ultimately Dynasty wins the match 7-4.
As Dynasty takes a victory lap around the now battered and paint slick field at Gaelic Park, they find themselves being drawn together. They embrace as a team, and from that mass of victory, Alex Fraige is hoisted upon his teammates shoulders; Alex smiles in jubilation the same way he did all those years ago on Lofty, with these same teammates beside him. Alex was brilliant all weekend for San Diego Dynasty and secured the MVP for the event. By my count, he racked up nearly 60 eliminations throughout the weekend and had one of the best events for an individual player in recent memory. But, all that doesn’t matter to the incredibly humble Alex Fraige. He has fought and struggled, seen triumph and tragedy, all with his brothers on the field. He sheds tears of happiness as his lips mouth the words "This one's for Dreamy."
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After yet another exciting event at the NXL Windy City Major, I begin to look back at everything that occurred this past weekend. Beneath all the incredible stories that emerged throughout the weekend; Dynasty's win in dominant fashion, Columbus LVL going 4-0 and making their first Sunday, major programs like Impact and Heat missing the finals, or even the cinderella run from the short-handed Baltimore Revo roster, I find my mind elsewhere. Even with all these astonishing storylines, it's hard to take my focus off the changing of the guard that seems to be quietly, yet rapidly emerging in the professional paintball league. Historic Dominance.Over the course of the last seven seasons of the National XBall League, major programs like Edmonton Impact, San Diego Dynasty, San Antonio XFactor, and Houston Heat have been the dominant teams of the professional paintball world. Winning an astonishing 21 of the 27 events that have occurred in the NXL since its inception in 2015, the sport of professional paintball has been largely under the commanding presence of these four programs. With their strong internal management, historically united core rosters, and resources for players, the lower half of the league has struggled to compete. This event saw Alex Fraige lead the veteran Dynasty roster to a huge win, yet another to add to the long line of wins in their program's history. He was incredibly effective in the snake all weekend and his ability to consistently find penetration down the snake side of the field was unmatched. However, it was a team effort, as we saw the unbreakable guard of Marcello Margott, Yosh Rau, and Ryan Greenspan find a variety of ways to eliminate players off the break, close games, and control nearly every point in their favor from the back line. Blake Yarber was creating relentless pressure through the center of the field as well, and was critical in Dynasty's ability to shut down the snake. However, the Windy City Major gave the paintball world the first convincing argument in nearly a decade that a youthful movement built on strong chemistry and dedication to one another is emerging. Void of all the substantial resources and historic reputation that the major programs have always enjoyed, teams like Columbus LVL, NRG Elite, and Portland Uprising are beginning to create the blueprint on dethroning the existing guard of elite teams. The Staunch Dedication emerging in Young Programs.Facing almost certain elimination from the pro division and sitting in 20th place overall on the season rankings, LVL was bold in the face of relegation and, in dominant fashion, came together to win all four of their preliminary matches. LVL snake player Justin Politi was succinct in his message about this event; "Our backs were up against the wall and we responded. We put in many hard weekends of work to prep for this. We finally got some long-sought results." And those results were clear, beating elite programs like Edmonton Impact with their merciless and ferocious war of attrition down the snake side of the field. LVL is reaping the rewards of buying into the core mission statement set out by team owner, Dave Pando. The plunder gained from their sacking of the pro division will enrich this young roster with critical experience and a taste of what ultimate victory can mean for them. It's a unique and rare circumstance that young programs can stay together with their core roster in the modern professional paintball world. For decades, it has been commonplace for major professional programs to use these lesser experienced teams as feeders to develop talent for them to cherry pick at their leisure. However, these emerging programs all have one unifying and common theme between them; a staunch dedication to each other built on the unique relationship that is forged in the fires of the professional field. They have looked to the origins of the major, dominant professional teams who all share the common thread of an undivided and united core of players; the same players that fought their way up the professional ranks for more than a