PaintballX3 Magazine June 2014 | Page 64

64 2 All Americans: The All Americans formed in 1988 and throughout the history of the NPPL’s first incarnation were considered by all to be one of the “big three” (All Americans, Aftershock, Ironmen) teams in professional paintball. The All A’s, as they were commonly called, were a perennial top three team in the NPPL series rankings and played in the NPPL ten-man finals more than any other Pro team. They notched nine NPPL wins in the ten-man division and actually had a three year streak where they won every Pro five-man event on the circuit. They also won the Splat-1 Indoor Paintball Championships four times and before the NPPL came into being they won or placed in the top four in countless Lively, Skirmish and Euro events. From 1988 to 2001 the All Americans placed first in an incredible June 2014 59 tournaments (not all major events), many of them five-man events and a handful of “pre-professional” events. But 59 wins nonetheless. When the NXL formed in 2003 the All Americans became the Philadelphia Americans, but the winning didn’t stop. The Americans won the NXL series title in 1993 and 1994, the first two years of the league’s existence. The All Americans roster in its early days featured legendary players Adam and Billy Gardner, 2E Barber and George Davison as its core. Later they added such players as the UK’s Phil Hamm, LD, Chuck Hendsch, Todd Hugo and several players you still see on the circuit today--guys like Tim Montressor and Ryan Moorhead. Other All Americans notes of interest: Although you could make the case that the All Americans have won almost