Rumors are flying that LA Infamous, an Empire Paintball team, is in the midst of relocating and rebuilding their pro paintball team.

In recent years, players from LA Infamous have been spread throughout the country. Prior to events, Infamous players would fly across the country to and from practices and meet up a week early before events. Having players residing in a handful of different states has made it difficult to practice as a team on a regular basis. This disconnect has translated into mediocre results for the all star roster.

Pro Paintball insiders report that 2012 will mark a new year and a new strategy. Travis Lemanski, Infamous team owner/player relocated to Detroit, Michigan. Just a few weeks before the 2011 PSP World Cup, Mid-West  natives Damian Ryan and Brad McCurley left Chicago Aftershock and joined Infamous.

According to sources, Ryan and McCurley were only the beginning of the exodus from Shock. Following in their footsteps today are Drew Templeton, Chris Sosine, Zack Patient, all of which have joined their former shock teammates on Infamous.

Travis Lemanski told ProPaintball;

As you can imagine, the pick ups are huge in the rebuilding of the core of infamous. Infamous is excited for the 2012 paintball season. Infamous would like to thank Empire Paintball. We wouldn’t be able to compete without their support of our team and the sport of paintball. Hope to see you all out on the paintball field.

For 2012, the rebuilt Infamous squad will call CPX Paintball Park home. The team will be based out of the Mid West area and will be holding regular practices with full intention of resuming their position in the upper echelons of professional paintball.

What are your thoughts on the new Infamous roster?

In round two of our 2011/2012 Pro Paintball Off Season report, we feature the latest news from pro teams Sacramento XSV, Top Gun Union and LA Infamous.

Pro Paintball player Zack Wake on the move

Todd Martinez, Coach of LA Infamous, broke the news this week that Zack Wake, snake player for Infamous, had left the team. According to sources there are a handful of teams looking to pick him up. Pro Paintball insiders named local Tennessee pro team CEP, as well as Tampa Bay Damage and Dynasty as possibilities for 2012.

Ryan Martin of Pro Paintball team Sacramento XSV

Insiders say that Ryan Martin has left both Top Gun Union, whom he played PSP with, and Sacramento XSV, who he played NPPL with. Initially it was thought Ryan was leaving Top Gun to compete with Sacramento XSV in the PSP pro division. However, recent intel suggests he has left the XSV ranks as well. Leaving both teams frees Martin up to play either or both NPPL and PSP in 2012. Pro Paintball insiders point to Ironmen, Infamous, or Dynasty (all Southern California pro teams) as possibilities for 2012.

Where do you think these players will end up? Which teams could best utilize their talents?

After the teams disqualification at NPPL DC, ProPaintball insiders speculated that big changes were coming to the teams roster. Last week rumors were stirring that Infamous was releasing anywhere between one and three players. Justin “LJ Schwarz, Marcello Margott, and Bobby Aviles were all named by our sources.

In a ProPaintball interview published last night, Justin “LJ” Schwarz broke the news that he would be joining the Los Angeles Ironmen. In the interview Justin discussed the NPPL DC situation and more.

“…DC was a nightmare! I had a previous suspension from chicago nppl which I thought I had served and apparently I had one more game to serve in DC. I was not warned or told by any of the NPPL officials that the suspension still stood and I had one more game to sit out. If I would have been aware I definitely would have sat and not tried to “sneak” on a game like most of the paintball community thinks I did. I feel very bad for not double checking and the DC loss is definitely my fault for Infamous. I am very sorry to all of the fans and sponsors that I let down.”

Justin "LJ" Schwarz parts ways with LA Infamous

ProPaintball insiders suggest that contrary to rumors, Marcello Margott and Bobby Aviles have not been let go. No further details were known at the time of publication.

The plot thickened this morning as rumors circulated that Damian Ryan and Brad McCurley had left Aftershock and joined Infamous for PSP World Cup. Damian and Brad compete with Chicago Aftershock in the PSP Series, and Chicago Legend in the NPPL. It is worth noting that Chicago Legend took first place at the recent NPPL DC Challenge after Damian beat Arsenal’s Justin Rabackoff in a 1 vs 1 competition. ProPaintball caught up with Damian this morning in hopes of clearing the air.