decade on their path to the top of the paintball world. For the first time in quite a while though, these young programs seemed resolute in their drive to stay together and take over the reigns from these dominant but aging programs. The youthful Seattle Uprising squad is a perfect example. Whether it is the semi-pro or the professional division, they have been doubted. They silenced a bit of that doubt in Chicago after winning two of their four preliminary games against established professional programs, and then sneaking into Sunday by a margin of just half a point. They then beat the Ironmen in a stellar display of game-planning and audacious strategy. They fell short against Infamous for the second time in this event, but not without showing that this team of athletes, dedicated to one another during their journey through the paintball ranks, has no plans on being relegated from the division and is more than ready for the chance to take the reins of the pro ranks. NRG Elite took a bit of a different path in their road to the pro division. The team owner, Alan Bufton acquired the ailing Boom organization just a few short seasons ago, and immediately went to work creating an infrastructure of support that rivals even the best teams in the pro division. His assembled roster started their time in the pro division slowly, but their coming out party in Chicago was a reflection of the brilliance and infrastructure provided by Alan. After going 3-1 in the preliminaries, they put up a strong fight against the greatest team in history, San Diego Dynasty, and showed some serious mettle that we haven’t seen from them before. Alan was clear in his motivations to assemble a young core and keep them together, and we are starting to see the fruit of his labor in the pro division. Major Programs Still Focused.Naturally, It would be foolish to assume that the dynamic and established programs at the top of the National XBall League will go out silently into the night. Dynasty, Heat, Impact, and XFactor have constructed programs focused on an elite core roster with new infusions of youth to help elongate their reign at the top of the professional paintball circuit. While the cinderella runs of LVL, NRG, and Uprising were certainly admirable, even eliminating pro division stalwart Edmonton Impact, the league is still very much in the control of these major historic programs. San Diego Dynasty is no stranger to the process of building a strong, core roster of youthful players to take on the paintball world. They were among the first teams to do so, and it created a successful blueprint on how to win in the professional league that teams have tried to replicate for more than 20 years. All event long, they showed the elite level of play that fans have come to expect, but they are cognizant of the youthful takeover coming to the professional division. Even their more veteran players like Alex Fraige, Ryan Greenspan, and Yosh Rau are playing a renewed and refined style and may even be playing the best paintball of their careers. Dynasty has been slowly incorporating talented young players like Marcello Margott, Blake Yarber, and Mike Urena into their winning formula, with great success, to help continue the defense of their throne. Easily winning all four preliminary matches and marching all the way to the finals match against fellow giant, San Antonio XFactor, Dynasty put on a display of paintball prowess in their dismantling of XFactor. From the first horn they were in control on this match and easily won the event in typical Dynasty fashion. From the start, Heat was built on a stable of top professional talent around the league, however, they were one of the few programs in history able to keep a superstar roster together for an extended period of time. They share in the brotherhood and bond of battle, the same bond we are seeing form in the new challengers to the throne of professional paintball in LVL, NRG, and Uprising. Heat was dominant throughout the event, easily dispatching every team they encountered on their way to Sunday. But, they saw themselves eliminated from the event against Revo in the quarter-finals. It was a bit perplexing as to why they weren’t able to overcome the short-handed Revo roster. Although, it should be stated that this roster is still loaded with 11 elite players that would be starting on any roster in the NXL, and they are led by one of the best coaches in paintball history, Todd Martinez. Alongside their dedicated owner Sarge Smith, this team is still destined for greatness. Perhaps it would be wise to consider this elimination an outlier on Houston Heat’s path for the season title, and with this team's history at the World Cup, they are still a favorite to win it all. The new movement of youthful teams in the NXL also comes from a uniquely rare circumstance. These programs are substantially under-supplied in resources when comparing them against the top teams in the league. It makes their journey up the mountain of