This truck is a piece of pro paintball history. Used by the World Champion All Americans, it drove around the country in the mid ’90′s and created fear in the team’s opponents.

That being said, it’s days have come and gone and the truck is in bad shape. So that there are no negative surprises, please assume that nothing works on this vehicle. While I don’t believe that that is the case, I don’t want to mislead anyone. I can get at least $500 for scrap metal but I figured I’d offer it in the hopes that someone who likes to re-build trucks will restore it to its former beauty.

The engine was replaced once and I don’t know how many are miles on it. The batteries are dead and I can’t turn the ignition over. I think the motor actually works but it has been sitting for at least four years.

Check out the official ebay listing for a trip down memory lane.

PRO Paintball Team Rumors, Part 2

PRO Paintball teams across the country are working on deals for the 2011 season. Read on as we share the latest paintball news & gossip surrounding Sacramento XSV and the Philadelphia All Americans.

Sacramento XSV

PRO Paintball insiders report that Shawn Walker (of NPPL and RPL fame) is in negotiations with Rich Telford. Word is Shawn & DGX paintball would like to buy an ownership position in Sacramento XSV. Rich Telford would continue to Captain and field the pro team and all final team-oriented decision making would remain with him. Sources suggest Shawn is interested in leveraging the Sacramento XSV brand to draw outside sponsors into paintball to support his league and XSV. DGX Paintball is Planet Eclipse West Coast Service Center. DGX’s involvement signifies that a deal with Planet Eclipse is a possibility for the 2011 season. Shawn Walker runs the RPL paintball league and has partnered with Sacramento XSV to reff his events and provide clinics for players. We expect that with Shawn involved in ownership and potentially funding the team that the players would continue to work with his RPL paintball series.

Sacramento XSV skipped PSP World Cup due to lack of funds. The team has indicated that they will be competing in one of the two pro paintball series in the 2011 season but as of writing no decision has been reached. In Monday’s NPPL Rumor report, we mentioned that the RPL would be a feeder series to the NPPL. Based on the above information, our guess is that XSV will be competing in the NPPL in 2010.

Pittsburg All Americans

Adam and Billy Gardner were spotted at PSP World Cup making their rounds and talking to several big players in the paintball industry. According to sources, the Gardners are interested in bringing back the Pittsburg All Americans. After the Smart Parts bankruptcy the Gardners went off the radar, presumably to focus on rebuilding their paintball business. World Cup 2010 saw the re-introduction of the Luxe paintball gun with several improvements. Long time All American player Darryl Trent has been a major player behind the scenes at DLX. He has been hard at work developing a Luxe 2.0 and another DLX marker and we anticipate that he will be very much involved should a revival of the All Americans come to fruition.

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Stay tuned for part 3 of our PRO Paintball Rumor Report as we share the latest rumors and news surrounding Chicago Aftershock, San Diego Dynasty, Tampa Bay Damage, San Antonio X-Factor and many more.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
-Winston Churchill

The ominous gray clouds of the dreary winter afternoon hang over the cold cement parking lot as the boys sit outside the bookstore while anxiously and restlessly flipping through the pages of the magazine at a frantic pace. The teenagers point and comment with every turn of the glossy sheet dreaming of possibilities and hoping that their delusions can one day become a reality. The allure of becoming a professional football player, basketball player or baseball player has sputtered away leaving only the optimism of becoming a world class paintball player. Despite the peculiar looks and constant questions, society is intrigued by the game of paintball and the notion that someone can commit such a large portion of themselves to one goal and one objective with little to no monetary return. Nonetheless, such grand outlooks and sociological concerns are irrelevant to the boys as they admire the images of the professional paintball players and their shimmering trophies and oversized plaques. At 25 and about to turn 26 in a week and almost 11 years since I sat outside the Barnes and Nobles with my friends, my dream has been lived and the opportunities that life and God have provided within the game of paintball continue to be seized and consumed, further fueling my life and allowing a new door of prospects

