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MLL Championship Weekend: Fan Picks & Your Pick

Now that the MLL has been around for a while, teams have started to develop more loyal followings.  It’s no longer just “they play in my city”, “it’s the only pro lax around” or even the dreaded “I don’t care, I just want to see some good lacrosse”.  Teams actually have fans now, and these fans are dedicated to, and invested in, their team of choice.  To illustrate this, we have four fans, all readers of LAS, all in the lax know for sure, and they are each giving their perspective on why they want THEIR team to win.  It’s a sign of good things to come of the MLL in the future, and this weekend, assuming they don’t get hurricane’d out.

We’d like to thank Chris Rosenthal of the StrikerDanger.com blog for getting this idea going.  He wanted to do it himself, but his fan loyoalties were just too strong to cheer for any team other than his.  So we used our network to help him out!  At the end of the post, make sure you vote on which MLL team YOU want to win the Championship!

Boston Cannons – Marcus Craigwell of MetroLacrosse and Royal Lacrosse, game grower, super great person!

There are many reasons why I want the Boston Cannons to bring home the hardware after the championship weekend. I may seem very biased, being born and raised in Boston all my life, but what team is more deserving than the Boston Cannons?  From attending their games on Saturday nights to being invited to watch their practices, I can see their consistent work ethic displayed firsthand. day in and day out.  Not only is the teamdeserving of a championship, the franchise is as well.

Denver Outlaws Boston Cannons
A lot of people see a Boston - Denver final.

The Boston Cannons continually draw thousands of fans to their games, which show all the hard work being done behind closed doors. Bill Daye does a great job in getting his players involved with the community in both urban and suburban areas. This is a great example of what it means to give back and it shows the level of respect the players have for their loyal fans. I witnessed the Cannons’ perseverance and faith in one another during their last home game vs. the Rochester Rattlers when they came back from behind and won in overtime. The Cannons build off of the energy of the crowd and respond rightfully so with a major goal or save.

Not only do I want to Boston Cannons to win a championship but I think the city of Boston does as well. The primary reason is the reputation of Boston being the city of champs. We have won a championship in every professional sport in Boston besides the Boston Cannons. I truly believe that if the Boston Cannons get it done this weekend, it will solidify Boston as one of the most successful sports Cities in the world. Between the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and the Bruins I have witnessed six championships, which Iam very fortunate and grateful for. Hopefully we can make that seven championships that Boston can celebrate and we can look for another sport to dominate, maybe rugby? Lol.

Denver OutlawsJimmy Ciccone LAS writer, Camp counselor #1, LaxAllSharks founder, friend to Tom Slate, all-around awesome guy!

Believe it or not my pick is the Denver Outlaws.  Now some of you may be thinking, why I would pick the Denver Outlaws?  I mean they’re not even a local team to NJ. You’re right, they’re not, but I have my reasons.  One of the biggest reasons being Coach Slate.  I worked with coach Slate numerous times this summer and the man has opened so many doors for me.  I’m very grateful for all he has done.  I was also able to work with Ryan Cranston, an incredible lacrosse player and human being.  Two guys I’d love to see hoist the trophy this weekend.

Yes, this may not have anything to do with performance or who is deserving, but let me finish.  The Denver Outlaws have done a lot for the league.  The have broken numerous records including attendance records and even hold the record for the highest scoring game record when they lost to Rochester 27-26 in 2007.  But what makes me want them to win most of all is what I’m about to say next.

The Denver Outlaws were established in 2006, since then they have won their division in ’06, ’08 and ’09. Also they have made it to the playoffs every year since their establishment in 2006 but still have no championship to show for it. They’ve brought much attention to the MLL, and the fans have given so much support for the team…are they deserving? Absolutely. Is it their time? Only time will tell.  But I sure hope so!

Hamilton NationalsJules aka KhawkFanVoice on Twitter (follow her!), knower of all things lax, loves boxla, one of our all-time favorites!