professional paintball even more admirable, as they produced at the Windy City Major in a meaningful way, with a major disadvantage in the resources historically needed to achieve greatness. With major programs paying salaries to star players, and providing every item needed to succeed, it's astonishing that programs who are mostly paying their way through the pro division are finding success. San Antonio XFactor is headed by one of the greatest paintball patrons to ever emerge from the paintball hotbed of Texas, Alex Martinez. His consistent drive to achieve greatness in paintball has come as the result of his tireless dedication to building the sport of paintball in Texas to an elite level. From his humble, yet well-established field Alex did everything right. He assembled the best young players in the state of Texas, gave them the resources and guidance they needed, and set the expectation of greatness he demanded, much like LVL or NRG is currently trying to do in the professional league with Dave Pando and Alan Bufton. Perhaps these teams should look towards XFactor as their inspiration to achieve their goals, because as we clearly saw in Chicago, XFactor has a tried and true method for success. After starting slow on day one of the event, Coach Ryan Brand stressed the need to adapt and modify their approach and preparation to always be on the cutting edge of strategy. XFactor came out on day two and took no mercy on their way to yet another Sunday finals berth. They disassembled the red hot and emerging LVL and Revo programs, firmly establishing that the league still runs through the leagues elite programs, even with their finals loss to Dynasty. The Final Battle In Florida Will Define or Dethrone.The sudden emergence of youth in the NXL, and the changing of the guard that is beginning to occur in the National Xball League provided some of the most exciting paintball of the year at the Windy City Major NXL event. The young programs of LVL, Uprising, and NRG showed the paintball world that they have no plans of submission to the elite of the NXL and their bond through this game may just drive them to the top of the league. But, major professional programs seem to have no plans of letting this happen silently, and are putting up a staunch resistance to this new wave of players as they continue to define what dominance in professional sports means.
As we look ahead to the NXL Windy City Major in Chicago on September 17th-19th, our new power rankings feature an in-depth look at all 20 professional paintball teams in the NXL. We plan on periodically updating this list in order to keep a running history and archive of all the teams and their rankings, season to season. However, we are also looking ahead to the end of the year, and speculating on if these teams have the firepower to either continue their dominance going into the World Cup, or if they can hang on and avoid relegation from the professional league. All rankings are based on how the team has placed and performed in the first two events of the season, the level of talent on their roster, and how we believe the layout for Chicago will either help or harm their chances to move up the list. The layout looks to be playing fast, but for the first time this season, teams should be able to play a pocketed style of paintball and lock down the field when needed. The snake is very easy to get lost in and surprise the opposing team, and the ease of movement down the dorito side should provide some huge moves on the inside routes. #1 EDMONTON IMPACTPlayer to watch: Justin Rabackoff Even after losing at the Mid Atlantic Major in Philadelphia, it's really hard to rank Impact anywhere else on this board. They truly have the most elite roster in the league from top to bottom. They have depth at every position, something that is rare in the pro league. Their dominant performance at the Golden State Open event shows why they are ranked so high. Alex Goldman just may be the best player in the league, I honestly don’t know how you shut him down on the field. He is just relentless and so methodical, he never makes the wrong move. I can see Impact going 4-0 on this layout and cruising all the way to finals once again. Justin Rabackoff should be near the top of the elimination board on the aggressive and fast dorito side of this layout. #2 HOUSTON HEATPlayer to watch: Tyler Harmon Houston Heat is coming off an event win where they looked nothing short of dominant. The chemistry on this team is unmatched in the NXL and Todd Martinez has done the impossible, he made the Heat roster even better. Tyler Harmon was playing at another level in Philly and with Chad George in front of him, I can imagine this is probably the best 1-2 punch on the snake side we will see this season. The return of Fedorov was notable and a layout featuring another strong dorito side means we will likely see him make yet another run at the CRBN Golden Barrel award. #3 SAN DIEGO DYNASTYPlayer to watch: Blake Yarber Dynasty