Omaha Vicious
Omaha Vicious, also known as Team Vicious or simply Vicious, was an American professional paintball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally competing as Data Support Systems (DSS), the team progressed through the divisional ranks of Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP), winning multiple championships before entering professional X-Ball competition in 2010.[1][2]
Owned and supported by Carl and Karen Bortol, Vicious won the PSP Division 3 series championship in 2006, Division 2 series championship in 2007 and Semi-Professional series championship in 2009. The team also won consecutive divisional PSP World Cup titles in 2008 and 2009.[2][3]
History
[edit]Data Support Systems (2005–2006)
[edit]The team's earliest documented PSP appearance was at the 2005 World Cup, where it competed under the name Data Support Systems in Division 3 X-Ball, finishing sixth among 32 teams.[1]
The early organisation was backed by Carl and Karen Bortol and coached by Greg Pauley. Players associated with its original roster included Bryan Bortol, Christopher Hooker, Paul Naylon, Parker Rosenthal, Zachary Sherman and Joshua Voss.[2]
In 2006, Data Support Systems won the Division 3 X-Ball competition at the PSP SoCal Open and finished the season as Division 3 series champions.[1][2]
Vicious and divisional championships (2007–2009)
[edit]For the 2007 season, the team adopted the name Vicious and moved into Division 2 X-Ball. Greg Pauley continued his involvement as both a player and coach.
Vicious won the 2007 PSP Chicago Open and secured the Division 2 series championship, earning promotion to Division 1 for 2008.[2]
The team continued its progress in 2008, recording second-place finishes at the Mid-Atlantic Open and Chicago Open before winning the Division 1 X-Ball title at the PSP World Cup in October. Vicious finished second in the overall Division 1 series standings.[1][2]
In 2009, Vicious competed in the PSP Semi-Professional division. Its season culminated in victory at the World Cup, where it defeated Aftermath II in the final. The team also secured the 2009 PSP Semi-Professional series championship.[3]
The 2009 success completed the team's progression through the amateur and semi-professional divisions.
Professional competition (2010–2012)
[edit]Vicious entered the PSP professional X-Ball division in 2010, competing against established teams including San Diego Dynasty, Sacramento XSV, Los Angeles Ironmen and Infamous.
The transition proved difficult. Vicious finished tenth at the 2010 Phoenix Open and Chicago Open, eighth at the Mid-Atlantic Open and ninth at the World Cup.[1]
The team remained in professional competition during 2011, achieving its best result of the season with fourth place at the PSP World Cup.[1]
Vicious continued in the professional division throughout 2012, finishing fifth at the Phoenix Open and seventh at the World Cup.[1]
During this period, Vicious became associated with the tradition of wearing distinctive red jerseys on the final day of tournaments. The practice was documented in the Planet Eclipse film #RedSunday.[4]
Later professional seasons (2013–2014)
[edit]During 2013, Vicious reorganised its professional roster and coaching structure.
Todd Martinez joined as head coach, with Chris Burgess serving as assistant coach. In June, the team recruited Keith DeVit Jr. and Luis Munoz following tryouts in Omaha. Team owner Karen Bortol reported that more than 60 players had requested opportunities to participate in the selection process.[5]
Vicious finished fourth at the 2013 PSP Chicago Open but experienced inconsistent results during the remainder of the season.[1]
The team reached the professional final of the 2014 PSP Dallas Open, facing Los Angeles Infamous. Vicious lost the final 7–3, finishing second in what was one of its strongest documented professional tournament performances.[6]
Vicious subsequently finished seventh at the Mid-Atlantic Open and Chicago Open, followed by sixth-place finishes at the West Coast Open and World Cup.[1]
The October 2014 PSP World Cup is the team's last appearance in the available PBLeagues PSP tournament history. These records do not establish a formal date of dissolution.
Selected tournament achievements
[edit]| Year | Competition | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | PSP SoCal Open | Division 3 X-Ball | 1st [1] |
| 2006 | PSP Season | Division 3 X-Ball | Series champions [2] |
| 2007 | PSP Chicago Open | Division 2 X-Ball | 1st [1] |
| 2007 | PSP Season | Division 2 X-Ball | Series champions [2] |
| 2008 | PSP World Cup | Division 1 X-Ball | 1st [1] |
| 2009 | PSP World Cup | Semi-Professional X-Ball | 1st [1] |
| 2009 | PSP Season | Semi-Professional X-Ball | Series champions [3] |
| 2011 | PSP World Cup | Professional X-Ball | 4th [1] |
| 2013 | PSP Chicago Open | Professional X-Ball | 4th [1] |
| 2014 | PSP Dallas Open | Professional X-Ball | 2nd [1][6] |
Tournament organisation
[edit]In addition to competing nationally, the Vicious organisation was involved in organising regional tournaments in Nebraska.
The VICIOUS RaceTo Series provided competitive X-Ball events for divisional teams. The 2011 series included tournaments at MadCow Paintball in Louisville, Nebraska, with Premier and Intermediate competition.[7]
Documentary films
[edit]Rivalry (2010)
[edit]Vicious was featured alongside Sacramento XSV in Rivalry: The Vicious–XSV Story, a documentary directed by Dan Napoli.
The film examined the teams' competition during the 2009 PSP season and premiered in Omaha on 6 February 2010.
Produced through Planet Eclipse, Understood Clothing and Disconnected Media, the documentary was narrated by Matty Marshall and subsequently included in Planet Eclipse's Emortal 2 DVD release.[8]
#RedSunday (2012)
[edit]In 2012, Vicious was the subject of #RedSunday, a 77-minute documentary released through Planet Eclipse's ETV Artifact series.
Directed by Dan Napoli, the film followed the team between June 2011 and June 2012, documenting its attempts to establish itself in the professional division after years of success at lower competitive levels.
The title referred to the team's tradition of wearing red jerseys when competing on the final day of tournaments.[4]
See also
[edit]- Paintball Sports Promotions
- Paintball World Cup
- Sacramento XSV
- Infamous
- Planet Eclipse
- ETV
- Dan Napoli
References
[edit]- PBLeagues – Omaha Vicious, historical tournament results and team records.
- NoMercy Paintball Club – Latest News: Team Vicious, 25 October 2009. Reproduction of contemporary team history originally attributed to PB Nation.
- Planet Eclipse HQ Blog – Vicious, 2009 Semi Pro PSP Champions, 11 October 2009. Contemporary World Cup and championship coverage.
- Planet Eclipse – ETV's #RedSunday, Part 1, 25 September 2012.
- Social Paintball – Omaha Vicious Picks Up Keith DeVit, Jr. and Luis Munoz for PSP Chicago Open, 7 June 2013.
- Paintball Win Count – Infamous Wins Dallas Open, PSP 2014.
- PBLeagues – 2011 VICIOUS RaceTo Series Event #3, 30–31 July 2011.
- Planet Eclipse – Rivalry, 16 February 2010.