For over 20 years, a large quantity of aspiring paintball players has dreamt of playing on the All-Americans. Despite the public outcries and opinions pertaining to certain players or sponsors, it was always hard to deny the intrigue of a team that had endured every transition of the sport and maintained the ability to remain competitive. Much in the way the Yankees or Red Sox have built a legacy in baseball with their staying power and ability to survive, the All-Americans had forged through the muggy intermediary periods of our game. Coincidentally, I grew up in the Midwest; therefore it was inevitable to hope for a tryout with Detroit Fusion or Chicago Aftershock, it was a right that came with location. But, I had always respected the All-Americans and their drive for victory and perfection that defined the team and its players and so I was able to still imagine myself waiving the All-American banner after a victory.

In 2004 I joined the team out of necessity when I had nowhere else to go and once I was provided a chance to leave I stayed because I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I do not consider myself too masculine to admit that a piece of
my heart has been broken; but not in the way that a girl can strain a boy’s emotions or the loss of a family member evokes mourning, but similar to waking up from an amazing dream that seemed all too real and sadness arises because the harsh reality of daily life is overly mundane. Still, much like the players that came before us, the 2009 team all poured our sweat and tears into making the Philadelphia Americans a success, and we did it on our terms. Nonetheless, in the same manner that a proud parent observes their child begin college and embark on a new adventure, the players of the All-Americans will witness their careers in the game and in life evolve into something fresh and different.

To those that have asked, YES, the All-Americans will not be competing in the 2010 season. Nevertheless, I would be remiss to tell the futures of all the players because I do not know what everyone will do for this season or the next. Some players have moved on because they felt it was time to venture forth and some have moved on because they had to. It was an ending that I could never imagine because the book was too long and the conclusion appeared too distant. Nonetheless, it is not a gloomy day for me or the players because it is simply an unavoidable evolution of life. So, I no longer have to welcome a handful of teammates into town or fend them off my refrigerator or protect my beer like a new born child. However, the cliché that all good things come to an end holds true, it’s just a matter of when the end arrives.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone that made our dream a possibility; most importantly all of our fans, supporters, moms, dads, friends and sponsors that supported us not only when we were up but most significantly when we were at our lowest. For without all of you, our hopes would have remained unfulfilled and plastered between the shiny covers of magazines.

-Tim Montressor
Philadelphia Americans #40

Credit: Photo of Tim Montressor was taken by Gary Baum of PaintballPhotography.com. Photo of the team was taken by Alex Phelps Photography.

Hoping to catch the scoop from the source, Pro Paintball’s Justin Mason caught up with team owner and long time All-American player Adam Gardner.

Gardner remorsefully responded:

“Yes, unfortunately that is true. We will break our streak of 20 straight years with at least 1 first place finish.”

While the Pittsburgh All A’s could consistently be found on the podium throughout 2009 (as well as being the only primary challenger to Moscow powerhouse Russian Legion), the economic downturn has directly affected primary team sponsor, Smart Parts.  While this marks a sad day in professional paintball history, there is hope that a new phoenix will rise from the ashes of this once great franchise.

ProPaintball staff had the opportunity to speak with  former All American player Darryl Trent, director of DLX Technologies, who added;

“Mark my words. The All Americans will be back in 2011. We will be harder, faster and stronger than ever and will be bringing our A-game against the Russian Legion.”

2010 will certainly be a new era of professional paintball. Stay tuned to ProPaintball.com for the latest paintball news.

Update: Ollie Lang has released a video update discussing the latest rumors.

• After an action packed paintball season with the All Americans, Chad George of the AA’s will be joining San Diego Dynasty. ProPaintball.com insiders report that Chad will be running the snake, a position which was left open after Angel Fragoza retired.