started off the season a bit rough but in Philly they showed major resiliency and poise even with an injury-depleted roster. Why they so rapidly moved up this list though is for two reasons; for one, Mike Urena showed a level of versatility that we didn’t know he had prior to the Golden State Open. He was playing all over the field as opposed to his normal snake attacker role. Blake Yarber also looks like he has found another gear. In a league that is continually moving towards controlled and methodical play, Blake is maybe the last of a dying breed; he is a relentless attacker that always seems to read the field correctly and make huge moves. If we see the same Blake we saw at the Golden State Open, Dynasty may instantly catapult themselves to the finals, especially with such an unbreakable guard on the backline led by Marcello Margott and Ryan Greenspan. I hope we see them utilize Grayson Gladstone a bit more in that missile role he is beginning to emerge in. #4 Moscow Red LegionPlayer to watch: Leonid Smotrov It seems every season the Red Legion grows stronger as the year goes on, and this year is no different. They are loading up to hit their peak at just the right time coming into the Windy City Major and World Cup. As always, their extreme poise and ability to consistently attack at all levels of the field should guide them into Sunday. Leonid Smotrov has shown some serious flashes of paintball brilliance the last few seasons and if he can bring that high level of play onto the field each and every point, this team is very scary. Their small roster may be hurting them a bit, as it takes quite a lot of athletic stamina to get through three grinding days of play and win an event. Let's hope they can hold up and give us that wild and exciting Russian style of play we have grown accustomed to #5 Los Angeles InfamousPlayer to watch: Thomas Taylor Infamous had a bit of a rough showing last event, but I believe that is partially due to the fact that the field limited their super aggressive style of play; this team loves to run down the field. With the incredibly consistent, veteran backline of Cody Mickowski, Kali Rudoplh, and Brett Messer to support their aggressive core, I think we will once again see that wild Infamous style at 100% speed on this layout. Thomas Taylor is the player to watch and I truly believe the offense of Infamous goes through him. He is arguably playing some of the best paintball of his career in his 20th season, and the aggressive layout should allow Thomas to find his rhythm early. #6 Seattle ThunderPlayer to watch: Corey Field This team's lanes and break shooting is, uncontested, the best in the league. They are somehow beating the new age meta with old school game plans and fundamental excellence in gun skills. With the openness of the center of the layout for Chicago, I can imagine Corey and the rest of the big break shooters on Thunder will feast off the break. Thunder’s ability to create early mismatches by eliminating players and shutting entire portions of the field down has driven them up the power rankings quickly. I imagine as the younger core continues to mature, this team will only get more scary. They are hitting stride at the perfect time and are a dark horse candidate to place high in the standings for the final two events. #7 San Diego AftermathPlayer to watch: Joe Barrett Mike Hinman is an elite coach; it is that simple. He has taken the worst team in the league, and in two events propelled them up the standings. His ability to build a balanced roster and bring the most out of his players is unmatched. Joe Barrett seems to be falling into the role as the de facto leader of this young and hungry group. They certainly play that special style of SoCal ball and the steady backline presence and the communication Joe provides has been huge for their quick development. Mike seems to be unmatched in his ability to scout and dissect teams alongside assistant coach Jerry Van Cleve. I think we will continue to see them place higher and higher, and don’t be surprised to see them in the top 4 this event. #8 San Antonio XFactorPlayer to watch: Billy Bernacchia X-Factor has been underperforming thus far this season and it is a bit perplexing. They have an elite stable of players across the entire roster, but it seems like they are having issues with playing at a consistently high level for the duration of an event this season. I can imagine they will quickly rediscover the formula that led them on their last 3 seasons of dominance. Raney Stanczak has been providing a steadying presence in the backline, and his versatility to fill out any spot on the field has been critical to late game closing alongside superstar Archie Montemayor. This could just be a simple case of over thinking gameplans, I’d love to see them just unleash Billy Bernacchia and TJ Danner on what looks to be a very aggressive layout. #9 Tampa Bay DamagePlayer to watch: Jacob Edwards This team has the most to prove after putting up a solid