NLL Insider

Yeah I know we’ve got three games of playoff ball to go, but with summer lacrosse already a few weeks deep in most cities and a full slate of post Champion’s Cup coverage also on the docket, I wanted to find out what the boys thought this year’s top stories were now before getting too inundated with everything else.

I gave ‘em about 20 options and also let ‘em write in anything they felt was newsworthy this year, but am only gonna post their top ten responses, or else I’d be here all day.

Anyways guys, from ten to one after the jump, based on what story received the most votes, along with a quick blurb from yours truly in-case you forgot what happened. And definitely hit up the boards with your choices for this year’s top stories that rocked the NLL in 2008. These guys have taken a lotta shots to the dome this year, so maybe ya think they’re off on their picks a bit.

Top 20 Stories of 2008

10. (tie) Ryan Benesch and Toronto Rock late season fall-out

Wow, this one kinda came outta nowhere in the last couple weeks of the regular season. With their season on the line, literally, and an all important clash in Calgary, the Rock made former rookie of the year and the team’s third leading scorer this year, Ryan Benesch, a healthy scratch. After that eventual loss, the team again left the KW product on the sidelines while they closed out their season against Philly in Jim Veltman’s tribute game… again, another loss. The buzz now is that Benesch will be on the trading block this off-season, with neither side too upset about parting ways. This latest fall-out has also sparked even more debate on how the Rock have done since the Colin Doyle trade, with Benesch obviously being a key piece to that franchise defining deal. It’s also thought by most that with this somewhat public scrap by the two sides, will Toronto be able to get equal trade value for a guy that they benched to close out the season? Should be real interesting to see how this one plays out.

10. (tie) Geoff Snider vs. Rory Smith heavyweight tilt

In the year’s biggest throw-down, New York rook and Excels & Buzzers defender, Rory Smith, danced with the grandaddy of ‘em all, Geoff Snider, in a dust-up that easily took the prize as this year’s best fight. Anyways, check ‘er out below…

9. San Jose Stealth’s major attendance issues

Quick, what two colours are almost all the seats in the HP Pavilion? Man, you’re good. Grey and black is correct. And the reason why almost everyone in the league knows that the HP is covered in lines of grey and black stands is cuz, well, that’s all you can see during a Stealth game. Seas of grey and black chairs as far as the eyes can see. Anyways, even with new owners in San Jose this year, the Stealth were lucky if they even had a couple flies come through the turn style with attendance numbers reaching record breaking lows in 2008. With odd marketing techniques and few in Cali even aware that pro box exists, outside of a major turnaround on a ton of levels, it’s hard to see the Stealth in San Jose for too much longer. Would love to be proved wrong, but this year was a mess off-floor. On the floor, that’s another story.

8. Chicago Shamrox franchise up for sale after just a year-and-a-half in existence

This one kinda flew under the radar, but unfortunately, the team does have a for sale sign in front of their yard. It was about halfway through the season that it became known that current Rox’s owner, Kevin Loughery Jr., was looking for a buyer, citing running a team from outside of the city (Loughery and other owners live in Atlanta and LA) as too difficult a task. The word is that the ownership group wants to sell to someone that will keep the team in Chi-Town and if possible still remain on in some capacity, maybe in an investor role or something along those lines. Not a huge story in the mainstream this year, but definitely something that had the players wonderin’ what was up. Should be interesting to see what happens if no buyer steps up once the 2009 season comes a knockin’.

7. Playoff picture only decided in final week of the season with Knighthawks and Rock out

We knew this year was gonna be tight, but not sure this year’s playoff picture coulda been scripted better than how it actually played out. In the East, one week you coulda been in first and a week later, two spots out of a post-season birth. The West saw Colorado and San Jose battle it out for the top spot all year (right down to the final game of the regular season), while slow starters Portland and even Edmonton made a mad dash at the end (with Portland still in the mix). It was actually pretty insane. A four way tie for first… only in the NLL. Plus the K’Hawks and Rock missed the dance for the first time in both franchise’s history (minus the Ontario Raiders single season), while the Wings came off a hiatus that went back as far as 2002.

6. Arizona Sting and Boston Blazers hang ‘em up for 2008 season

As the story goes, due to the season being yanked off the docket and then switched on again at the last second, both the Arizona Sting and Boston Blazers felt they couldn’t operate their franchises and decided to opt out of the 2008 season in what was originally described as “voluntary inactive status”. Since then, the Sting not only went into inactive mode, they’ve basically ripped the cord outta the wall and are trying to deal the team to any buyer who’s willing to pay ‘em enough dough. That was six months ago. With players dispersed throughout the league, the Sting guys in a messy manner, the two teams watched 08 from their couches, or potentially recliners depending on how they roll. Boston is set to comeback next year and start from scratch (although much has been done behind the scenes during this season) while the Sting will likely only be back with roots in another city, if at all.