I have always been a lacrosse fan, but until I became affiliated with the Rochester Knighthawks, I never really took a liking to ‘field’ lacrosse. To me it was boring and uneventful compared to the hard-hitting, fast-paced indoor game… that is until the Nationals came along. I didn’t really know the team from which the Nationals stemmed, the now reformed Rattlers, but I knew most of the players from the NLL.

When the Nats won the MLL Championship in 2009, to not even making the playoffs in 2010 (don’t get me started on THAT team), they had a lot to prove this summer. With a new coaching staff, a new stadium to call home, and a lot of change ups in the roster, they started out a little slow. The next thing you know, they start winning games (now that they were finally getting the ball after the Jr trade) and the guys were really starting to mesh like a Jason Johnson string job. After that amazing final regular season game against
the Lizards, (suck it Jr) for one of the last playoff spots, it helped the Nationals end the season in 3rd place.

Not a bad accomplishment for a squad half full of Canucks. Now I want to see them finish it. They have the potential and the skill. I think Regy has his work cut out for him in picking just the right guys to match up against Denver because they haven’t beat them yet. I know they can if Scott Rodgers plays well or Brett Queener stays on his side of the field, and the D-men can stay on top of Siebald, Mundorf, Poillon and Westervelt they have a solid chance at winning. The Nationals have to be a well-oiled group of ‘manchines’ out there. Hamilton needs their team to represent to grow the game in Canada. I believe I will be cheering in the stands, with my signs, watching magic unfold, and I can’t wait. We also want the Nationals to win so the monster Bobbleheads get more air time!

Chesepeake BayhawksChris Rosenthal StrikerDanger.com blogger, boys with a current Bayhawk, hometown loyalist, top notch lax blogger!

Let’s get this out of the way before someone yells “conflict of interest” in the comments section: I want the Bayhawks to win, but not because my company makes Steven Brooks’ “Rip The Duck” shorts. I mean, if he hits the game-winner and does some sort
of duck dance, that’s great. Shouts us out like he’s going to Disneyland? Even better. But I’ve been following the Bayhawks since the league began, and I’m rooting for them to win it all.

Winning won’t be easy this year, they stumbled into the playoffs (losing three out of their last four games by about 7.5 goals each) and face a dominant Cannons’ offense. They’re going into the weekend as huge underdogs, but it’ll be a great story if they shut down
some of the biggest names in lacrosse, pull off an upset or two and retain their title.

Another reason I want the Bayhawks to win is that I want to see the old Dan Hardy again.  His time with Chesapeake hasn’t been what they expected when they traded for him, but back at Syracuse he had a flair for big performances under the spotlight. Don’t forget,
this is the same guy who scored a hat trick in the 2008 NCAA championship game, the same one who assisted Cody Jameson’s game winner for the 2009 title. Sure, the college game is different, but if that Dan Hardy shows up, the Bayhawks are in great shape.

Finally, I support the Wizards, Capitals and Redskins. Know what they have in common?  That’s right, we never win anything. On the other hand, take a look at Boston: the Bruins won last season, the Celtics won the year before and the Red Sox and Patriots have
combined for five titles in the past ten years. Boston piles up rings like junk mail, they don’t need another. Besides, Albert Haynesworth’s going to have at least 28-35 sacks for the Patriots this year, just to stick it to us. We need this.

If the Bayhawks find a way to turn things around in time to win this one, it’ll be huge.  They’ll celebrate their fourth title (most in the league), and they’ll get to do it in front of their home crowd. Crab cakes, football, and championship lacrosse: that’s what Maryland
does.

Well there you have it, folks!  We’ve got 4 teams, and 4 great sets of reasons to cheer for each of them.  So who do you want to win it all?  Let your voting voice be heard!  And if you feel strongly enough about why one team deserves to win more than the others, drop it in the comments!

Who do you want to win MLL Championship?