performance at the opening event of the season, followed by a poor performance in Philadelphia. Jason Edwards mentioned they were unable to practice how they wanted going into event two in Philly, so I think we will see a much improved Damage in Chicago. Jacob Edwards has continued his dominant play and he perhaps is the most skilled gunfighter in the league at the attacker position. Jason Edwards and Bryan Smith continue to provide one of the best backlines in the game and if this team is able to utilize the open center of the field, Damage should be able to play their patented bump and shoot style. Anytime you can get Keith Brown into a snake where he can get lost and freestyle, you can find success in this league #10 New York XtremePlayer to watch: Harris Hussain NYX finally seems to be getting over the issues they had been struggling with over the past few seasons; poise and leadership. Rich Telford coming in as a coach has made the difference and they are playing a more controlled version of their wildly aggressive style that we have seen prior. Josh Taylor is one of the most underrated guys on the roster and he continues to be incredibly clutch for them every event. The player to watch this event, though, has to be Harris Hussain. NYX still seems to run through him, and if he can tone back his wild moves a bit and utilize his elite gunfighting skills, NYX may surprise us all with a Cinderella run to Sunday. I really just want to see them post a 3-1 or 4-0 prelims record. #11 Los Angeles IronmenPlayer to watch: LJ Parrish Two underperforming events to open the NXL season has me questioning what is otherwise a pretty rock solid roster. Nick Slowiak and John Jackson are two of the best back players in the game, and they need to focus on high survivability rates. This is especially important because the Ironmen really rely on the rest of the roster to attack relentlessly. LJ Parrish is one of the fastest rising stars in the league, he is an elite attacker in this league and if the Ironmen can develop a bit more of a deep center presence to take the pressure off LJ, they will find success once again. #12 AC: DieselPlayer to watch: BJ Henninburg ac Diesel underperformed a bit in Philadelphia at the Mid Atlantic Major, but it seemed to be more of an outlier than a point of debate. They have all the makings of an elite team in the NXL and they are truly starting to build some great chemistry across that roster. I can imagine with the pressure they apply with guys like Ben Challenger, Clint Johnson, and BJ Henninburg, they will do well on this layout. BJ is the player to watch this event, he is one of the best athletes in the sport and if he is able to find some consistently on the outside and get down the field, his high level decision making should earn him a ton of eliminations. As always, Mark Johnson provides a steady veteran hand in the backline for Diesel and I am intrigued as to how he will utilize the very open center on the Chicago layout. #13 Baltimore RevoPlayer to watch: Chris Schehr This season they have regressed and seem to be playing a bit too predictable of a game plan. This is a far cry from the World Cup roster of 2020 and it feels like a game planning change could make a big difference. They have some issues putting out a consistent roster event to event, and if they can stabilize the roster going into each event, they would benefit greatly. They have some really talented players in Henry Sentz and Stephen Omara to lead this roster. Chris Schehr, however, is the player to watch going into Chicago. This dorito side looks to favor an aggressive style and Chris should be able to apply pressure consistently down that side of the field for Revo. Chris is on the verge of being a star in this league and he could be critical for Revo going into the last two events of the year. #14 TMG OutlawsPlayer to watch: Christian Collins The TMG Outlaws just lack that heavy hitting firepower right now. They have a young roster that needs some more veteran infusion to be taken as a serious competitor in the pro division. The coaching has been great however, and if they can steady the roster and continue to build chemistry this could be a contending team in a season or two. Christian Collins has looked impressive thus far in his short professional career in the NXL, and he could provide the spark that TMG needs to push some of the top pro teams down the rankings list. He passes the eye test of what you want in a pro attacker and if he can continue to develop the trust and chemistry with the rest of the roster, he could be huge for TMG down the stretch. #15 Sacramento DMGPlayer to watch: Ivan Gonzales DMG has been putting in all the work needed to be a competitor in this pro division. They are really beginning to develop some seriously good chemistry led by the Boyum’s. If they can continue to grind and dedicate themselves to the game then it is just a matter of time until they are a Sunday team. Ivan Gonzales sort of came out of