Those familiar with the MMAs and more specifically the Ultimate Fighting Championships otherwise known as the UFC would also know that it wasnt always that way. Mixed Martial Arts had its humble beginnings with some great personalities such as Royce Gracie and Dan Severn to name just a couple. These greats in MMA history were there as the basic building blocks for what has become a multinational empire with several spin off companies that exist today.
One such spin off would be an apparel company called Tapout, you UFC fans know instantly what I am talking about. The MMA world was still in its relative infancy in the United States when Tapout was launched in 1997 as the brainchild of Charles Lewis Jr., better known as Mask for his trademark face paint. With an investment of only a few thousand dollars the apparel company grew alongside the UFC to become a multi million dollar industry in its own right.
Ok so where am I going with this and what if anything does this have to do with paintball you ask? Lately I have noted a growing number of apparel companies similar to that of TapOut appear that are directed specifically at the paintball market. Companies including Deadbox Apparel (http://www.deadboxpaintball.com ), Assassin Industries (http://assassinindustries.bigcartel.com/), Rival Industries (http://rivallimited.com/), Sunday Paintball (http://www.sundaypaintball.com/) to name only a few are open for your 
business.
This trend is a very good thing for a number of reasons. These companies stand not only to further promote paintball as a sport but by the same token further legitimize the game by increasing tax revenues that governments receive as a result of the business. What drives any economy are these very same small businesses, that much is a fact. What government can ignore increased revenues as a result of good business sense? (LOL ok perhaps we shouldnt answer that particular question but nevertheless.) Again I am no expert when it comes to business or 
economics but it stands to reason that companies directing a good product at the paintball player is a win win situation for everyone from the company itself, the paintball player (now walking around wearing paintball specific street wear and again promoting the game) the paintball industry and the economy itself. The more exposure that paintball receives as an aspect of everyday public life, the better it is for all of us in my opinion its all good!
Brothers and Sisters I think it a very good thing and a real step forward for paintball to support companies such as these by purchasing these kinds of products and at the same time be styling and profiling in some great looking paintball specific street swag.
Tomcat out
