VIEW FROM A DEAD SATURDAY WEBCAST..

YEA, THATS IT... ALL DAY LONG
But seriously, when it did go, 1 minute in... 20 min out, it was good for that moment.

Gator Tamer

I can remember the little fat kid with glasses that didn't quite fit in, asking to mix up some games with us at SC Village. I was building a ten man team for the NPPL at the time and we were having a sort of tryout. That team I built went on to win it's first NPPL event and then subsequently dismantle and eventually spawn into the Check It Factory team where myself, Rusty Glaze, Cowboy Roy Richards, JP Augustin, Anson Hong, Shane Harrison and that little fat kid with glasses, Gator Glaze, all played together. We all pretty much stuck it out growing up together playing paintball on the same teams, going from Check It to the Bushwackers, where most of us got picked up by separate pro teams until we all finally met up again under the Miami Effect/Infamous flag.

I've known Gator for a long time and I've watched him grow up and go through a whole bunch of things. That little fat kid with glasses, went from the nerdy outsider, to the cool nerdy kid, to the thin cool kid with glasses, to arguably one of the most recognized paintball players to ever play the sport. He created his own style and fashion and became a god like figure to all his fans. Gator Glaze became a business and it was selling product. He was making stickers, shirts, headbands, you name it. Gator Glaze homemade gear was in popular demand. It seemed liked every little kid that played paintball wanted to sport some of Gator's style. Kids were even paying to stay at his house ( The HK House) in Fullerton Ca. during So Cal paintball events just so they could say they slept on Gator's floor. It was pretty insane. I can honestly say, as much as you can be a rock star in paintball, Gator was.

Besides a wild fashion sense and a bit of a rep for playing the "gray area", Gator also had a wild way of living. He knew how to let loose. I've shared quite a few wild and memorable moments with that guy. Some of which are PG rated and some that R not...lol. He is the guy you thought would just always be crazy and wild. It kind of seemed at the time that Gator was just born to live free and roam. He didn't really seem to have a plan, he just lived. Paintball was like his outlet and maybe even an excuse not to grow up. But one day, something changed and you could instantly tell there was something different about him.....not bad, just different. He always had a bit of a "I don't care attitude", even with his friends he could be unpredictable. But not anymore. Something had made him stop and take a look at things. That something was his soon to be wife, Sophia.

Gator met someone who walked a different path than him but still had so much in common with him. I think he was amazed that you could still have fun and enjoy life without walking the edge of the earth. It was a new way of seeing things for him and it was having a huge impact on his life. He started going to church with Sophia where he became very active within it. He was attending youth groups and eventually started teaching his own Sunday school classes. He bought a paintball store in Rancho Cucamonga Ca. and started finding direction in his life. The Gator was tamed and he was happy. So happy that he wanted to make it permanent, and he did.

I attended his wedding this past weekend February 14 2009 (Valentines Day). I'm not going to make claims but I think he did that just so he could never get in trouble for forgetting his anniversary....hahaha. Either way, it was a free meal for me and mine..... =) It was a very nice wedding and reception. A lot of the old crew made it out and it was nice to see them all again. It was kind of sad seeing Gator grow up in a way, because it was just another reminder of real life and how paintball just doesn't fit into it anymore. We all became friends through paintball and I will always have an interest in it and try to stay a part of it as much as possible, but it will never be the same as it was when we first all started. When all we did was live during the week in preparation for the weekend and what it brought. I'm glad you found your happiness Gator, and I hope we all don't grow up too much and forget to get out and play once in awhile.

Congratulations on your marriage and good luck in everything that you do.

RATS LEAVE JT.. I LASERED THIER GUNS

ENJOY.

PACK OF WOLVES

With all this division going on in the paintball industry, I thought I would take the time to propose a little lite hearted unity. Before I do though, and so you dont think Im actually crazy with what I'm about to propose, its a good idea to give you a little background on this. My friend Don Saavedra over at Splat Mag. sent me this link today (check out the reviews for this product)to help pass the time and to have a few good laughs over. Well it did the job, so I passed it on to some of the Infamous guys (Travis, Rusty, Pozzi, Rab) and everyone had a good laugh. I don't talk with the guys much since I'm not playing on the team anymore, and so I got to thinking about all the jokes and funny things you do while on a paintball trip. Things you don't do in your normal life around your normal friends, because they would probably disown you. One of the things I miss is the crazy fashion statements you can get away with at an event.

Well, hopefully by now you have checked out the link and you have had a good laugh too. If not, one of us has a horrible sense of humor. I know it's not me, knock knock jokes still make me laugh, so there.

Ok, so what I propose is this. The "Wolf Shirt Movement". In a nationwide show of unity and brotherhood between paintballers in this time when the industry seems to be dividing, when it should be coming together, I propose everyone buys a ridiculous Wolf Shirt of your choice and wear it to the Phoenix PSP event. The more ridiculous the better. It will be like that secret handshake that only a few people know about until the secret is let out a little at a time. I would assume there will only be a few of you wearing them at first, and people are sure to make fun of you (yeah, even at a paintball event), but underneath, you will know you are part of something much bigger than others are aware of. Then spread the good word and see how big the trend is at the next event, and so on. So instead of everyone always hating on eachother, we all get to be a part of this "inside joke" and become united in a super gay, wolf way....hahaha. Phoenix is the perfect place to start because the wolf ties in well with the native american influence of the area.

" Wolves are perfect for paintball. We hunt in packs, but are ultimately alone."
-Don Saavedra

This is all just for a good laugh. Who knows, you may make a few new friends over the ice breaker, bad ass mofo'in wolf shirt you are wearing, and if you don't make a new friend, your definitely going to get laid. Seems win win to me. Have fun out there and be safe wearing those shirts, because when you wear a wolf shirt.....people are going to know you're SERIOUS.

CONGRATULATIONS MARCUS DAVIS UFC 93 IRELAND!

Played paintball with my mens ministry crew at Jungle Island in Lake Elsinore. I had to say that the field was moderately busy.

CONGRATULATIONS CONTRACT KILLER MARCUS DAVIS UFC 93 IRELAND "THE IRISH HAND GRENADE !

Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle fulfilled their promises to fight it out on the feet for 15 minutes in their welterweight bout.

With a singing Irish audience as background music, Lytle, 34, of Indianapolis, landed a right hand that staggered Davis in the opening 30 seconds. After recovering, however, Davis, 35, began following a strategy devised no doubt in conjunction with world-class trainer Mark DellaGrotte.

“The Irish Hand Grenade” did not stand toe-to-toe with the hard-punching Lytle. Instead, minutes into the fight it was clear that he would use his superior footwork, counterpunching and kicks.

Lytle stuck with his bombs, which did connect from time to time. He rocked Davis again early in the second period and flurried on him against the cage. Davis covered up but still took some shots on his ears before hustling away, finding his footing and planting a kick into Lytle’s body that floored him.

That kick and countless others were Davis’ answer to Lytle’s winging punches. He also made him pay with careful counterpunching, but Lytle proved capable of taking punishment and still moving forward to dish out his own.

The third round was more of the same. Lytle stalked forward throwing the more powerful strikes while Davis countered with more technical boxing and additional kicks and knees. By the end of the fight, both men had swollen eyes and bruised bodies. Lytle’s side, in particular, was blue and welted from his opponent’s kicks.

The judges were split on the entertaining fight, scoring it 29-28 twice for Davis and once for Lytle.