NLL Insider

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I’m A Grower

After reading the book, How Soccer Explains the World, I was so inspired to seek out some televised futbol and immerse myself in the world’s game.  Since the only game I could find was on Telemundo, and I haven’t spoken pirate in years, I decided against it. 

Still, I was so impressed by the author’s vivid description of the passion and zeal that fans everywhere have for a relatively uneventful game.  Soccer transcends boredom.  Nationalistic sentiments combined with several pints of ale transform a soccer match into a war … at least that’s what it sounds like … I’ve never been there … but I read about it … in a book!

I realize that our game may never reach the lofty heights of “the beautiful game”, but it is worth discussing a few options for attracting more fans.  Over the last six or seven years the NLL has experienced immense growth.   It seems like only yesterday when countless dozens packed into the Meadowlands to watch the Storm … or was that The Pond and Anaheim? 

Credit should be given to the league’s leadership for their efforts, but more can be done.  Here are a few ideas that I am offering the league … on the house.  1) bring back spandex 2) use a shrunken human head instead of a ball 3) turn the All-Star game into the Heritage Cup. 

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Welcome to NLLInsider.com

Well here we are: welcome to NLLInsider.com, Inside Lacrosse’s new full-service NLL and boxla website — the Internet’s only site dedicated to indoor and box lacrosse.

I’ll keep this short and sweet since we have a hungry, talented team of editors and Insiders ready to blow you away with content this season, but I did want to provide a quick overview of what this site’s all about.

First off, this came about pretty naturally. The NLL’s passionate fan base grows every year. So too does the traffic on InsideLacrosse.com — and the passionate fan base of NCAA and American high school lacrosse. To try to satisfy everyone on one site just became impossible. And so, NLLInsider.com was born.

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NLL has Halifax on the mind

NLL commish Jim Jennings was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, over the weekend to explore what apparently is not a new idea: an NLL team based in the Atlantic Province.

 Jennings toured Halifax with a group of yet-to-be-named Cleveland investors who just might have a team in Halifax in time for the 2009 season, reports The Nova Scotia News.

Support for a team in Halifax started to build after a 2006 NLL exhibition game there and was strengthened after an encouraging showing at the World Indoor Championships, which were played earlier this year.

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Follow-up: LumberJax media challenge game

About a month ago, I told you about a challenge issued to the local media - in particular to Portland Tribune executive editor Dwight Jaynes, who commented on the lack of skill within the NLL and the sport of lacrosse in general on the TV show “Oregon Sports Final” in late October - by the Portland LumberJax. The team invited Jaynes to grab a lacrosse stick, strap on some pads, and put his skills to the test against some of the ‘Jax best and brightest.

Well I’m happy to say that the challenge has been accepted.

Jaynes will be part of a five-on-five scrimmage featuring Portland forward Ryan Powell, transition player Adam Bysouth, goalie Dallas Eliuk, team vice president Brian Silcott (a former NLL player), and team Director of Sponsorships Jay Mayes (former Gettysburg captain), among others. The game will take place on Friday, December 14 from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. at the Bally Total Fitness Sport Turf on Beaverton Hillsdale Highway in Portland.

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Knighthawks for sale?

Interesting article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle today about an unnamed twosome looking to buy “at most a 50 percent stake” in the Rochester Americans (AHL) and Rochester Knighthawks (NLL).

The article says the deal is believed to be at least $4 million, based in part on the $1.8 million in debt carried by the clubs. The story gets even juicier, however.

There is currently a legal dispute between majority partner Steve Donner and minority partner Randall Latona. Check out the story on this here. Today’s article says Donner and fellow majority partner Walter Turek need to buy out Latona’s 20 percent stake for the current deal to go through.

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LumberJax call out local media members

Put your money where your mouth is.

That was the message sent loud and clear by the Portland LumberJax this week when the team challenged two members of the local media - Portland Tribune editor Dwight Jaynes and Fox 12 sports personality Matt Smith - to a pickup lacrosse game following comments made by the two on last Sunday’s “Oregon Sports Final” show regarding the lack of skill in the National Lacrosse League, and lacrosse in general.

“We thought it would be a good opportunity to show them the difference in skill, and the talent that these guys have,” said LumberJax Media Relations Manager Steve Masters. “They really are the best players in the world.”

Portland team owner Angela Batinovich and vice president Brian Silcott are scheduled to be among the participants in the game, along with a handful of current players including forward Ryan Powell, defenseman Richard Morgan, and goalie Dallas Eliuk.

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Arizona out for ’08 NLL Season

A league source said late Tuesday night that the Arizona Sting will not play the 2008 National Lacrosse League season. Other sources echoed this news Wednesday, but neither the league or the Sting would confirm the news Wednesday. The Sting join the expansion Boston Blazers in going dark for ’08, following a two-week period of uncertainty regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

Arizona entered the league for the 2004 season, and it has been by an overwhelming success on the floor. After just missing the playoffs in their inaugural season, the Sting made it to the Champion’s Cup final in 2005, losing to host Toronto. In 2006, Arizona made it to the West Final, losing to eventual champion Colorado. Last season, they made yet another Champion’s Cup final, hosting Rochester because the higher-seeded Knighthawks couldn’t host the game because of a scheduling conflict. Rochester beat Arizona at Jobing.com Arena 13-11.

Arizona’s issue, however, has always been fan support in Glendale Ariz., just outside of Phoenix. Their attendance has actually decreased over the last three seasons, going from 6,568 (8th out of 10 teams) in 2005 to 6,477 (10th out of 11) in ’06 to 6,049 last year (11th out of 13).

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