NCAA Division-I lacrosse style.
Post-season tournaments are a thing of beauty, especially when the top two teams reach it to the finals, and that's exactly what's happened here. Yesterday, #1 Johns Hopkins survived a determined UVA team, beating them by a goal in OT, while #2 Duke thrashed Maryland 18-9 to set up a great Memorial Day championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Hopkins beat Duke earlier this year in Baltimore by a single goal. Click here and here to read about yesterday's action.
I was contemplating taking the family to go see this game tomorrow, but the kids aren't old enough to appreciate the nuances of the game, and sometimes the ball is hard to follow given how fast the good teams move it around. Instead, we'll watch our local Memorial Day parade, down Main Street, and that should be a good time for all, including, perhaps, of all things, ice cream in the morning! (And then I'll sneak back to try to catch as much of the action as I can on ESPN 2).
On a different note, a tip of the hat (perhaps it should be mouthguard) goes to the Northwestern Lady Wildcats womeen's lacrosse team. A club team only five years ago, the Lady 'Cats won Northwestern's first NCAA title ever by winning this year's Division I NCAA women's lacrosse title. In doing so, they became the first team ever to win this title that wasn't from the east. Way to go, Lady Wildcats!
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A few comments. I attended the semis on Saturday with my two older boys (19 and 14), both lax goalies. We have been to about five NCAA final four games, either semis or finals, following Princeton's team down to the University of Maryland or up to Rutgers when hosted ion those places.
The first game was a blowout, but the JH/UVA game was incredible. I don't think lax translates well to TV, but it's a great sport in person. Similar to hockey in that regard. The Linc was a good place from which to watch - except while "weathering" a severe thunderstorm.
Hopefully next year will see the return of Princeton to the tournament. This was a very unusual year in that Princeton missed the tournament for the first time in many years and Syracuse did not make the final four for the first time in, I believe, 22 years.
I watched the finals on TV yesterday. Another fantastic game. As you know, I am a very dedicated baseball fan, and I worry about a decline in interest in baseball among younger people. In fact, I would consider myself a failure in having my two older boys as lax players (especially goalies!) were it not for the fact that neither was particularly good at baseball. I hold out hope for my six year-old.
Anyhow, I wonder what the nabobs at ESPN thought about the comment of the color guy on their broadcast that "there is a revolution going on in the U.S. with boys trading in their baseball gloves for lax sticks" or something to that effect. After all, ESPN pays a lot more for baseball rights than for the three lax games the televise.
Lax has a long way to go as it's still pretty regional (though now expanding into the Midwest and a few other pockets). Again, it's similar to hockey in that respect. The proof is that ESPN televises a lot more women's softball than it does lax.
But even as a baseball fanatic, lax is a lot of fun to watch.
TIGOBLUE
Thanks, TIGOBLUE, as I knew I could count on you for going to the games. I thought about going to the final, but my kids are too young to enjoy that type of an event. It's a great game to watch in person, and it will be a better game once better athletes play it, too. Hard to see what the overall appeal will be. On the one hand, it has some visual issues on TV. On the other hand, NASCAR has become really popular, and that involves drivers driving around in circles. Great report!
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