Archive for May, 2006


Inside Lacrosse Classics

Inside out

May 29th, 2006 by Brian Shanahan
inside-out

As of press time in early May, it looked like the NLL will be expanding into the outdoor lacrosse business to complement its winter indoor league.

At least, that is if you believe NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings.

Of course, there already is a professional outdoor lacrosse league (Major League Lacrosse), which is owned by Jake Steinfeld and his partners. So far, MLL and NLL officials haven’t commented much publicly about the proposed NLL outdoor league. The MLL is taking a wait-and-see approach, while the NLL hasn’t officially said anything about an outdoor version.

All that Jennings has said publicly was a recent statement that addressed Gary Gait’s announcement that he isn’t playing in MLL this summer so he can help the NLL move forward with “the exploration of developing an NLL outdoor league.”

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Inside Lacrosse Classics

The bigger picture

May 8th, 2006 by Brian Shanahan
the-bigger-picture

One of the topics among NLL insiders these days is the impending shortage of talent when the league expands. There are 11 teams in the league this year and with Chicago and New York confirmed for next season, we know that there will be at least 13 for 2007. (The league has not ruled out 14 if the right ownership group steps up.)

And there is no doubt that the league wants to continue to expand beyond next season. So many are asking if there is enough box lacrosse talent to equip 14 or possibly 16 teams in the NLL.

Will the league will be watered down if we add more teams? Yes, but so what?

In the early days of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, there were no players with box lacrosse experience. Before the Gait brothers arrived in 1991, the Mann Cup champs would have beaten the MILL champs by more than 20 goals, easily.

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