Jon Richardson
Jon Richardson, also recorded as John Richardson, is an American former professional paintball player. He is best known for his career with Avalanche, Miami Effect, Infamous, XSV and the Los Angeles Ironmen.[1][2]
Richardson competed in major professional tournaments during the 2000s, including the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP) and National Xball League (NXL). He also served as a player-coach for XSV during the 2006 season.[3]
He was included in the inaugural Iconic Paintball Hall of Icons class, officially designated 2023.[4]
Playing career
[edit]Early career and Avalanche
[edit]Historical accounts identify Image among Richardson's professional teams, although the dates of his earliest involvement have not been conclusively established.[1]
By 2001, Richardson was playing for Avalanche, one of the leading professional tournament teams of the period.
The team's published 2001 NPPL professional roster identified him alongside Chris LaSoya, Steve Rabackoff, Rocky Cagnoni, Travis Lemanski, Todd Martinez and Ed Poorman.[5]
Richardson remained with Avalanche during the 2002 season, appearing on the team's official NPPL professional roster.[6]
He also competed internationally with Avalanche.
At the 2002 Millennium Series tournament in Portugal, contemporary WARPIG coverage documented Richardson playing in the front positions during a match in which he and Cagnoni were temporarily left without paintball markers following an equipment problem.[7]
Miami Effect
[edit]In 2003, Richardson joined Miami Effect, a professional franchise competing in the inaugural National Xball League.
The team's roster at the 2003 Mardi Gras Open in New Orleans listed him as player number 3, alongside Chris LaSoya, Brian Fow, Travis Lemanski, Rusty Glaze and other established players.[8]
Miami Effect competed in the newly established professional X-Ball format during the 2003 and early 2004 seasons.
Infamous
[edit]Following the 2004 PSP Orlando Open, Richardson and several Miami Effect teammates left the NXL franchise to compete independently under the Infamous name.
The decision followed disagreements over restrictions on participation in rival professional tournament leagues.[9]
Infamous entered the NPPL Super 7 competition at Tampa in May 2004.
The team defeated San Diego Dynasty in consecutive final-round games to win the professional championship.[10]
Infamous subsequently won the 2004 NPPL Denver Open, establishing itself as a leading professional seven-player team.[11]
A 2008 account by paintball writer SEBURO attributed the Infamous team name to Richardson, based on a conversation with teammate Rusty Glaze.[12]
XSV
[edit]Richardson subsequently played for XSV, an American professional organisation competing in both seven-player and X-Ball tournaments.
At the 2006 Smart Parts Paintball World Championships, held in May, Richardson was officially registered as XSV's player-coach.
The published roster identified him as jersey number 111, with San Diego, California, listed as his hometown.
His teammates included Nicky Cuba, Davey Williamson, Thomas Taylor, Scott Kemp, Carl Markowski and Rusty Glaze.[3]
During the 2006 PSP season, XSV won the professional X-Ball division at the Chicago Open.[13]
Later professional competition
[edit]By 2008, Richardson had returned to Infamous.
He appeared alongside Rusty Glaze in a 2008 Splat Magazine PROfiles interview conducted by Matty Marshall. The interview was subsequently republished by Social Paintball in 2011.[14]
Richardson was also selected for the North Conference squad at the 2008 NPPL All-Star competition, alongside Infamous teammates Glaze and Brian Fow.[15]
In 2009, Richardson joined the Los Angeles Ironmen.
A contemporary report identified his move from Infamous following an employment arrangement with DYE Precision.[16]
He appeared on the Ironmen's published 2009 professional roster alongside Oliver Lang, Mike Paxson, Billy Wing and Nicky Cuba.[17]
In February 2010, contemporary reporting identified Richardson as returning to Infamous following his departure from the Ironmen.[18]
Playing style
[edit]Richardson was recognised for his versatility, accuracy and ability to identify opportunities during games.
He competed in attacking and support positions, including the central areas of the field.
In its 2021 historical player assessment, Iconic Paintball highlighted his ability to transition between offensive and defensive responsibilities, particularly in the second position.[1]
Richardson was also known for his controlled approach to competition, earning the nickname The Silence in the Hall of Icons' retrospective coverage.[4]
Recognition
[edit]In 2021, Iconic Paintball included Richardson in its retrospective assessment of 50 notable professional paintball players.
The publication highlighted his career with Image, Infamous and XSV, along with his achievements across several periods of professional tournament competition.[1]
He was subsequently included in the inaugural Iconic Paintball Hall of Icons class.
His individual induction profile is labelled as a 2022 inductee, although the official programme identifies 2023 as its inaugural class.[4]
Selected tournament achievements
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Division | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | NPPL Tampa Open | Professional 7-man | Infamous | 1st |
| 2004 | NPPL Denver Open | Professional 7-man | Infamous | 1st |
| 2006 | PSP Chicago Open | Professional X-Ball | XSV | 1st |
The table lists selected documented team achievements rather than a complete individual tournament record.
See also
[edit]- Image (paintball team)
- Avalanche (paintball team)
- Miami Effect
- Infamous (paintball team)
- XSV
- Los Angeles Ironmen
- Chris LaSoya
- Rusty Glaze
- Iconic Paintball Hall of Icons
References
[edit]- Iconic Paintball, "The 50 Greatest Paintball Players of All-Time", 2021. Retrospective assessment of Richardson's playing career.
- WARPIG, "NPPL 2002 Professional Rosters". Contemporary Avalanche roster.
- WARPIG, "Smart Parts Paintball World Championships 2006 Team Rosters". Official XSV roster identifying Richardson as player-coach and jersey number 111.
- Iconic Paintball, "Hall of Icons: Class of 2023". Official induction biography.
- WARPIG, "NPPL 2001 Professional Rosters". Contemporary roster identifying John Richardson with Avalanche.
- WARPIG, "NPPL 2002 Professional Rosters". Roster listing Jon Richardson with Avalanche.
- WARPIG, "Millennium Series Portugal 2002". Contemporary tournament coverage documenting Richardson's participation with Avalanche.
- WARPIG, "NXL Rosters from the Mardi Gras Open", 20-23 February 2003. Original Miami Effect roster.
- WARPIG, Bill Mills, "NXL: Same Triggers, New Leagues", 9 July 2004. Contemporary reporting on Miami Effect's departure and the formation of Infamous.
- WARPIG, "NPPL Super 7 Tampa", May 2004. Contemporary coverage of Infamous's first professional championship.
- WARPIG, "NPPL Super 7 Denver", July 2004. Contemporary tournament coverage confirming Infamous's professional championship.
- S E B U R O, "Rusty Glaze's Mask", 26 August 2008. Contemporary account attributing the Infamous team name to Richardson.
- PBLeagues, "2006 Season Rankings: PSP Events". Official results confirming XSV's professional Chicago Open victory.
- Social Paintball, "John Richardson, Rusty Glaze Interview: PROfiles with Matty Marshall", 5 November 2011. Reproduction of the original 2008 Splat Magazine interview.
- PBHub, "NPPL Allstars 2008", 9 May 2008. Contemporary announcement of the NPPL All-Star selections.
- S E B U R O, "January 2009". Contemporary reporting on Richardson's move to the Los Angeles Ironmen.
- S E B U R O, "May 2009". Contemporary published Ironmen professional roster.
- S E B U R O, "Infamous Picks Up the Short Bus", 15 February 2010. Contemporary reporting on Richardson's return to Infamous.