Aug. 10, 2007
It was billed as part of the National Lacrosse League's exploration into a possible outdoor league. In reality, the NLL's `Outdoor Showcase' resulted in nothing but ticket refunds and questions about the viability of a second field lacrosse circuit.
When the announcement came it seemed like a big deal. Suddenly Major League Lacrosse was faced with the prospect of some of its marquee names playing in an exhibition for a rival league. I certainly bought into it. In my missive from a month ago, I breathlessly wrote that the Showcase announcement was "monumental."
It turns out that I -- and evidently the NLL -- underestimated the MLL. Built into MLL contracts is a stipulation that players are not allowed to participate in "competing" leagues. As a result, when the announcement came down about the Showcase, the MLL simply called in its chit and sunk the event.
"We said we'd bring the best lacrosse players in the NLL to this game and at this point that can't happen," said Steve Govett, GM of the Colorado Mammoth, in a release. The Mammoth were the hosts of the Showcase, which was to be held on Sept. 1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
"Rather than disappoint our fans, the organization has decided not to move forward with the game at this time, but we look forward to rescheduling the game at a future date," continued Govett.
Despite the fact that the Showcase was billed as part of the NLL's exploration of a field lacrosse option, Doug Fritts, the PR man for the league, said the scrapping of the exhibition is no big deal.
"The cancellation of this event should not be read as any type of step backwards regarding the possibility of an outdoor league," said Fritts.
Honestly, though, how can it not be? The NLL must now find a way to convince outdoor players not to re-sign with the MLL and join its unestablished league. That's a tough sell, with the only lure being more money -- something a burgeoning enterprise will be hard-pressed to provide.
If it wasn't a step backward for the NLL's outdoor prospects, it was at least a step backward for the league's strategic planners. To make this leap without realizing it could be trumped by the MLL reveals a certain degree of shortsightedness -- something the NLL has done a good job of avoiding in growing its enterprise to this point.
The staunch unwillingness of Fritts, or any other NLL exec, to go on the record about what exactly happened is an indicator, to me at least, that they feel they have egg on their face.
Another important side story since I wrote my first column on the `Outdoor Showcase' is the possibility of Gary Gait -- the current face of the NLL -- leaving to take the Syracuse women's job.
Reached on vacation on Thursday (Aug. 9), Gait declined to comment on the situation, according to the Denver Post, but the Post did confirm that the Mammoth is narrowing its search for Gait's replacement behind the Colorado bench.
I crowed about the presence of Gait at the outdoor event and its impact, but now Gait is not only out of the exhibition, but appears to be out of the league. This revelation compounds a tough month for the NLL.
The goal of US Lacrosse is to promote the sport, so I take no glee in the NLL's troubles. But, alas, I trumpeted their faux achievement last month, so now I must examine the fallout.
Considering current events, I may have to join commish Dave Gross and the rest of the MLL acolytes in their standard assessment about the possibility of a second outdoor league.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Contact Jac Coyne at jcoyne@uslacrosse.org.