• ProPaintball.com insiders report that Aftershock’s Drew Templeton and Pat Roberts of the All Americans were picked up by VICIOUS over the weekend. Following on the heels of VICIOUS announcing that Billy Bernacchia of the Hurricanes had joined the team, Drew and Pat wearing VICIOUS jersey’s would be major pick ups for the new pro team. With that being said, we expect big things out of VICIOUS in 2010.

• Brian “LB” Fow of LA Infamous is said to be moving out west. Word has it he left his job at KEE Action Sports (his choice) and is in the midst of a move to be closer to his family.

• Brandon Rittinghouse is said to have been released from Tampa Bay Damage. Brandon was spotted playing with the Palm Beach Vipers on Saturday.

• ProPaintball.com insiders inform us that neither Nicky Cuba nor John Richardson will be playing with the Ironmen in 2010. Not sure on the details, but will have some follow up information shortly.

Update: Ollie Lang from the Ironmen has released a video update of the latest paintball news. Check it out..

Click here to view the embedded video.

Read on for the latest news from some of the best pro paintball teams Aftershock, Aftermath, Damage, the Hurricanes, Mutiny and several others. You won’t believe who Dynasty ran into on the way to the Millennium Campaign Cup.

• Chicago Aftershock is flying down to practice X-ball against San Diego Aftermath at Camp Pendleton Paintball Park in Oceanside, CA. Playing separately will be LA Infamous and Dynasty Entourage who are both said to be running team drills.

• Tampa Bay Damage will be practicing at their home field Central Florida Paintball in Lakeland, FL. They will be scrimmaging Fierce in preparations for the upcoming PSP World Cup.

• Indianapolis Mutiny will be practicing 7-man for the NPPL series finale. The team will be playing at Asylum Extreme Paintball in Louisville, KY so if your in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello.

• After several weekends of back to back practices, the New England Hurricanes as a team are taking the weekend off. Last weekend, the ‘Canes competed against the All Americans at Fox 4. A weekend “off” isn’t what it seems as several of the ‘Canes will be representing their team and sponsors elsewhere. Brian Gigliotti and Billy Bernacchia will be joining the Upton 187 Crew and competing in the NAX Championships while teammate Mark Lancia will be in Puerto Rico hosting a paintball clinic.

• Team USA will be competing across the pond in this weekends Millennium Campaign Cup being held in London. Representing San Diego Dynasty will be Yosh Rau, Ryan Greenspan, and LJ Schwarz. Joining the Dyna-cats will be JC Whittington, Justin Rabackoff, and Chris Designor from Arsenal and Frank Connell from Avalanche. The team is currently ranked 3rd in the paintball series. While the team was traveling to the event, Yosh ended up sitting next to Richard Dreyfuss and Frank ran into Bobby Knight in the security line.

• San Diego Dynasty and Los Angeles Infamous will be at Camp Pendleton Paintball Park in Oceanside, CA. Both teams are said to be running drills and playing X-Ball, all in preparation for the 2009 Paintball World Cup.

• The New England Hurricanes and the Philadelphia All Americans will be playing at Fox4 Paintball in Upton, MA. This will mark the second time Philly has come up to practice at Fox4 and the 5^th time these two teams have practiced each other this year.

• Last weekend Tampa Bay Damage and San Diego Aftermath squared off at Central Florida Paintball Park in Lakeland, FL. Both teams got their first look at the preliminary field and played lots of aggressive paintball in the humid Florida weather. Damage will be taking this weekend off and letting players have some personal time before getting back in the grove and practicing every weekend up to the event.

• San Diego Aftermath will be hosting the WCPPL paintball event at Action Star Games in Bloomington, CA. The 7-man series has been a fun one to watch as teams battle it out for over $30,000.00 in cash prizes.

We will be updating the report as the day progresses with additional pro team news. Stay tuned!

