NLL Insider

This article appears in Volume 12, Issue 1 of Inside Lacrosse Magazine. For this and all the latest heading into the NLL season, pick up a copy today!

The dirt on this upcoming season, straight from the guys in the trenches

Labor Disputes. Dispersal Drafts. Franchise contractions. Last-second schedules. It was an offseason of turmoil for the NLL, one that league and labor officials would love to put behind them.

The players? With all the back-room negotiating over and done, they just want to get out and hit somebody - though questions linger about the offseason issues, and how they’ll affect the NLL and the players in the future.

Heading into this heavily scrutinized ‘08 season, IL asked more than 100 NLL players to offer their insights on the new season - from on-the-field issues to their thoughts on the recent labor quagmire. As always, they were brutally honest, and incredibly insightful.

Labor Dispute

Was the final collective bargaining agreement worth the brief cancellation of the 2008 NLL season?
Yes 53%
No 47%

What the players said:
“Yes. The offer that was given to the players before the cancellation was brutal. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too.”

“The final CBA was worth the cancellation because the owners did not negotiate before they canceled the season. A negotiation is not being told, ‘this is the offer, the only offer, and your options are to take it or leave it.’ That’s NOT negotiation; that’s dictation.”

“They didn’t need to cancel the season. They could have kept negotiating. It was a stupid ploy that makes the league look Mickey Mouse.”

“NO! They lost two teams, plain and simple.”

Is the newly signed CBA the right deal for the players as the NLL moves forward?
Yes 95%
No 5%

What the players said:
“For the franchise players, yes.”

“I believe so. The owners always wanted a long-term deal for various reasons. Now it’s time to put up or shut up. [Commissioner] Jim Jennings says he needs this for television, etc. Well, let’s go.”

“This deal is better, not perfect. But now it is possible for the players to grow and be protected as the league grows.”

“We don’t know what the future holds for the NLL. If the league signs a large TV contract or any major corporate sponsor, the players have no idea what they’re entitled to. In the last CBA, we said we would negotiate in good faith in regard to revenue sharing - and nothing come about. Now we signed a 7-year deal and we haven’t finalized or even begun to discuss these issues. The league will do well and the players will continue to earn on average $14-15K per season - the numbers just don’t add up!!”

Will 2008 attendance suffer because of the brief season cancellation?
Yes 36%
No 64%

What the players said:
“I don’t think it will have that much impact on attendance. If anything, the cancellation might have hyped up the season that much more and will draw more fans.”

“Yes, although the games will be more entertaining since every team got significantly better with the loss of two teams.”

“Yes because it made the league look very ‘Mickey Mouse.’ Fans and the public were laughing at the brief cancellation.”

“Sure. Many people think the season is still canceled.”

“I think it will suffer a bit because it was more publicized that it was canceled. When the season was back on, there wasn’t as much media attention.”

“How can a two-week cancellation affect a season [that was] three months away? It won’t.”

NLL Player Preseason Awards

Most Underrated Team
San Jose 32%
Minnesota 18%
New York 17%
Chicago 10%

It may be hard to call San Jose the “most underrated” team in the NLL heading into this season. After all, they did finish 9-7 and earned a convincing playoff victory over Colorado last year. Plus, they’re stacked with some of the league’s best players, including forwards Colin Doyle and Jeff Zywicki and goalie Anthony Cosmo. However, compared to franchises like Colorado and Toronto, the Stealth are just starting to make their mark on the league, which should continue this year. Minnesota, with their team-first concepts, and New York with its Americanized offense, are also favorites to fly under the radar.

Most Overrated Team
Toronto 30%
Colorado 29%
Calgary 12%
Philadelphia 11%

They’re like the Alpha Beta fraternity from Revenge of the Nerds. Just as San Jose’s low profile makes them an underdog favorite, Toronto’s and Colorado’s league-wide success makes them a target among players. Still, the vote also speaks to both franchises’ recent downturns. Colorado, who won the Champion’s Cup in ‘06, lost to San Jose in the ‘07 playoffs and will have a new coach this season in Bob McMahon. Though they reshuffled the offense and signed major defensive talent in Cam Woods and Peter Lough, the Rock still haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since they won it all in 2005.

Best Offense
Rochester 90%
Buffalo 3%
New York 3%
San Jose 3%
Toronto 1%

This one’s not even close. Rochester is scary - they return everybody of significance. John Grant Jr is back after an 111-point, MVP season last year. Partner Shawn Williams put up 91 points, and the rough-and-tumble Evans brothers combined for another 153 points in ‘07. As one coach says, the best thing you can do is have those players on the floor for too much time in a game, hopefully tiring them out and allowing your team to score in transition. But, we doubt that’ll be an effective strategy overall. It’s a distant race for second in this category.

