Making uspsa mainstream

[thebigdogg316]

I believe there will be a day where uspsa will go mainstream. If the pbr and the world series of poker can do it, when will uspsa do it. I have to thank shows like top shot for putting firearms in a positive light.

[a matt]

I hope it happens much sooner than later. I does seem to be gaining traction. USPSA majors on TV. Nice!

[DyNo!]

Until it gets popular, why not get behind 3-Gun Nation in the meantime?

http://3gunnation.com/episodes/ozark_3-gun_part_i

Edited November 14, 2011 by DyNo!

[iShootguns]

I love that show, I watch every episode! I would love it if the USPSA would get something like that going. Maybe have something like Spike's Powerblock but with action shooting sports!

[Jadeslade]

Nobody know how to shoot shooting with tv cameras to make it interesting . ESPN got started by putting tv cameras in Formula 1 corners and on cars. There is too much talking on shooting shows. I hope you are right. We'll see.

[rgkeller]

I love that show, I watch every episode! I would love it if the USPSA would get something like that going. Maybe have something like Spike's Powerblock but with action shooting sports!

USPSA can't update their/our website in a timely manner.

[mwx40x40]

Until it gets popular, why not get behind 3-Gun Nation in the meantime?

http://3gunnation.com/episodes/ozark_3-gun_part_i

I was excited to see 3GN go primetime this week. However, I see the weekend morning shows are gone. Is Thursday evening 7pm the only time it airs?

[sirveyr]

I don't see it happening. PBRA and WSOP do not involve using equipment that generates polarizing political opinions. Guns will always be on the fringe and a polarizing issue....just the way I like it. Also, I don't think PBRA and WSOP are really that mainstream. Aren't they usually on ESPN 8 (The Ocho) or something?

[PKT1106]

PBRA sometimes gets Saturday or Sunday ABC against college football. Fun to watch which ones choose the helmet and how good they do. WSOP sometimes has replays during the same times, against college football. I don't think USPSA or other organized shooting sports will get that way until people stop thinking that guns are the problem. They're too scary and to think of it as a sport!?!?! Blasphemy!!! Unfortunately, shooting sports ranks somewhere below cheerleading and ice dancing for coverage.

[Graham Smith]

If there were going to be a substantial push for something I would think that the first goal would be to get broader exposure and support for IPSC, Steel Challenge and Bianchi internationally. At one point, there was a drive to get IPSC into the Olympics. Even as an exhibition sport, that would be a really good start. Remember, there was a time when "extreme" sports like snowboarding weren't given any credence and look how big that has become.

[rgkeller]

I know of no countries that make possession of snowboards illegal.

[Sarge]

I kind of like things the way they are. I remember my golfing days when TW hit the tour. Overnight every Tom Dick and Harry suddenly became a golfer! Tee times were harder to get, Rounds ballooned to 5+ hours, etc...

If our sport suddenly became the hot ticket there is no way the limited facilities available could handle the sudden influx of participants. There would be problems out the a$$.

I say, let's just keep it under the radar and let those that want to get in to the sport find it on their own. Those are the ones you really want involved anyway.

[ima45dv8]

I kind of like things the way they are. I remember my golfing days when TW hit the tour. Overnight every Tom Dick and Harry suddenly became a golfer! Tee times were harder to get, Rounds ballooned to 5+ hours, etc...

If our sport suddenly became the hot ticket there is no way the limited facilities available could handle the sudden influx of participants. There would be problems out the a$.

I say, let's just keep it under the radar and let those that want to get in to the sport find it on their own. Those are the ones you really want involved anyway.

Sarge, how did you know exactly what I was thinking?

[Singlestack]

I kind of like things the way they are. I remember my golfing days when TW hit the tour. Overnight every Tom Dick and Harry suddenly became a golfer! Tee times were harder to get, Rounds ballooned to 5+ hours, etc...

If our sport suddenly became the hot ticket there is no way the limited facilities available could handle the sudden influx of participants. There would be problems out the a$$.

I say, let's just keep it under the radar and let those that want to get in to the sport find it on their own. Those are the ones you really want involved anyway.

Huge +1

[warpspeed]

Guys, it is all about the advertising.

WSOP & PBR can sell ads to all kinds of companies without any issue of backlash.

Their demographic is much broader than shooting. Much broader.

[raz-0]

If there were going to be a substantial push for something I would think that the first goal would be to get broader exposure and support for IPSC, Steel Challenge and Bianchi internationally. At one point, there was a drive to get IPSC into the Olympics. Even as an exhibition sport, that would be a really good start. Remember, there was a time when "extreme" sports like snowboarding weren't given any credence and look how big that has become.

So, by your reasoning, something that would happen before USPSA being accepted as a mainstream activity in the culture of the United States is the acceptence of IPSC, steel challenge, or bianchi cup in cultures much, MUCH more hostile to firearms ownership? Do you by any chance occupy a management position at my place of employment, that sounds like something they would come up with.