Damian Ryan (back row, center) and Brad McCurley (front row, left) with Chicago Legend after winning NPPL DC

New players on Infamous:
Damian Ryan confirmed with ProPaintball that he and Brad McCurley were leaving their PSP team, Chicago Aftershock, and joining Los Angeles Infamous. Damian wanted to make it clear that they were not leaving Aftershock for personal reasons. Instead, Brad and Damian came into the 2011 season loyal to Chicago Legend, an Empire Paintball team, and after the NPPL DC win, Empire Paintball made it clear that they did not want their sponsored players competing with a non-Empire team in the PSP. Brad and Damian then joined Los Angeles Infamous and will be making their debut at the PSP World Cup in late October.

The loss of Brad and Damian will may impact Chicago Aftershock as they prepare for the 2011 PSP World Cup. Rumors are circulating that the team will be holding tryouts to fill the two recently vacated spots on Shock. Stay tuned for an official announcement.

After last weeks debacle at NPPL DC, ProPaintball caught up with LJ to cut through the rumors and catch up with one of the top players in professional paintball. Read on for some breaking news, pro tips, and LJ’s thoughts on his favorite paintball format.

PPB: ProPaintball insiders tell us you have a big announcement to share. Do tell, whats the word?

LJ: I am playing with the LA Ironmen!

PPB: Congratulations! That is excellent news. After losing Ollie to Dynasty, pro paintball fans expected a rough year for the Ironmen. The Ironmen have beat that misconception and are currently ranked 4th overall. How do you expect the Ironmen to finish up the season at PSP World Cup?

LJ: After playing against the Ironmen for as long as I have I feel that they will always have a team contending for the top 4. I haven’t had the opportunity to practice with them very much but from what I can see they are a very positive team and have a lot of experience and energy. I feel that with some hard practices we will do very well at the World Cup this year.

PPB: Lots of craziness went down in DC. Your old pro paintball team, Infamous, blew Arsenal apart, dropped the next match, and then ended up DQ’d? What can you tell us about DC?

LJ: Haha DC was a nightmare! I had a previous suspension from chicago nppl which I thought I had served and apparently I had one more game to serve in DC. I was not warned or told by any of the NPPL officials that the suspension still stood and I had one more game to sit out. If I would have been aware I definitely would have sat and not tried to “sneak” on a game like most of the paintball community thinks I did. I feel very bad for not double checking and the DC loss is definitely my fault for Infamous. I am very sorry to all of the fans and sponsors that I let down.

PPB: That has to be rough; flying across the country and getting ready to blast your way to the podium only for a bunch of miscommunication to ruin you and your team’s run. Bummer.

The Ironmen have been doing well this season, and with you on board, the roster looks very strong for Cup. Has the deal with Ironmen been brewing for awhile? Or was this a sudden move?

LJ: I go back with SK from when he was coaching me on Dynasty. I have always loved his style of coaching and I have played with short and skemp on Legacy. They approached me earlier in the season and I told them that I wanted to finish off the year with Infamous and if in the off season I felt it was time for a change then I would contact them. But after being let go from Infamous I was welcomed with open arms from the Ironmen.

PPB: With the demanding practicing, traveling and conditioning schedule of a professional paintball player, what advice would you have for an up and coming player to manage that competing in paintball with a busy work and school schedule?

LJ: Honestly it is so hard to keep up with work and paintball, especially if your work is not involved within the paintball Industry. I would suggest that if you want something bad enough you will make the effort to get it.

PPB: You have had an opportunity to play a ton of different pro formats. With all the discussion of a league merger, if it were your sole responsibility to come up with the ideal format for the combined league, what would it be? Race-To, All-Star, Millennium, NPPL, UAPL, or something else entirely?

LJ: I would bring it back to NXL with hour long matches and 15 balls per second fully auto. That was the most fun. I love going up to Canada and playing cxbl because they still run off those NXL rules.