Best Defense
Buffalo 27%
Rochester 23%
San Jose 19%
Calgary 5%
Toronto 5%

The Bandits have earned their reputation as a physical (some say too physical) defense, a signature of coach Darris Kilgour’s old-school indoor approach. Though their tough reputation is on record - three Bandits’ players ranked among the top seven penalty minute-earners in ‘07 - opposing teams know there is a method to their madness, and that defense perennially takes them deep in the playoffs. Rochester, with goalie Pat O’Toole, and San Jose, with Anthony Cosmo in the net, are also strong on the defensive end.

Head to Head

Toughest Defender
Regy Thorpe, Rochester 20% vs. Cam Woods, Toronto 16%

Regy Thorpe is Mr. Rochester, spending his entire 13-plus year career as the Knighthawks’ first line of defense. At 6-1, 240 lbs., he’s big and gritty, and hard to intimidate. Rochester wouldn’t be the same without him down low.

Woods, who stands 6-3, is an eight-year league veteran. After a stint with Chicago, he’ll anchor the Rock’s revamped defense. He’s not slowing down either after posting 20 points last season, his second-best career points total.

Other top vote-getters
Brodie Merrill, Portland 9%
Ryan Cousins, Minnesota 9%
Andy Turner, Edmonton 9%

Fastest Player
Steve Toll, Rochester 24% vs. Josh Sims, Colorado 17%

Like his teammate Thorpe, Toll is a tough-as-nails player who helps the Knighthawks’ defense. He is a major factor in the transition game, adding that extra touch to Rochester’s overall offense (38 points last year).

Sims has been the heart of Colorado’s transition game since ‘03. The 6-2, 200-pound former Princeton star put up 39 goals last year for the Mammoth, and he continues to be one of the few Americans who can dominate with his size and speed.

Other top vote-getters
Jarett Park, New York 13%
Chris Schiller, Rochester 10%
John Christmas, Philadelphia 8%
Cam Bergman, Edmonton 6%

Most Feared Fighter
Tim O’Brien, Toronto 51% vs. Geoff Snider, Philadelphia 32%

O’Brien didn’t earn his nickname (The Surgeon) performing triple-bypass operations. He’s historically one of the league’s most accomplished pugilists, performing his work as the Rock’s veteran enforcer. The 6-1, 200-pound fighter hasn’t scored a point in the NLL since 2002. His time may be dwindling, though: he played in only three games last year. His legend has been made in the summer.

Snider is arguably pound-for-pound the toughest player in the league. At 5-9, 200 lbs., he’ll throw down with the game’s biggest goons. He earned 62 penalty minutes in ‘07, third in the league.

Seriously, we think it’s time the NLL just goes for it and books this as a three-round boxing match. Jim Jennings could Don King this sucker. We’d buy tickets.

Other top vote-getters
Andy Ogilvie, Calgary 4%
Troy Bonterre, Buffalo 4%

Best Shooter
John Grant Jr, Rochester 50% vs. John Tavares, Buffalo 11%

It’s like a clash of the titans in this matchup of NLL legends. Grant, for all his previous glory, could just be hitting his stride after last season’s MVP run. He scored 51 goals, his third-best NLL scoring mark, despite taking fewer shots on goal than in previous seasons. Scary stuff from Junior.

Tavares has been a consistent scorer in the NLL since ‘92, so his accomplishments have become almost routine. Still, the man continues to rack up numbers, including 103 points at age 38 in ‘07. It doesn’t look like he’s ready to slow down either.

Other top vote-getter
Dan Dawson, Portland 4%

Most Creative Player
John Grant Jr, Rochester 78% vs. No One

Those 111 points don’t lie. In terms of creativity, Grant takes the cake among his peers, as no one broke double digits against him in this survey. Junior’s unparalleled shooting skills, coupled with his 6-2, 230-pound frame, allow him to explore multiple, often unique, looks at the cage. Plus, he’s working his teammates into the rotation more, which gives him even greater creative flexibility on offense. Colin Doyle’s bag of shooting tricks comes in a distant second.

Other vote top-getters
Colin Doyle, San Jose 4%
Dan Dawson, Portland 3%
Jeff Zywicki, San Jose 3%
John Tavares, Buffalo 3%
Casey Powell, New York 3%

Best Unknown Player
There were dozens of individual nominations for this list. Here are the top vote-getters:

5% Aaron Bold, G, San Jose
The second-year netminder backed up vet Anthony Cosmo last year, and saw more than 150 minutes in 13 games. He could be an heir apparent in San Jose or a strong prospect for a future team.

5% Bill McGlone, F, Chicago
The Maryland grad emerged as one of the league’s top Americans after posting 40 points on 22 goals and 18 assists as a rookie last year. The Shamrox will look for him to be even more productive offensively this season.

5% Zach Heffner, D, San Jose
He earned his stripes working next to Cam Woods in Chicago’s defense last year. The Virginia grad takes his 6-1, 195-pound frame to the Stealth this season.