Mardi Gras is more than a festival of drinking and celebration. The event provides boys an opportunity to pretend to be men and men the chance to remember what it is like to be a boy. Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street are slathered with debauchery and sin, and yet based upon a foundation of anticipation and dreams. The 2004 Mardi Gras event was more than a paintball tournament for me. This particular date marked the beginning of a turning point in my life, not just because of my arrival to a team that would change my future for the better but the meeting of many new friends and acquaintances. Still, the miserable rain, cold weather and ankle high mud that plagued our paintball sanctuary were despised and yet revered because they forced the league to reschedule games for a later date. Rain-outs in paintball are a rare occurrence, one that is seen by only a select few players in a different era of the game. Nonetheless, the debacle and headaches of rescheduled games are sometimes the gift and souvenir that players need to fully enjoy their travels and open their horizons to new experiences and new people.

My arrival to the Philadelphia Americans was less like the arrival of a fellow short time professional player and more like the forced accompaniment of a younger brother that a mother nags the older children to allow to tag along. Thus, for my first tournament with the team, being excluded from team functions was not a surprising occurrence as I was not only the new guy but also the youngest member. However, in misery and desolation, opportunity and prospect have a tendency to break through the gray clouds of despair. So, as the rest of the big boys from the squad enjoyed a team dinner, I was left behind to fend for myself with nothing to do because of canceled games. But, instead of sulking around a vacant hotel, I was fortunate enough to stammer across the gang of All-Americans 2, the amateur team to the Americans, who were hired to referee the tournament and instead stumbled around Bourbon Street in a drunken daze.

Hiding out in a dank New Orleans hotel room and drinking 40’s of cheap malt liquor were a young Ryan Moorhead and Jason Edwards. The interesting tagline to these two players is that they’re both deeply seeded in the Philadelphia American’s organization. From a young age, these two have unknowingly bled for one team. However, Ryan’s story is one for another day as Jason Edward’s plot is entrenched with many twists and turns before his arrival at his current and hopefully final destination. I was only 19 at the time, yet still the old man among the small group. Little did I know that the 16 year old Jason “Fat Kid” Edwards was going to eventually develop into a top tier professional player and one of the vertebrae that comprises the backbone for the Philadelphia organization.

Always carrying a colossal smile and a giddy outlook like that of a pre -pubescent teenager, Jason Edwards is a true Florida boy. His love and admiration for good times and story making adventures is even greater than his infatuation for attractive party girls, thus his aura can quickly become inspiring and addicting. It’s more rare to catch Jason on a bad day than it is to see a zombie fighting ninja, a true commodity and unusual form of soldier. Nonetheless, his story unfurls with numerous pit stops and standstills. In 2005, the All-Americans 2 made an untimely and unprepared jump to the professional ranks taking over the defunct Miami Effect franchise. The team possessed a significant amount of potential, however potential is a scary term that gets tossed around all too easily. Unfortunately, a few tough seasons can break even the most dedicated players down to a beaten core. Coincidentally, the determined will emerge from the chaos and find they will be stronger and more weathered. It didn’t take long after the fallout for Jason to find a home with the Florida powerhouse, Miami Rage. It was during his short tenure with Rage that Jason materialized into the competitive player that he was envisioned to become. His clutch play and athleticism became staples to his game. Shedding the “Fat Kid” nickname that plagued and hindered his abilities, Jason took a truly professional approach to the game. His work ethic in the gym is comparable to that of many other professional athletes, a true testament to his dedication and obsession with the sport, or on occasion his own vanity.

After a few other stops that included the Jacksonville Raiders and DC Arsenal, Jason eventually returned home to the Americans prior to the 2008 season, filling the roster spot that he had used for one tournament in 2003 as an infantile, inexperienced kid. This time around however, Jason’s residence possessed a new tone and excitement as he provided a much-needed strong backline for a young, rebuilding team. Nevertheless, I wasn’t sure of Jason’s fit with the team until the North East Open in August of 2008 at our home field in Pittsburgh. It wasn’t his play on the field that I was apprehensive about, but his inner role within the group. The NEO event was frenzied and exciting because it was at our home field, in front of all our friends and family. As an added bonus, we were able to stay at our own team house instead of establishing short-term dwelling in an unknown hotel. However, trouble is only bound to ensue when a dozen 20-some year old guys are trapped in one house for three days before a tournament with nothing to do. Girls, parties, and good times flowed through the team and house like a small stream quickly rushing down into a white water river. Surprisingly, the instigator and ringleader wasn’t the usual culprits of Pat Roberts or even Ryan Moorhead, but the young Florida boy who couldn’t stop smiling for ten consecutive days as he crushed all the competition on the paintball field as well as at the beer pong table. This was the first of many adventure stories that Jason assumed a key character role within, however future anecdotes would develop in far off lands such as Germany, France and even the wrongdoing known as Las Vegas.

