I think the growth of the game has helped and I think that Warrior/NB realize that the more their talent gets out the community to push the sport, the more kids will want to play and the more gear they will sell. 2 years ago I worked the THINK Detroit PAL lacrosse camp that Warrior put on and I got rub elbows with some famous lacrosse player (can’t remember who it was) while teaching kids that had never been exposed to it before. I’m not sure how many pairs of Mac Daddy’s they sold from that event, but they did put 200 sticks into the community. I know there is good money for the players to work camps, but I wish they would spend more time spreading the game in non traditional areas and coaching parents on how to coach.

While I don’t think that it’s best for the development of professional lacrosse, I think you’re absolutely, 100% correct! And that’s the catch 22 here. It’s their league. And that’s the bottom line. That, in itself, is why non of these other options are even considered. It’s also the reason that the league is not going to fall apart until they decide they’ve lost enough money. As long as they want to keep writing checks, MLL will exist, and will probably exist in pretty close to the same state in which it does now.

As for TV, when those players are playing, they are representing their company, sure. But they are not promoting the product. And because only Warrior/Brine/NB commercials show during MLL games, the advertising affect is often limited. It’s not the same as a Kobe Bryant, who handles the ball 40 minutes of a 60 minute game. Not only is he in the spotlight the whole time, and the subject of every 4th or 5th comment by the announcers, but all of his playing footage can be taken and used in commercials. The same cannot be done for these non Warrior/NB/Brine guys … partially because there’s not necessarily as much good content, and partially because league contracts don’t allow it. PLUS, even if the contracts allowed it, the footage would be null and void because they are wearing a competitors gear head to toe.

As for whining about pay …
It could be argued that the on field product would be better if players could afford to play lacrosse as their primary (not single) means of income. The question is where’s that money coming from? There’s no answer, because it’s not there.

We all know this, and I think you’re missing the point. EVERYONE wants to be paid more. You are 100% correct. And there are some parties that can/will lose money. Players understand this. Guys do not sit around the locker room mad about their pay checks. They know what they are getting when they sign the contract. As you mentioned, there are no guns to anyone’s head. The issue at hand, however, is the limitations on what players can and cannot do. And the idea that some of those things, if tweaked, MIGHT allow for players, and maybe the teams/league, to earn a little more from outside sources. Nobody expects the league to up the salaries. We all understand that the money isn’t there.

At the same time by them sponsoring the league, negotiating the TV deal and getting it out there they are promoting Maverick, Reebok and Adidas’ guys every week. You think John Grant Jr or Brodie Merrill would be household names based on their NCAA or Canadian team work? The reason why most people know Jr and Brodie is because of their stellar play every summer in the MLL and the fact that Warrior/NB has them on ESPN 10 times every summer. They have used that to negotiate deals with Adidas and Reebok, set up camps, appearances and the like. They are benefiting from it.

Boston … GREAT sports town (doesn’t hurt that the league headquarters is there). Denver … GREAT sports town, and super outdoorsy. Yet, who else is really tipping the scales? That was one of LA’s problems. We had an awesome on field product, were treated like professionals top to bottom, played in a really cool venue, but we didn’t pull enough fans to support the operation. Now, one problem was that we were playing in an Carson, but the lacrosse population was not in Carson. We played our last game of the 08 season in Orange County at Orange Coast College, and had a really nice turnout … Was it 11K? No, but it was a nice start! Fans outside of that area would go there to watch because they can make a day/weekend out of it. That wasn’t so much the case the other way around. Unfortunately that would be the last regular season Riptide game ever. RIP, ‘Tide.

But back to the original point, you have to put fans in seats for the league to survive … or have league/team owners that reallllly do not mind losing the money every year, for the greater good (?) … which seems to be the case.

1) When the league started the Warrior Stryke helmets sucked and they had internal plans to make changes, but didn’t have a viable piece of equipment for the players to use.
2) Cascade was willing to stroke a BIG check and the league needed the money.