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The Life

Ontario Lacrosse Festival: Aug. 1

We’re just one full week away from kicking off the event that will put the future stars of the game we love on display.

The Ontario Lacrosse Festival is set to kick off next Friday, August 1, at Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby, Ontario. More than 4,700 participants on 260 teams are scheduled to partake in the event, which wraps up on Sunday, August. 10. This 10-day event features the provincial championships of the Ontario Lacrosse Association for three age divisions: Tyke (7-8), Novice (9-10) and Pee Wee (11-12). There’ll also be a few All-Star games, including one for Junior A and the U15 girls field provincial championships. On top of the competition, there’s a Festival Fun Zone set up and plenty of merchandise exhibits. So if you haven’t already, check out the Ontario Lacrosse Festival Web site and make your plans to get there so 10 years from now, you can brag about seeing that player back when they were just a kid.

The Life

Fann Cup set for this weekend

“Win or lose, we drink the booze.” Hard to go wrong with that philosophy, no matter what the game is. Tongue-in-cheek as that motto may be, the Fann Cup that’s descending on Rochester this weekend is all about the fun.

The seventh edition of this non-contact, co-ed indoor lacrosse tournament, featuring fan clubs of various National Lacrosse League teams, is also all about the charity. The event has raised more than $50,000 for designated charities and this year is raising funds for the Finger Lakes Regional Burn Association and the RocE6 Inner City Youth Lacrosse Camp. On Saturday, the tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. and includes teams from Rochester, Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia and Buffalo. To boot, the Rochester team has a goalie coming in from San Diego and a forward coming in from North Carolina. If you’re in the Rochester area and want more info on the event, check out the Fann Cup Web site, or the discussion over at WingsZone, and then make plans to get to the Sports Garden for what promises to be a pretty cool day.

The Life

Ain’t no thing like a chicken wing

Had I a chicken wing for everytime I’m asked about how cool it is to cover the lacrosse world for a living, I’d be a fat, fat man. OK … so maybe I can’t use chicken wings for the current state of my fitness, but when it does come right down to it: it does not suck to have this job, but it all balances out.

Sure, I may not have to buy tickets to games and I get parking passes, but when the games are finished and you’re out downing pints at the watering hole, I’m still in a locker room that reeks of sweat or up in a press box trying to write a story as the arena lights are being turned off. That’s the part you don’t see. But like I said, it all balances out. So when I got a call from the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse to be a judge in a chicken wing contest here in Rochester, I answered the call of duty for my profession and prepared to devour some of those greasy thangs.

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The Life

Fann Cup set for July 26 in Rochester

When the National Lacrosse League is catching its breath in the offseason, fans still want more. So a few years back, a group of ‘em took matters into their own hands and we ended up with the Fann Cup.

The seventh edition of the Fann Cup — a tournament of teams comprised of fan clubs of various NLL squads — is set for Saturday, July 26 in Rochester, N.Y. It’ll be played at the Sports Garden and this year’s lineup includes the Buffalo Brigade, the Philadelphia Wingnuts, the Philadelphia Rage, the Rochester Krewhawks, the Toronto Roadies, Roadies North, Lacrossetitues and the Chicago Cloverz. That it’s lacrosse makes this tournament cool enough, but the fact that it has raised more than $50,000 for charity since its inception in 2002 makes that much cooler. If you want more information, visit the Fann Cup Web site, or check out the thread at WingsZone.com. Stay tuned for more before the tournament and then afterwards, we’ll have all the results for ya including any reports of abuse to yours truly, who will do his best to officiate a few of these tilts.

The Life

DOVE 2008: a record-setting charitable effort

How many good ideas have you come up with while out for a drink with a buddy?

Not things that seemed like a good idea at the time. Nothing that ended in a visit to the emergency room. I mean legitimately good ideas.

Don’t worry if you’ve got nothing, because Jim Zacher has us all covered. It was at his local watering hole where he came up with the idea that eventually evolved into DOVE 2008 — a 25 hour charity lacrosse game that is Determined to Oppose Violence Everywhere.