Sometimes, I am not quite sure what Jason is searching for within the game, as we all have our own priorities and prerogatives for our motivation and desire to continue year in and year out. But, I am sure that whatever it is Jason wants he will eventually find, as he is very good about keeping his eyes open and looking for opportunities, whether they sit at his feet or far off in the unforeseen distance. His life mimics his play style on the paintball field as he lives within a specific level of security but has no problem dropping his comfort blanket to gamble and push all his chips into the middle and hope for a big win. “Fat Kid” has proven to be a unique and complex piece to our never-ending puzzle of a team and organization. Hopefully, Jason will follow the path that many players have chosen to pursue before him, and that is finishing his soon to be storied career with the Americans. But regardless of his future endeavors and decisions, he has accomplished one of the most difficult of tasks, a goal that supersedes tournament victories and season title honors, and that is gaining the respect and admiration of his peers with his stellar play, great attitude and endless grin.

“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Tradition holds for paintball tournaments in Chicago: winter weather stays strong up until the very day planes start landing and tossing paintball gear onto the baggage cars. When we arrived to the field on Tuesday it was apparent that we were in for a heatwave; 100 degrees farenheit and approx. 95% humidity. Chicago was going to be a hot one!

As the Chicago paintball event unfolded, the weather seemed to get warmer and warmer and the girls, well, they began showing up in less and less (Ed: sorry, no pics!). Pro Paintball and beautiful women — Can’t ask for much else! To make a long story short, once we all departed, the thermometer dropped about 20+ degrees Monday, but whose taking note? I’d like to share my thanks to Stephen Wright, Jack Palombo, Matt Dawson and all of the other supporters who contributed to the ProPaintball Chicago coverage.

Stand out, Matt Dawson, a veteran photographer and amazing contributor to Pro Paintball had quite the week. From accidents prior to arrival, to bruised shoulders, pinched nerves, and ice blisters, he got caught in a series of unfortunate events. Behind the scenes, Matt had been working straight through for the last several weeks trying to prepare for a new pro paintball mag, known as “Feature This”. Needless to say, Matt was unable to carry all of his gear with him at any given time and was put into an even more tough position. What happened in the end? Against all odds, Matt Dawson, prevails and brings a grip of amazing paintball photography.

Below is the Sunday Photo made possible by the hard work of Matt Dawson. For more of the Chicago event coverage (and tons of excellent paintball photos), be sure to check out our PSP Chicago Open 2009 coverage.

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For the weekend of June 20th & 21st, 2009;

• Edmonton Impact, LA Infamous and Chicago Aftershock will be playing at Badlandz both Saturday and Sunday.

• Sacramento XSV, San Francisco Explicit and Orange County Bushwackers are all practicing X-ball at Capital Edge Paintball Park.

• Scottsdale Elevation will be practicing Sunday at 23bps in Avondale, AZ.

• Aftermath is playing Velocity Wrecking Crew at Velocity Paintball Park in Ramona, CA.

• Tampa Bay Damage and the Russian Legion will be out both Saturday and Sunday at Central Florida Paintball Park.

• Cross Eyed Paintball and ECK will be playing at Insane Paintball in Chattanooga, TN.

• Indianapolis Mutiny and the Philly Americans will be having a private practice in LaTrobe, PA.