5. Josh Sanderson swapped for Lewis Ratcliff in trade deadline day blockbuster

It apparently came in right at the bell (or in and around there). The Toronto Rock dealt feeder extrodinaire Josh Sanderson to the Calgary Roughnecks for power forward Lewis Ratcliff in a deal that stunned even the most casual NLL fan. The move is easily the biggest deal the NLL trade deadline has ever seen, ranking right up there in blockbuster deals trade deadline or otherwise too. You don’t see too many high profile guys swapped basically 1v1 for one another these days in lacrosse or really any other sport, which made the move even more intriguing. It had been rumoured for most of the year that the Rock had been shopping Shooter around, but after a great double header weekend that saw the Rock go 2-0 and sportin’ an O that looked like it was on the same page for the first time all year, most people thought a deal involving anyone on TO’s O was outta the question. The Rock are obviously not most people. Although the consensus is that the overall trade is pretty even, it is interesting to note that after the move, the Rock went on a nasty 0-5 slide and detoured right outta the playoff picture, while the Necks surged to end the year, clinching the third spot in the West and battling Portland in the West Final this weekend.

4. Jim Veltman’s last ever game in the NLL

After 16 of some of the most amazing years played by anyone in boxla, Toronto Rock captain Jim Veltman played his last ever game on Sunday April 27th against the Philadelphia Wings, retiring from the game he helped define during the 90’s and 2000’s. Tough to spit out how great Jim is within this small blurb, so check-out this read by Tom Borrelli and another great one from Shanny too. Veltman was honored on the night with a great show by the Rock franchise and will take a spot on the team’s bench in 2009.

3. Glenn Clark and Sean Pollock’s off-floor incident

This one mighta grabbed more headlines in the mainstream media than any other story this year. The details of what exactly went on are definitely divided, but I’ll try and rehash and be as diplomatic as possible. The night started with a beyond heated OT win by the Minnesota Swarm over the Toronto Rock at the ACC in downtown TO. The game was filled with nasty hits, monster fights and a number of tossed players. After the game, in the back corridors of the ACC, where a hallway leads to all team’s dressing rooms, Minnesota Swarm forward, Sean Pollock, apparently yelled something out about his team’s win, which sparked Toronto Rock Head Coach, Glenn Clark, to the point of approaching Pollock. And then this is where it gets kinda hazy. It’s alleged by numerous sources that Clark clocked Pollock in the face and had to be pulled off of him, while the other side of the story has Clark not touching Pollock, although he’s never publicly denied as much. Clark was initially charged with assault, with the charges later being dropped weeks later. The Rock coach was also suspended by the league for what amounted to five games, one in which was a self imposed sit-down. Either way, he wasn’t on the bench for five games and was reinstated by the league on February 13th. Checkout this link for our initial report on what allegedly happened, this one for both team’s comments and lastly this one for Clark’s post suspension comments.

2. Athan Iannucci smashes Gary Gait’s single season scoring record

Prior to this season, if you had asked most people who they thought might have a chance of cracking Gait’s single season record for goals, I doubt many woulda spit out Athan Iannucci atcha. Iannucci rocked the NLL like few before him, not only beating Gait’s 61 goals in a season, but smashing it by ten (71). 62 woulda been breaking the record, 71 was smokin’ the sh** out of it for sure. Nooch became the league’s most dangerous and versatile sniper in just his sophomore season in the bigs. One of the best individual seasons ever, period. Should have an MVP nod comin’ his way next week too.

1. Season cancelled and then saved at the last second

It was this year’s earliest story, but definitely the most impactful. After some nasty dealings between the NLL and PLPA, the league was “forced” to pull the plug on the 2008 season when a new CBA couldn’t be reached by a league imposed cut-off date. A date the NLL said, was the last possible day they could hold onto their arena dates in pretty much every NLL city. At that point, the season was dead. But… behind closed doors in some pretty hush-hush negotiations, Commish Jim Jennings and the PLPA ironed out a long term deal and 08 was back on just like that. Actually, a lot more played out, some of which is still being felt today, but instead of spending hours rehashing all of it, checkout this link on IL.com for a very thorough breakdown of what went on, with solid coverage from our own Steve Kojima, Brian Shanahan and John Jiloty.

Other stories nominated: Arizona Sting rental player’s future beyond this season, Year of the concussion (Kelusky, Carey, Dietrich, Thompson, Montour, etc..), Paul Day firing after Rush’s 0-6 start, Edmonton Rush hiring Bob Hamley as Head Coach and GM, Jordan Hall vs. Craig Point ROTY race, Pending sale and future of the Rochester Knighthawks, Greg Van Sickle late season firing by the Toronto Rock, Geoff Snider breaking the single season LB, PIM and FO wins records, Philadelphia Wings making the playoffs for the first time since 2002, Lack of TV coverage

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