Kicking off today at 3 pm at the Aurora Community Centre, DOVE 2008 not only aims to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness, but also set the record for the longest box lacrosse game in modern history. This will be a single continuous game between two independent teams, officiated under the sanction of the OLA’s Master Division. On board to appear is not only recently retired Toronto Rock Captain and living legend Jim Veltman, but also NLLinsider’s own Brian Shanahan. Each will be serving as an Honorary Chairperson for the event. READ MORE »

The Life

NLL boys lax it up on Wall Street

We’ve all heard about what’s going on with the economy, specifically the struggles of the housing market. Bottom line: it ain’t good. Especially if you happen to work with Bear Stearns, the historic firm that’s taken a beating from the dwindling market.

Yet as most employees may be wondering what’ll happen with their jobs, there are a few with yet another question. What’s gonna happen to our lacrosse team? Bear Stearns is the defending champ of the inagural Gotham Lacrosse tournament, but the firm and the team have come up against some tough times. The Wall Street Journal takes a great look at Gotham Lacrosse, a league in New York City consisting of teams made up of employees from high-profile banks and financial firms. Players range from former All-Americans to former pros and current pros, including Kyle Sweeney of the National Lacrosse League’s Philadelphia Wings.

“It didn’t take long for it to really catch on,” says Sweeney, a Georgetown graduate who is a co-founder of Gotham Lacrosse. “Wall Street’s a very competitive place. The second week in, people realized that we had the scores and stats online.”

WSJ reporter Kelly Evans does a nice job with the story, and even offers a quick video preview of what Gotham Lacrosse is all about.

The Life

The Day I Almost Killed Jim Veltman

This is a story that was rekindled in my pea brain a few days ago by Tutka.

The year was 2002 and I was a wide-eyed, baby-faced rookie in the NLL wanting to be a part of the Rochester Knighthawks in any way, shape or form. So on this particular weekend I took advantage of being able to be as close to the game as I could with out putting on the pads. One of our coaches was unable to make it to the afternoon matinee match in Toronto so I jumped through the window and offered my services to coach Paul Day and asked if I could run the D gate.

Seeing my enthusiasm and not really having any other choice, he said I could do it. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said.

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The Life

Week-off change of pace

What’s up with everyone in the Yard? Seeing as though I’ve had the week off, I’ve decided to change gears with this entry. Over the last few days I have spent plenty of time listening to music while getting caught up on tasks at home. Since lacrosse and music are two things very near and dear to me, I’ve decided to talk a little bit about music today.

Before I left for San Jose, I remember hearing about this really neat mission that a television host around here had come up with. His name is George Stroumboulopoulos, and he is a TV and radio personality for people of the younger generation. Generation X if you will. Anyway, he has been working on creating this mission to spread great music around to strangers.

Click here to read the rest of this post and leave comments for Colin.

The Life

Enjoying the sunshine

Well, I am ashamed to say it but I’ve been in sunny California for a month and a half now and have yet to play a round of golf. One of my commitments to myself upon moving out here was to use the sunshine to bring a stronger golf game back to Canada with me in the summer. Today, that all changed.

As I planned on heading back to Ontario for a couple of weeks on Friday I figured I better get a round in on Thursday before I left! I gathered up a foursome and the friendly people at Santa Teresa Golf Course accommodated us with a tee time just before noon. Jeff Zywicki, Steve Pannerelli, Luke Wiles and myself headed out to work on our game.

Click here to read the rest of this post and leave comments for Colin.

The Life

NLL Insider guide to a San Jose roadtrip

With a steadily improving team, a good core of young players, and new owners willing to put in the time and money to grow the franchise, everything’s looking up for the San Jose Stealth. Everything except for attendance figures. Given time those will be on their way up as well, but for now, if you’ve got a weekend off and you’re willing to hop on a plane, think about finding your way to San Jose. They could use the ticket sales.