nowhere towards the end of last season and he is quickly establishing the reputation of a grinder. He is really buying into improving his game in the pro league and I think he is one of the next upcoming star players out of the DMG camp. #16 NRG ElitePlayer to watch: Zakery Giger NRG Elite is a bit of a perplexing roster this season. They have all the financial, intrinsic, and coaching support of an elite pro team, yet they seem to continue to underperform. It is beginning to maybe bring up the conversation that they need to bring in some veteran, heavy hitters to lead this roster. A veteran like Tom Guest could be the type of player that could steady this ship and help lead them to a spot on Sunday. Zak Giger is the player to watch in this event, he has been a great off-the-break player and has been a versatile support player all season long. The roster is still very young in terms of their experience in the pro league, and it will take a few more seasons for them to really make strides with the current roster. #17 Seattle UprisingPlayer to watch: James Creek Uprising is still really intriguing. They have a few really good pieces on the roster and keeping them up a few spots higher than their season ranking is justified by the fact that they have the most potential to play above their ranking. James Creek is playing really well and continues to be an important factor to their success on the field. He provides consistent pressure for Uprising and that pressure will be key on a layout that looks to favor the wide bodies on the field. The core of this roster has been together for quite awhile and they are still probably the best candidate in the league to both play spoiler for the top 5 teams, as well as the best candidate to make a deep run into Sunday. #18 MLKingsPlayer to watch: Kyle Barry The MLKings have now spent a few seasons trying to put together a competitive pro roster but they have yet to find the combination that works best for their style. It may be time to start shopping around for a few more veteran players to place alongside their two top players in Kyle Barry and Greg Montalvo. Kyle Barry has the biggest opportunity to move into the conversation of a star player and if he can regain his focus and dominate for the MLKings, we could see a renewed vigor in this roster. However, it may be too late, as they are flirting with a relegation spot if they cannot secure a top 10 placing in the last two events. #19 Columbus lvlPlayer to watch: Justin Politi LVL is on the verge of losing their pro spot. They have some really nice pieces in Sam Silberg and Justin Politi, who have been really successful, albeit a bit inconsistent, for LVL in the attacker position. After a few seasons with essentially the same core roster, you would like to see them begin to move up the rankings and put together a great event. Justin Politi is potentially the key to LVL finding success in Chicago. He is an elusive and sharp attacker in the snake for LVL, and with a snake that looks like it will be easy to get down the field, he could be huge for them. Players around the league have brought the coaching of this team into question, let's hope we can see some consistent gameplans that put this roster in a position to succeed at the pro level. #20 ac: dallasPlayer to watch: Colt Luckau I would be highly surprised that ac Dallas is not able to place decently in at least one event yet this season. Greg Pauley is still a great coach and talent evaluator. Many questioned his direction when decided to promote the entire D2 PB Fit roster to the pro level, but I think this roster will come together and put together a complete event this season. Although they have looked outmatched so far this season and potentially at risk of losing their pro spot, Colt Luckau seems to be adjusting to the speed of the pro game. With a wide open center, teams should still respect his huge gun off the break, and if he can consistently eliminate bodies early from the backline, Dallas may just find some wiggle room to apply pressure from the wide bunkers on the field and win some matches. Looking aheadWe should be in for another exciting event at the Windy City Open in Chicago. Fans and players can tune in for all the action on September 17th-19th at GoSports.com to watch the action live, as it unfolds. With a layout that is seemingly handbuilt for aggression and big moves, fans should expect to see some of the most electrifying paintball of the season.
Iconic paintball moments are what defines a match, an event, a tournament, and even entire eras of the game of paintball. From the inception of the sport of paintball, there have been many iconic players, brands, and moments. Their stories are in a sense, lost in time. They live only in the memories of those who experienced them. This is what Iconic Paintball is all about, we look to immortalize the stories from this game that matter and educate players all over the world about what the sport was, what made it, and what it can be.
