NLL Insider

Yeah, there were 18,000-plus at Saturday’s National Lacrosse League title game, but not all of them were fans of the Buffalo Bandits.

In the days before the game, I scoured WingsZone and was pleasantly surprised to find that a few Portland LumberJax fans were gonna try to make the trip out East. Knowing plane tickets on such short notice ain’t cheap, I figured that’s REAL dedication. As it turns out, just one fan that I know of was able to make the trip, although there were plenty more Jax fans in attendance that night. Mostly, it was friends and family of Jax players who were from Ontario and I even chatted briefly with a woman wearing a Jax sweatshirt who said her son was faceoff guy Pat Jones. Still, I wanted to find someone making the trip from out West and I found David.

I really wanted to catch up with David and get his thoughts and we actually did talk on the phone Saturday before the game. Yet somehow, our paths kept crossing. And, unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. I had to get up to press row before the game and although I wasn’t able to catch up with David in person, he was kind enough to provide us with a written account of his trip to Buffalo. So if ya turn the page, you can find out what it was like to be a LumberJax fan in hostile territory on the day a title was at stake.

David was able to secure tickets for the game and a red-eye flight to Buffalo and originally was thinking he’d be part of a small group. Unfortunately for him, that fell through and he found himself flying solo. I had provided a phone number for him and just as I was pulling into a parking lot on Saturday, my phone rang. It was David and we made plans to meet, but I wasn’t able to find him in front of HSBC Arena. We played a bit of phone tag but by the time we caught up again, he had found himself at Pearl St. Bar and Grill sporting his LumberJax gear while I was already in the press area.

“We entered the Pearl Street Bar and Grill,” wrote David. “A slow boo evolved into a little more menacing boo. I love Bandit fans! We exchanged niceties and moved to the bar. Our bartendress was non committal on the game, but served us a little “lake effect” IPA. Nice. Had some wings too. Not too shabby but not the best in Buffalo. A couple Rochacha Knighthawks fans showed up and we talked about the how the game might play out … OT maybe?”

Once David and his Buffalo friend, now a LumberJax fan by default, made it inside HSBC, they exchanged fake fighting stances with Rax, the Bandits mascot, and a few taunts from Bandits fans. David says he even heard a few words not suitable for print here, but the situation was diffused by a hug.

“The Bandit fans in section 117 were not happy to see Jax fans and suggested we sit elsewhere, several places were suggested … imagine that! I enjoyed the banter, expecting to be doused with a beer or two. This never happened although, I don’t think I have ever been pelted with quite that many peanuts, beach balls and balloons …. I did apologize in advance to those in near proximity for the collateral damage that they would be experiencing. They were cool.”

As the LumberJax kept pace with the Bandits through the first half, David says he somehow found a way to the Portland locker room at halftime. He got a thumbs-up from Dallas Eliuk. Very cool. The outcome of the game was not favorable to the Portland side, but David said Bandits fans were good sports after the game and he says he told Bandits fans he wants to find a way to bottle that energy and bring it back to Portland.

“As I crossed the street, I heard a young lady shout “there he is … THE Jax fan!” I smiled waved and thanked her for noticing. I sat with lacrosse fans after the game, sharing our thoughts and passion for the sport. There were Toronto Rock fans, Rochester Knighthawks fans, and plenty of Bandits fans. We all cheered as some of the players entered the bar. A game well played and enjoyed by all.

“I think that this may sum it up:

A ticket to the Champion’s Cup game: $50.00
Plane fare from Portland: $700.00
Wings and beer in Buffalo: $100.00
My experience: Priceless.”

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