Where they play:
The HP Pavilion, AKA The Tank, is home to the San Jose Stealth, Sharks, and SaberCats, and hosted a stop on the Spice Girls reunion tour. (Don’t act like that doesn’t matter.) This place is a ten minute drive from the airport, or a 50 minute public transit trip. Here’s your full list of driving directions. The arena is located across the street from San Jose Diridon Station, which is serviced by Caltrain, ACE, and the VTA.
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The Life

The Gift of Self Confidence

When I was younger I looked to lacrosse and sports in general as a way to define myself and build my self confidence. Somewhere in the back of my mind I believed that beating my opponent meant I was better than them. It’s an immature motivation, but powerful just the same.

Success in lacrosse can fuel the ego. And for some that is why they play. Like an offensive player so focused on scoring goals and personal success that they become less concerned with what’s good for the team. Fortunately as I got older, team success took precedence over personal accolades and I experienced the unshakable confidence that comes from dedicating yourself to the common good.

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The Life

Insider guide to a Minnesota roadtrip

While Saint Paul, Minnesota may not immediately spring to mind as an attractive winter vacation destination unless you’re that one person who thinks trudging through two feet of snow is a good time (hi dad!), with steadily improving regular season records and an enviable core of selfless players, Nick Patterson and the Minnesota Swarm have made it a must-hit for every NLL roadtripper. Read on for the wheres and whats of the city, a few of Patterson’s picks, and all the info you’ll need to experience a little piece of cinematic history.

Where they play:
The Xcel Energy Centre, home of the Swarm and the NHL’s Wild, is located in downtown Saint Paul on the corner of Kellogg Boulevard and West Seventh Street. This makes it easy to arrive at from all directions, however it is recommended that you avoid driving all the way down Kellogg Blvd., possibly because Tony the Tiger is on the loose, or possibly because of some other equally lame cereal joke. In 2004 ESPN named the X the best overall sports venue in the United States. Official capacity is 18,064. To grab one of those seats for a Swarm game head here.
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The Life

Insider guide to a Philly roadtrip

Philadelphia has long been a popular lacrosse roadtrip destination for eastern division fans, and now that the Wings are back to looking like they’re going to put on a show at every home game they’ve only increased the visitor appeal of an already storied franchise and city. Exuberant Philadelphia sports fans get a bad rap because they once booed Santa Claus, but I don’t see how this is so shocking. One year I unwrapped a package of vacuum cleaner bags on Christmas morning so I’m on your side, Philly. Read on to find out what to do, where to go, and what full-time lacrosse player and part-time entertainer Rob Van Beek recommends in his fine city.

Where to stay:
Well, this should simplify your travel plans. If you’re looking to stay near the arena you have one good option: The Holiday Inn Stadium. If you’ve got a car and you know how to use it, might as well check out the Yahoo! Philly hotel ratings to peruse guest ratings, prices, and locations. Somewhere like the Best Western Independence Park Inn won’t deplete your wallet but still situates you in Old City Philadelphia.
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The Life

Insider guide to the home of the Jax

In 2007 the Jax turned the city of Portland into a lacrosse roadtripping hotspot, possibly by losing frequently.* For fans of visiting teams, the chance to see their team play on the road is good, but the strong possibility of seeing them win in someone else’s barn is better. This year, since the Jax are vowing to be a different team and they’ve got the roster to back it up, the city of Portland will have to stand on its own merits — right next to the lure of a hard-fought, high-quality lacrosse game.

*Or possibly because they hosted the All-Star Game. Either way.

Where to stay:
The Portland Lumberjax recommend the Doubletree and Red Lion hotels. They’re both about 15 minutes from the airport and within walking distance of the Rose Garden Arena. Having trouble deciding between the two? If you take the city’s light rail system to the hotel, the Red Lion will reimburse you for the $2.05 you spent getting there. That is approximately 1/4 of an arena hot dog. Just saying.
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The Life

Chicago roadtrip Insider guide

The great thing about Chicago for roadtripping fans of visiting teams is that not only are there endless attractions, easy transit, and the expectation that you’ll gorge yourself on pizza, Chicago’s Windy City moniker pretty much hands you a list of jokes about the Shamrox. Probably best reserved for after you’ve stumbled out of the post-game party and you’re at your comedic peak.*

*In a way.

