Stoned Assassins
Stoned Assassins was an American tournament paintball team associated with rapper B-Real (Louis Freese) of Cypress Hill. The team competed in the NPPL Super 7 and subsequent American seven-player tournaments, with documented national appearances between 2003 and 2010.[1][2][3]
Stoned Assassins competed in rookie, Division II and Division I competitions during its history. Its recorded achievements included third place in Division II at the 2006 NPPL Huntington Beach Open and appearances in the elimination rounds of several subsequent national tournaments.[3][4][5]
History
[edit]Formation and early competition
[edit]Stoned Assassins was established during the early 2000s, although its exact founding date has not been independently confirmed.
The team was associated with B-Real, a member of American hip-hop group Cypress Hill.
On 16 December 2003, Louis Freese filed a United States trademark application for the Stoned Assassins name. The application covered clothing and entertainment services, specifically including paintball team activities.[6]
Contemporary tournament records establish the team's participation in the inaugural 2003 NPPL Super 7 season.
2003 NPPL season
[edit]Stoned Assassins competed at the 2003 NPPL Las Vegas Open, held from 10 to 13 April at Sam Boyd Stadium in Nevada.
The team entered the rookie division.
Official preliminary results recorded Stoned Assassins scoring 145 points during eight games.[2]
The tournament received attention beyond the playing fields because B-Real also performed at the NPPL players' party at Sam's Town casino.
Contemporary WARPIG reporting identified Stoned Assassins as sponsored by Warped Sportz and confirmed B-Real's participation as a player.[1]
The team continued competing during the inaugural season, including the 2003 Commander's Cup in Miami.[7]
2006 Huntington Beach Open
[edit]Stoned Assassins competed in Division II at the 2006 NPPL Huntington Beach Open.
The team progressed through the preliminary and quarter-final rounds to reach the semi-finals.
Stoned Assassins faced Ballistic in a best-of-three semi-final match and lost two consecutive games.
The team subsequently played Island Breed in the third-place match.
After drawing the opening game, Stoned Assassins won the following two games to secure third place.[3]
The final Division II standings were:
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 1st | Ballistic |
| 2nd | The Outfit |
| 3rd | Stoned Assassins |
| 4th | Island Breed |
This was the team's highest independently verified national tournament placing.
Division I competition (2007–2008)
[edit]By 2007, Stoned Assassins was competing in NPPL Division I.
At the 2007 Tampa Open, the team reached the elimination rounds but was defeated by Misfits.[8]
At the season-ending Commander's Cup in San Diego, Stoned Assassins qualified for the Division I elimination rounds.
The team faced Naughty by Nature and drew the first game before losing the next two.[4]
Stoned Assassins continued in Division I during 2008.
At the Huntington Beach Open, the team finished among the top 16 qualifiers from a field of 27 Division I teams.
It subsequently lost to Hollywood HK in the Sweet Sixteen elimination round.[5]
USPL and later tournament appearances (2009–2010)
[edit]Following the liquidation of the original NPPL organisation in December 2008, seven-player competition continued through the US Paintball League (USPL).
Stoned Assassins entered the 2009 USPL Huntington Beach Open in Division I.
The team qualified for the quarter-finals, joining organisations including Dynasty Entourage, Vicious, Hollywood HK and Arsenal Evolution.[9]
It also competed at the 2009 USPL West Coast Open, progressing to the Division II quarter-finals.[10]
Stoned Assassins remained active during the following season.
At the 2010 Las Vegas tournament, the team reached the Division II seven-player Elite Eight before being eliminated by Impact Echo.[11]
These records document competition under the Stoned Assassins name through 2010.
B-Real and paintball
[edit]B-Real was closely associated with Stoned Assassins during its national tournament appearances.
His involvement extended beyond celebrity exhibition games to regular seven-player competition.
In an April 2009 interview, B-Real discussed the team and confirmed that it had a coach responsible for maintaining discipline during tournament participation.[12]
The team also formed part of the NPPL's efforts to attract spectators and media attention through entertainment activities.
B-Real's appearance at the 2003 Las Vegas Open combined his participation as a player with a live musical performance at the event.[1]
Sponsorship
[edit]Contemporary reporting from the 2003 NPPL Las Vegas Open identifies Warped Sportz as a sponsor of Stoned Assassins.[1]
The available sources do not establish a complete sponsorship history for the team.
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | NPPL Las Vegas Open | Rookie | Preliminary competition |
| 2003 | NPPL Commander's Cup | Rookie | Participated |
| 2006 | NPPL Huntington Beach Open | Division II | 3rd |
| 2007 | NPPL Tampa Open | Division I | Elimination rounds |
| 2007 | NPPL Commander's Cup | Division I | Quarter-finals |
| 2008 | NPPL Huntington Beach Open | Division I | Sweet Sixteen |
| 2009 | USPL Huntington Beach Open | Division I | Quarter-finals |
| 2009 | USPL West Coast Open | Division II | Quarter-finals |
| 2010 | Las Vegas Open | Division II seven-player | Elite Eight |
The table contains selected documented appearances rather than a complete tournament history.
Later history
[edit]Contemporary tournament reporting establishes that Stoned Assassins participated in national seven-player competition for several seasons.
The team's exact founding date, complete roster history and formal dissolution date have not been established.
Later references to teams using the Stoned Assassins name do not, by themselves, confirm organisational continuity with B-Real's original team.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- WARPIG – 2003 NPPL Las Vegas Open. Bill Mills, April 2003. Contemporary coverage identifying B-Real as a player for Warped Sportz-sponsored Stoned Assassins.
- WARPIG – 2003 NPPL Las Vegas Open Preliminary Results. Official rookie division scoring records.
- WARPIG – 2006 NPPL Huntington Beach Open. Bill Mills, March 2006. Documents Stoned Assassins' third-place Division II finish.
- WARPIG – 2007 NPPL Commander's Cup. Dawn Mills, 30 November – 2 December 2007. Documents the Division I quarter-final match against Naughty by Nature.
- WARPIG – 2008 NPPL Huntington Beach Open. April 2008. Documents the team's Division I qualification and elimination by Hollywood HK.
- TrademarkElite – STONED ASSASSINS, USPTO Serial No. 76566744. Historical United States trademark record identifying Louis Freese as applicant, filed 16 December 2003.
- WARPIG – 2003 NPPL Commander's Cup. November 2003. Documents the team's participation in the rookie division.
- WARPIG – 2007 NPPL Tampa Open. May 2007. Contemporary Division I elimination-round coverage.
- WARPIG – 2009 USPL Huntington Beach Open. March 2009. Documents the team's Division I quarter-final qualification.
- WARPIG – 2009 USPL West Coast Open. Documents Stoned Assassins' Division II quarter-final qualification.
- WARPIG – 2010 Las Vegas Open. Documents the team's Division II seven-player Elite Eight appearance.
- Unkut – B-Real Hearts Paintball. Bill Zimmerman, 9 April 2009. Interview discussing Stoned Assassins and the team's tournament activities.