5% Sandy Chapman, D, Rochester
The 5-9, 180-pound defender scooped 56 looseballs and earned 15 penalty minutes for the Knighthawks last year. He adds a pair of fresh legs to a veteran defense.

Dance Party: IL’s first-ever NLL Dance Team Survey

In an effort to understand a different side of the NLL, we thought we’d bring the women of indoor lacrosse into the discussion through our first-ever ‘08 Dance Team survey. A major part of the game-day atmosphere, NLL dance teams also have a unique perspective about the game’s on- and off-field action.

‘08 Dance Team Conference Picks

East Division
1. Philadelphia
2. New York
3. Toronto
4. Rochester
5. Minnesota
6. Buffalo
7. Chicago

West Division
1. Edmonton
2. Colorado
3. Portland
4. Calgary
5. San Jose

Edmonton vs. Philly? We’ll see what happens. Rochester and Colorado are the experts’ picks, but the dancers like the Wings and the Rush.

Best NLL Uniforms

Calgary Roughnecks
Thank the Calgary Drill Crew for pushing this to the top of the heap. Though a little funky for our tastes (a brawny Canadian in a miner’s cap as a mascot anyone?), the ladies in Alberta seem to love them. We’ll go with that.

Worst NLL Uniforms

Buffalo Bandits
It could be the Halloween color combination, or the cartoon masked cowboy. Either way, this uni doesn’t rank as a dance team favorite, except of course with the Bandettes.

Best Player

John Grant Jr, Rochester Knighthawks
We had some homerism with the responses to this question, with dancers selecting guys like Lewis Ratcliff, Brodie Merrill, Jake Bergey and Chris Panos from their respective home teams. But most dancers know lacrosse greatness when they see it. It’s hard to ignore Grant’s lacrosse accomplishments, even when you’re focused on entertaining the crowd.

Best Personality

Tracey Kelusky, Calgary Roughnecks
See, personality does count. When he’s not dropping in points (88 last year) for the Roughnecks, Kelusky is a dynamic guy off the turf. Of course, this is the same guy who fist-fights best friend John Grant just because. Now that’s personality.

Funniest Player

Ryan Cousins, Minnesota Swarm
Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo Bandits
Cousins, a six-year veteran, cuts enough of a funny bone to make an impression with the Swarm Performance Team. Steenhuis earned his spot more for his professional personality, including his neon orange tennis shoes and Sideshow Bob hair. As one dancer said, “He’s definitely funny LOOKING.” Ouch.

Best Looking Player

Kaleb Toth, Calgary Roughnecks
He’s 6-1, 205 lbs., with dark hair and dreamy good looks. He’s also a star but not a super star (75 points in ‘07), so maybe he seems more down to earth. Of course, it’s not often easy to get a good look at all the guys, especially opposing players. “They wear helmets,” answered one dancer. Touché.

Personal Information

Average Dance Experience
15.3 Years
Don’t take your favorite dance teamer’s career lightly. Most have over a decade’s worth of dance/gymnast/cheer experience going back to early childhood. Their professional experience is also impressive, covering multiple sports leagues outside the NLL, including the NFL, NBA, CFL, MLL and Arena Football.

Average of Dance Team Members who have never played lacrosse
88%
A small core of dance team members has played lacrosse, especially in Philly, New York and a few Canadian natives. Basketball, softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics and competitive cheering were all popular sports with dance team members.

Ever Date an NLL Player?
No 100%, Yes 0%
Maybe it’s team policy. Maybe NLL players don’t smell good during their interaction with the dance teams. Maybe they just aren’t the dancers’ type. Regardless, this was an emphatic “No” across the board.

Who are you more a fan of?
Canadians 53%, Americans 32%, No Preference 16%
When it comes to the NLL, Canadians still dominate. American dance team members were split, while the Canadian team members kept true to the Maple Leaf.

Favorite Arena Song
“Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses
Who doesn’t get fired up with this song? Axl Rose screeching that first note into the primordial darkness of the arena, offering a prelude to the ensuing carnage. Not only a karaoke homerun, but a favorite among dance teams from San Jose to Philly to New York.
Runners up: “Black Betty” (remix), “Let’s Rock” by Petey Pablo, “Blue Orchid” by The White Stripes

Worst Arena Song
“Cotton-Eyed Joe” (remix) by Rednex
A Swedish techno group marries a traditional Americana country song with thumping hip-hop beats and early ’90s R&B hooks. Plus, the video includes a Eurocentric barn-burning hootenanny. What dance group wouldn’t want to shake it to this classic in front of a soldout NLL crowd?

Runners up: “Celebrate” by Kool and the Gang, “YMCA” by Village People, “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Hey Ya!” by OutKast

Rate This Story:

(2 votes, average: 3 out of 5)

 Loading ...