I kind of like things the way they are. I remember my golfing days when TW hit the tour. Overnight every Tom Dick and Harry suddenly became a golfer! Tee times were harder to get, Rounds ballooned to 5+ hours, etc...

If our sport suddenly became the hot ticket there is no way the limited facilities available could handle the sudden influx of participants. There would be problems out the a$.

I say, let's just keep it under the radar and let those that want to get in to the sport find it on their own. Those are the ones you really want involved anyway.

+1 million. Especially if they are all lazy freeloaders. We are already running out of manpower to cover match turnout, If we had the manpower to put on more matches, we'd have trouble finding times and places to host them.

[ChuckS]

After a little reading of the 3 Gun Nation shoot-off thread, perhaps we should just leave the mainstream to the Kardashians and let us shoot in peace.

[centermass]

... and let us shoot in peace.

LOL... keeping it out of the mainstream seems a bit obfuscatory.

[Graham Smith]

Do you by any chance occupy a management position at my place of employment, that sounds like something they would come up with.

Point taken. But I think you are missing a part of my point as well. IPSC has done a pretty good job of spreading to other countries, some of which may be generally hostile to private gun ownership. I don't want to turn this into any kind of political discussion, but the elevation of IPSC to a more prominent position can only help us in a whole number of areas. Perhaps even more than promoting USPSA.

THAT SAID... We had to institute a pre-registration system this year because we have been getting more people than we can handle. But not all states can say the same thing.

[Chills1994]

somebody....errr...some company or manufacturer has to throw money at it.

If you say, for example, look at the tennis U.S. Open....IIRC, it was mainly sponsored by the investment firm Charles Schwabb. And then the New York City marathon was also sponsored by a similiar company (insurance?) AIG.

so if you throw enough money at it and get a large enough prize pool or pot for it, people will watch. that's how I can explain to myself how or why people can stand to watch bowling or golf or heck! even darts on TV.

a big enough pot adds drama, and you can never or should never underestimate people's voyeuristic proclivities when it comes to anything dramatic.

as far as the whole "guns are illegal in some countries" argument goes....well.. that's a little chicken and the egg-ish for me.

maybe if those people saw how much fun and safe other people were having with guns, that light bulb would click on and we could start making inroads into making guns legal or more acceptable in those cultures.

[vluc]

I kind of like things the way they are. I remember my golfing days when TW hit the tour. Overnight every Tom Dick and Harry suddenly became a golfer! Tee times were harder to get, Rounds ballooned to 5+ hours, etc...

If our sport suddenly became the hot ticket there is no way the limited facilities available could handle the sudden influx of participants. There would be problems out the a$$.

I say, let's just keep it under the radar and let those that want to get in to the sport find it on their own. Those are the ones you really want involved anyway.

+1

[BillD]

We've had the discussion locally on how to get more shooters to come to matches. We do OK around here, 50-60 shooters per match, weather and wives permitting.

Most of our ranges will only have 5-6 bays to use anyway.

I asked the folks who were trying to get more shooters to come out, "Where you gonna put them? Are we ready for 80 shooters per match? Are we going to be there 3 hours longer for the same amount of shooting?"

I'm all for growing the sport as long as I'm not put out any

[rgkeller]

We've had the discussion locally on how to get more shooters to come to matches. We do OK around here, 50-60 shooters per match, weather and wives permitting.

Most of our ranges will only have 5-6 bays to use anyway.

I asked the folks who were trying to get more shooters to come out, "Where you gonna put them? Are we ready for 80 shooters per match? Are we going to be there 3 hours longer for the same amount of shooting?"

I'm all for growing the sport as long as I'm not put out any

Exactly.

The limits in our sport are facilities related.

[remoandiris]

We've had the discussion locally on how to get more shooters to come to matches. We do OK around here, 50-60 shooters per match, weather and wives permitting.

Most of our ranges will only have 5-6 bays to use anyway.

I asked the folks who were trying to get more shooters to come out, "Where you gonna put them? Are we ready for 80 shooters per match? Are we going to be there 3 hours longer for the same amount of shooting?"

I'm all for growing the sport as long as I'm not put out any

Exactly.

The limits in our sport are facilities related.

Also manpower related. The 3 monthly matches near me have the same 6-8 people setup stages, register shooters, and do the scoring. Add more people or more stages to it without an equal increase in people to do the behind-the-scenes work and match staff will just burn out faster.

[Aglifter]

I see two good solutions to that - both coming from other sports.

A) Pay the set up crew and MD, ROs, etc as necessary, if the matches become larger

I think this sport works better as an activity at a private club, than on a public range - I realize this makes it more difficult to get things going, but I think it helps the quality of the match, and the life of the people involved in putting them on, considerably.