PPB: What tips or strategies would you recommend to new players trying to get involved in tournament paintball?

LJ: I would say do a ton of snap shooting drills, 1-1′s, closing drills, and most importantly running and shooting drills. I am not the fastest person but whenever I am moving to another bunker I keep my gun up. Because if you’re shooting back at someone accurately that’s shooting at you, it’s way more difficult to hit them.

PPB: Special thanks to Justin Schwarz for taking the time to sit down with ProPaintball. Best of luck to you LJ!

Empire Paintball and DerDer are back with a new 250 cal paintball video. This time around, pro paintball player Todd Martinez from LA Infamous shares a few tips and tactics in eliminating the opposing team.

In this 250 Cal video Todd Martinez teaches you how to deal with a player in the snake.

With 250 Cal you can take care of not one, but multiple players with strategically placed 250 Cal paintballs. Watch as Todd shows you the way to play 250 Cal.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Chicago pickem and the Pro Paintball poll (right hand side of the page) have opened up for you to place your bets on the winners and losers of the PSP 2011 Chicago Open. Cade Coleman, the PSP score keeper and ProPaintball are proud to share several data points for your consideration and general paintball knowledge. Hopefully these data points will help you increase your odds of winning the PB Pickem grand prize. Study up and place your picks!

Data is based on PSP Pro Paintball matches between 2007 to 2011

PSP 2011 Chicago Open Stats:

• 2007 – Largest Margin of Victory: Legion (23) vs. Ultimate (1)
• 2007 – Finals: X-Factor (7) vs. Ironmen (6)
• 2008 – Finals: Damage (5) vs. Aftermath (3)
• 2009 – Finals: Legion (7) vs. Aftermath (1)
• 2010 – Finals: Infamous (7) vs. Damage (5)

PSP Pro Paintball Team Facts and Win / Loss Records:

Chicago Aftershock:

• 31 Wins (36%) / 56 Losses (64%)
• Looking for their first Pro win of the 2011 season, shut out 0-4 at the 2011 Texas Open.

Chattanooga CEP (PSP Pro since 2011):

• 0 Wins (0%) / 4 Losses (100%)
• Looking for their first Pro win ever, also shut out 0-4 at the 2011 Texas Open.

Tampa Bay Damage (PSP Pro since 2008):

• 51 Wins (61%) / 32 Losses (39%)
• Wins and 1 OT Loss during the Texas Open, they were knocked out by Legion (2-4) in the Semis.

San Diego Dynasty:

• 59 Wins (58%) / 43 Losses (42%)
• 3 Wins (7-0, 7-1, 7-1) and 1 Loss (Legion) during the Texas Prelims, beat Infamous in the Semis, and Legion (7-2) in the Finals.

Edmonton Impact (PSP Pro since 2008):

• 38 Wins (52%) / 35 Losses (48%)
• 2 Wins (both 5-4) and 2 Losses (both 1-7), looking to advance out of the Prelims in 2011.

LA Infamous:

• 49 Wins (51%) / 47 Losses (49%)
• 3 Wins (2OT) and 1 Loss during the Texas Prelims, they were knocked out by Dynasty (2-5) in the Semis.

Los Angeles Ironmen:

• 70 Wins (65%) / 38 Losses (35%)
• 2 Wins (1OT) and 2 Losses in Texas, looking to advance out of the Prelims in 2011.

Boston Red Legion:

• 82 Wins (75%) / 28 Losses (25%)
• 3 Wins and 1 Loss (OT Loss, Ironmen), beat Damage in the Semis and Lost to Dynasty (2-7) in the Finals.

Omaha Vicious (PSP Pro since 2010):

• 7 Wins (37%) / 12 Losses (63%)
• 2 Wins (1OT, both 6-5) and 2 Losses (1OT) in Texas, looking to advance out of the Prelims in 2011.

San Antonio X-Factor:

• 44 Wins (49%) / 46 Losses (51%)
• 2 Wins (7-3, 7-2) and 2 Losses in Texas, looking to advance out of the Prelims in 2011.

