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End Caps: New and Improved!

Markbuster Top 5 Top 4!

Markbuster Videos are going be a little bit different this time around. Instead of 5, I’m going with my Top 4 videos, and they aren’t all from last week.

I want to showcase The Lacrosse Network’s new series “Road to the Rockies,” the journey of US Men’s National Team hopefuls as they looks to make the final roster for the 2014 World Games in Denver. These videos are incredibly well put together and it’s nice to see US Lacrosse and TLN working together, especially when there isn’t an over abundance of product placement.

The up close and personal interviews with just a key light on the player and an all black background is really cool to see when trying to make a personal connection to the athletes.

The story lines they follow and angles they take are humbling too, from Coach Meade’s speech about what means to wear the stars and stripes on your shoulder, to the team’s praise of Loyola long pole Joe Fletcher.


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LAS RAW

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[dropcap]D[/dropcap]eal with the Devil? No, I see it as far from it. The LXM and MLL came together this week to form a partnership benefitting the game of lacrosse. This was something we all sat back and talked about, essentially since good players started leaving the MLL for the tour in the first place. Not a lot of details have surfaced about what this will mean exactly, but the MLL has had there schedules out for quite sometime now, so it appears it be the LXM’s responsibility to play around it, making sure not to step on any toes.

It doesn’t appear that this is all about making tons of money, because what it will do is give both entities a bigger slice of the pie, not less for one and more for the other. At the end of the day, the pie is still the same size and there won’t be anymore… in my opinion, only so much money can be made off professional field lacrosse at this point, so they need to capitalize on opportunities like sharing players and differently scheduled seasons, so they can both benefit from eating from the same place.

Ohio Denver Faceoff

Scared of the Canadians? Seems even more doubtful. I don’t understand where the buzz comes from about being threatened by the NLL, it’s at a completely different time of the year. The NLL and US National Team events may have overlapped a bit and it pulled some Americans out of the NLL this season, but how does that make the two biggest pro field leagues want to come together? It doesn’t, but it could negatively effect American involvement in any professional box leagues, NLL or in the States. Reason being, if players do decide to play in both leagues, or increase their field schedules, they may be too worn down to compete and could potentially sit out the box season to prepare for more field.

What I really hope will happen.

Peter Baum will play for Ohio, Bradman, Bitter and Krum find immediate MLL spots, and other LXM stars make the jump back to the MLL. It may make for a long year for these guys, with so much travel and competition, and it’s not for every player, but many of these guys see the opportunity to play lacrosse all over the country as an honor and chomp at the bit to hop on a flight to their next game.

LXM Las Vegas Preview Peter Baum Team STX

Other than for more consistency in rosters, I hope that many players don’t go from the MLL to LXM, because I love the diversity on the LXM PRO Tour as it is. I hope they can just secure a few players from non-traditional areas to hop on board. That’s what resonates with these games, the home town players, or the guys from the West, Southeast, Pacific Northwest anywhere other than the Northeast traveling from budding area to budding area showing the kids a great game and giving them all of their time and attention. As a kid to be at a LXM event in the West and hear an Erik Krum or a Peter Baum figure tell you, “at your age I, was just like you” is priceless.

What I’m unsure about.

What happens to Maverik? Do they get to be represented in the MLL, will they continue to sponsor the LXM? I couldn’t see them not being a part of the LXM PRO Tour, but with the addition of STX to the group of MLL equipment sponsors, do they even have the pull to squeeze in a group with Warrior/Brine and STX?

Food for thought.

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Swag Me Out

I’m here to help you get, or stay, “swagged out.” I may not be a fashion icon per se, but I do have an opinion about what looks good and what should be thrown away immediately.

First things first, hats off to Brodie Merrill for bringing back Chris Sanderson’s True North line of apparel. This line is pretty classic and it’s all for a good cause. Chris’ memory lives on through True North, and it’s awesome that Brodie and his wife could team up to keep Chris’ dream alive.

Here are three items I love from the line:

True North apparel True North apparel True North apparel

 

Check out True North and their mission to keep Sanderson’s dream alive. They make B.A. looking clothing that doesn’t look lacrosse specific. You could pull of the simple True North logos anywhere, but if someone recognized what you’re rocking then I’m sure it will turn in to a great conversation starter!

Looking for more sweet gear to tie you over until next weekend? DO NOT MISS INSTALAX Session 1 from last week!

Until next weekend, folks!