Where to stay:
For unsuspecting fans rolling into Chicago for the weekend, it probably seems like a pretty good idea to snag a hotel room near the arena. In actuality, it isn’t so much a bad idea as it is an inconvenient one, since the Sears Center is plunked out in a Chicago suburb, pretty far removed from downtown. However, if you’re in town for lacrosse and nothing but, hit up the Hyatt Place Hoffman Estates, located four minutes from the arena. If you want to be closer to the post-game party, try the Hyatt Regency Woodfield in Schaumburg.

For downtown accommodations I have to give the edge to the Best Western River North for being the only downtown hotel to offer free parking to guests.
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The Life

Your Insider guide to a Colorado road trip

As one of the greatest sports cities in North America with one of the top teams in the NLL, Denver, Colorado has certainly earned its spot on the lacrosse roadtripper’s wish list. Whether you’re heading into town to cheer on the Mammoth boys or to try and drown out 18,000 fans in the stands with nothing but a visiting team jersey and an improbable dream, NLLinsider–with the help of Colorado’s captain–has the scoop on where you’ll want to go, what you’ll want to do, and how to increase your chances of spotting Gavin Prout around town.

Your ultimate destination:
The Pepsi Center, home of the Mammoth and their faithful, is conveniently located in the middle of Denver’s major metro area. I know this must be a very exciting and confusing time for anyone who has ever made their way to an Arizona Sting game so read on for directions. The arena is next to the I-25 and has two main entrances: Speer Boulevard and Chopper Circle, and 7th Street and Auraria Parkway. The Pepsi Center website informs me that from the I-25 North you’ll want to take the Speer Boulevard South exit 212 A. At the second stop light, turn right onto Chopper Circle.

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NLL Insider, The Life

Hunting for treasures, and so much more

Although it was a productive weekend on the floor in our fourth training camp in Portland, the highlight of the weekend was our annual team scavenger hunt.

The team was divided into four groups, given a $175 budget, a Polaroid camera, and a list of tasks to perform around the city of Portland. The tasks were assigned a value (ie. finding two cases of Oregon brewed beer was worth 10 points, shaving your head was worth 30 points, etc). First team to achieve 275 points wins $200 cash/member, a free plane ticket anywhere in North America, and $100 worth of Lumberjax apparel. But more importantly, pride was on the line. My team consisted of Rich Morgan, Matt Holman, Matt King, and Brad McDonald.

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The Life

Sean Morris Moves to San Jose

I spoke to Sean Morris of the San Jose Stealth this past weekend at the IMLCA Convention in Philadelphia. Morris was there for STX (look for him in their new ads, along with Gary Gait and Joe Walters, in the new Face-Off Yearbook and the January issue of Inside Lacrosse Magazine), and he took some time out to sit down for this year’s two one-hour Inside Lacrosse TV specials, which air Feb. 21 and May 20 on ESPN2.

The former UMass star and current Chicago Machine attackman said he’s moved out to San Jose for the season to play for the Stealth. Originally planning on playing for his hometown Boston Blazers, Morris went to San Jose in the Dispersal Draft. Considering he has no boxla experience, it’s a big move by him to settle down in Silicon Valley and make a go of it this NLL season.

He said there’s a group of 14 Stealth players living out there (kind of a lacrosse fraternity compound), and it sounds like they get pretty nicely hooked up by San Jose — deals for meals at local restaurants, golf every week, nice living arrangements. It sounded like if San Jose didn’t treat their guys so well and make it so easy to live out there that Morris might not be playing this NLL season, instead waiting for the Blazers to start up in 2009.
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The Life

Peyser tries his hand in Arena Football League

When a failure between the NLL and the players’ association to reach a new collective bargaining agreement caused the apparent cancellation of the 2008 season - a decision which, of course, was later reversed - different players dealt with the possibility of not suiting up this winter in different ways. For the New York Titans Greg Peyser, he saw it as an opportunity to find out where he stacked up in another realm of professional sports: the Arena Football League.

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