Does the Win and Loss record effect your loyalty to your favorite pro paintball team? Or, is there more to a pro team than winning? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Last week ProPaintball broke the rumor that Chris Lasoya had left Aftershock and joined back up with his former team, LA Infamous. According to a news release from Empire Paintball, the deal has been finalized and Chris will be putting down his EGO and picking up an AXE.

Good news for LA Infamous fans! Chris LaSoya will be returning to the LA Infamous team for the remainder of the 2011 season. Chris has been playing at the top level of paintball since the beginning of the 90′s. Rising through the ranks he has won almost every tournament there is to win throughout his career. For most of that time, Chris played with the same guys on Infamous. Well, after a long hiatus, Chris is returning to his friends and family and the place he loves to call home, LA Infamous and Empire Paintball.

“I can’t explain how happy I am to be able to get back to my roots and with the guys I grew up with and some of the new blood on the team. They have a real solid team that I’m a part of again, and really glad to be here. Since sponsors started to put the lock down on where we could play I have been moving around from team to team, but now I can get back to where my heart is. I am looking forward to the rest of this year for sure!”, says Chris.

Chris will return to LA Infamous for the remainder of the 2011 season. Good luck to the team with another star player added to the roster.

This weeks ProPaintball report features the latest paintball news and gossip from Portland Uprising, Chicago Aftershock, LA Infamous, San Antonio X-Factor, Breakout Spa, and others.

• Portland Uprising picks up Cole Scott from Vendetta/Impact as well as former Naughty Dog Blake Bearham.

• Bear Degidio of Hollywood HK is rumored to be making his pro debut with Indianapolis Mutiny at the Chicago NPPL event.

• In a follow up to our Chicago Aftershock update, ProPaintball insiders suggest that Chris Lasoya and Aftershock have parted ways. According to insiders, Chris has signed on with LA Infamous to play the remainder of the 2011 season.

• Mykel Kovar and Grayson Goff from San Antonio X-Factor are playing the Millennium Bitburg event with Breakout Spa.

• Jason Bornstein of Oakland BLAST is still recovering from his shoulder surgery. According to sources, his recovery was pushed back another 6+ weeks.

• Hollywood HK will be sitting out Chicago NPPL. The HK crew is at CPX this week playing paintball and hosting a clinic.

• AJ Trillet is rumored to have left Avalanche and signed on with Chicago Legend to compete in the NPPL 7-man series.

Los Angeles Infamous, an Empire Paintball team and one of the few teams that had been sponsored by Bob Long Technologies last season, has been working this off-season securing sponsors for 2011. If you remember, they were spotted at a World Cup practice testing Empire’s new AXE marker which led to a lot of speculation. Empire makes its official with their latest press release.

Read the full press release here…

Tyler Harmon started his pro paintball career at the 2004 PSP Mardi Gras Open with Bob Long’s Assassins (now known as Oakland BLAST). Tyler, then 14 years of age, was the youngest pro player at the time. Fast forward to 2010, Tyler, now 21, has had a very successful career as a professional player. During the 2010 season, Tyler competed with top rofessional teams Edmonton Impact and Oakland BLAST.

According to comments published on facebook only hours ago, Tyler may be changing it up for 2011;

Tyler Harmon says “Looking back on the whole experience I give all thanks and praise to the Lord. Crash at the Coast Miami was a monumental success and I am so thankful to all of you who made the whole trip possible. I hope everyone is having a great new year and thanking all of their lucky stars for how fortunant we are to be alive at this time in history. T. HARMON & LOS ANGELES INFAMOUS IN 2011!! GOD bless the world!”

Has Tyler Harmon joined Infamous or was he expressing his excitement with hanging out with LJ, Wake, and Todd at Crash at the Coast – Miami? Sound off in the comments below.

H/t to Robert McApline

Watch and listen to Travis Lemanski, Alex Savino, Justin Schwarz and the rest of Infamous talk about making moves and what they need to do to win World Cup. Infamous did well at world cup placing 4th as well as finishing the season in 4th place.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.