In a sense, this website and the stories in it are my love letter to the game that has given so much to me. They encompass all the thrills and excitement growing up in the competitive world of paintball and they are the stories that I think matter. My goal is to recreate the iconic moments in the sports history so all paintball players can understand how this sport got to where it is today. Iconic Paintball rarely focuses on news, but with all the rumors and hearsay swirling around the NXL and limited paint formats, it is important to set the story straight. The National Xball League will not be introducing a limited paint format in any capacity for the 2022 season. According to Tom Cole, the President of the NXL; "The NXL U.S Circuit has no plans currently to transition to a limited paint format in the 2022 season and will continue with the format used in the previous year"
Furthermore, in regards to other rumors floating about social media regarding the addition of another major event, the sale of Sacramento DMG, and an event in Texas, those are false. According to the NXL Marketing Director Matt Engles, "The NXL plans to hold a six event season in 2022, similar to the year prior that will feature four Major Events, and two Open Events. We will be announcing this official list of dates on Tuesday, December 7th at 2pm EST. Stay tuned for more updated on NXLPaintball.com and the @nxlpaintball social media channels!" Although some have reported the reduction in paintball quantities per case. HK Army, one of the nations leading paint manufacturers and sellers, has confirmed no plans of moving away from 2000 count boxes per HK Army Head of Sales, Brandon Short. We are awaiting confirmation from other major paint manufacturers at this time. We recently broke a story that was arguably the biggest move of the 2022 Professional Paintball preseason, with the Latin Saints signing of Alex Rodriguez. Alex joins a Latin Saints program that has been rapidly building and refining their roster as they prepare for their 2022 rookie campaign in the pro division as the NXL's newest franchise. Alex has always been one of the hardest working professional players in the league, and his level of preparation is evident in his play. Often tasked with playing the highly demanding center of the field, Alex has found great success over his 11 years in the pro division with dozens of wins and multiple World Championships during that time. We sat down with "ARod" to discuss his move to the Latin Saints after playing last season with Edmonton Impact, and his thoughts on the 2022 season. His approach to the upcoming year as both a leader and teacher of the young Latin Saints roster is a bit of a new role for Alex, but with his undeniable talent as one of the best paintball players in the World, he should help boost the Latin Saints into contention in 2022 and beyond. Q: What role do you see yourself playing on the Latin Saints this season? Alex: "I feel my role will be very similar to the role that I played on the Ironmen in 2020. Being that this will be my 11th season playing professionally, I feel that the amount of organizations, different coaches and players I’ve gotten to be around has really helped hone my knowledge for the game. I feel it’s something that can be advantageous to share with a team that is open to develop an identity and hungry to win. You can’t teach drive, but you can help steer someone who’s driven. It’s a very unique and special opportunity to have a roster, coach and owner that is on the same page. I’m excited to be a part of the journey." Q) The Saints are currently building a solid roster for their rookie campaign; do you see yourself as taking on a bit of a leadership role in teaching the younger pros how to win? Alex: "I feel it’s my role to assist Brandon and Diego to steer the ship and bring the vision to life. The biggest thing to understand before you learn how to win is dealing with hardships and setbacks that may occur. I feel that I’ll be able to provide valuable insight as situations occur to help move the process along smoothly and get these players in Championship form. It’s all a process and things work within their own unique timing." Q) You have played alongside the Saints new head coach, Brandon Short, and won World Titles with him. Will that past chemistry help expedite the process in finding success for you and the Saints this year? Alex: "I’ve always respected Brandon as a player, but until recently I didn’t realize how developed his mind was for the game and how passionate he is going into this. You can tell a lot about a player's IQ by the decisions they make on the field, but it’s a much different ball game to be able to communicate it to other people and different types of personalities." Brandon knows how to speak to people and articulate a point very well. He’s also hyper creative and open minded which will lead to some great possibilities and options moving forward. I think he is going to thrive as a head coach and really evolve into this new role. It’s going to be exciting to watch and be apart of." Q) The Saints owner, Diego, has mentioned he wants to see all pro paintball players be paid well and build a career in this sport, I think he is showing that. Do you feel paintball is moving in a direction that will see the pro athletes become true “professionals” in the sense that all pro players make an income from this sport? Alex: "I think it’s amazing what Diego is looking to provide for his players monetarily. For me, it helps justify taking the game more seriously because I can invest my time into improving my craft because someone is investing in me. I’m 30 years old now and I have to pay real bills and set up for my future. Bart, Randy, and now Diego are definitely steps in the right direction as far as the “professional” aspect is concerned. As far as paintball in general, I feel that we are still behind the curve. Until the day comes where the teams are a part of an entity that’s similar to the NFL, NBA etc. We will still continue to be a hobbyist sport with certain outlier individuals that are able to make 40k + salaries. That requires money and viewership which we don’t have. I have ideas, but no real concrete plan on how to achieve that. Fortunately we have some amazing minds in this sport that are starting to come of age that they can make a difference collectively. I feel if we stay the course, we could be headed towards a new renaissance period for paintball. But it’s gonna take change and the right group or individual to lead the charge." Q) What would you say to the, in my opinion; unfair and uninformed, criticism some have given you over moving between teams? Alex: "I am a private person as well, so I don’t give people much to work with except for the actions I make and the light that I’m painted in by others. For better or for worse. At the end of the day, it’s not my job or responsibility to try and win over people that don’t have a true care for my well being. People align in your life and you end up figuring out who you should be sharing your life with." We have gotten confirmation from sources on the team that Moscow Red Legion is finalizing all preparations to play the 2022 NXL Season. This is great news after there were some rumors of uncertainty for the Red Legion and their ability to play in the NXL in the coming year due to COVID restriction. Jason Burns is preparing for his third season as a professional player with the Moscow Red Legion and we got to chat with him about his thoughts on the upcoming year, as well as the importance of having the entire strength of their roster back. Q) What is the plan for Red Legion in 2022? Will we see the team playing the entire NXL US season? Jason: "Yes, we will be attending all the events required by NXL and are very excited to compete and raise the standard in the 2022 season." Q) What about the roster? Will we see Red Legion back at full strength with the entire roster back? What is the projected roster for 2022? Jason: "At this time it is highly likely we will have all the team back. All the heavy hitters back again. But we may have some other weapons as well. Maybe some returns?" Jason projected the roster: Alexander Berdnikov Denis Golev Pavel Karsliev Vladimir Kozirev Vasiliy Panteleev Kirill Prikhidni Leonid Smotrov Sergey Solnyshkov Jason Burns Mike Waring Q) You have been with the team for a few seasons now, how has that experience been for you? What is the training like for Red Legion? Jason: "Well I have lived in Russia for seven years almost eight. I actually didn't make the team the first time I tried out. They do not joke around at all when it comes to physical and technical perfection. The training is the best I've ever had and is almost an every day activity. We have a beautiful indoor Reball facility set up by Kirill and Pasha that holds us during the winter month and a field for the spring and summer." Q) Will we see the full coaching staff back for Red Legion? Can you touch on how important of a role the coaching staff players for your team? Jason: "Yes, the coaching staff will be back for 2022. We didnt have the staff last year due to the COVID travel issues. It was sort of the underlying issue. Having a coach present is absolutely needed. But again, from a distance Alexey had did what no other coach could do." Q) What message would you have for the rest of the league after Red Legion under performed a bit last season? Are you guys ready to take over the league again?
Jason: "Well the message is 100 percent that we are coming. As for the under-performance, it was not due to the core team; it was losing players due to covid closing embassies all around the World, and having to pick up players that had not practiced with us. Finishing 6th in the season ranking is not an under-performance when you think of us really only having five core guys and picking up Mike Waring the first event " Q) The team has worked closely with Dye and Pro Shar over the last few years, how important are those relationships for the team, being that you are one of the main guys at Pro Shar? Well, I have to say personally Dye has been so great to us. Not just the top guys, but the tech team, sales reps and literally every person that represents Dye. As for ProShar, supporting a paintball manufacturer out of Russia is the only way. They have made sure paint is where it should be, even after so many issues with COVID and shipping. Q) Any plans of expansion into divisional paintball in 2022? Yes, in fact we have already created a USA Divisional branch with a home field at Paintball Indiana. But we didn't stop there, we have created a European Divisional Team as well based out of Uffenhiem Paintball in Germany. This is an extension of the Wave School Program. Our School has over 500 interactive students as well as 5 full teams based across the world and now our two Divisional Teams under our banner. |