Anyone up for some Lacrosse?

[BDP]

This is interesting:

Arena tour could lead to an NLL franchise

I haven't watched much lacrosse in my life (I'm not even sure if I have seen indoor lacrosse) and I've only played it a few times, but I think I'd actually be more interested in this than arena football 2 and minor league hockey. I think it'd be a struggle for them, as lacrosse is a pretty foreign game around here, but, given its native american origins, maybe it can find a niche.

I would hate to lose some events because of scheduling conflicts with arena lacrosse, but maybe they could use both venues like hockey does... It looks like it's a winter/spring sport, which makes sense for the arena format. I think it'd be easier to bring in if it were a summer/fall sport though, as it wouldn't conflict with hockey.

In any case, the interest shows how we're on everyone's radar now and the league does play in some major markets, so if they could work something out, I think it would be kind of cool to have a lacrosse team, if only for a couple of seasons.

[Easy180]

Saw that too BDP....Could potentially be a good catch for OKC, but the prices would have to be similar to the Blazer's to make it successful imo

But like you said...More and more leagues are eyeballing our fine city...That is always a good thing

[BDP]

How much are hockey tickets?

The lacrosse tickets are $15-$35 in Chicago.

[Easy180]

Blazer's tix appear to be from $9 - $17 excluding suites so it's in the ballpark at least...I would think they would have to shave off a couple bucks off that Chicago price range, but hey what do I know

[metro]

I think it would be cool. I'd go. I wish it was an outdoor league though. Doesn't sound like Cornett is really trying to accomodate them though. I doubt will get it since he's more focused on NBA. Although I agree on the NBA as first priority, we should still entertain the notion of Lacrosse and weigh the pros/cons and do a viability study. Wouldn't mind keeping a new sport from Dallas and St. Louis, and I'm confident it wouldn't ruin our NBA chances.

[Kerry]

Season ticket prices have a wide range. Buffalo has front row season ticket for $180 while San Jose charges $360. There are only 8 home games (for now) so scheduling shouldn't be a problem. Also, no conflict with NBA as most teams are owned by NBA owners.

The big part is the television coverage. Check out NLL.com -- Official Website of the National Lacrosse League - Home
The NLL will also air worldwide on the EuroSport family of networks. Weekly games are broadcast in 50 countries outside of North America:

Southern Europe
Spain
France
Turkey
Greece
Malta
Cyprus
Portugal
Italy

Eastern and Central Europe
Poland
Romania
Russia
Kazakhstan
Moldova
Czech Republic
Slovak Republik
Hungary
Slovenia
Bulgaria
Armenia
Latvia
Serbia
Estonia
Croatia
Bosnia
Macedonia
Albania
Ukraine
Belarus
Georgia

North & Western Europe
United Kingdom
Ireland
Finland
Sweden
Norway
Denmark
Iceland
Belgium
Holland
Switzerland
Luxembourg
Austria
Germany

Asia Pacific
Australia
Indoneisa
Myanmar
Maldives
Malaysia
Thailand
Phillipenes
Singapore

[bombermwc]

You know, I bet this is a sport that OCU adds as one of their next moves towards NCAA D1 status. It sort of fits with the "cheaper to start" sports ideas they've had so far. By cheap, I mean they don't have to build facilities in large scale...ie use the gym for volleyball and wrestling, or use the soccer field for lacrosse.

[BDP]

That's an interesting angle, bomber. There aren't many schools west of the Mississippi playing D-1 lacrosse. They wouldn't be competing regional much for players, but I have no idea how many lacrosee players there are regionally.

Doesn't sound like Cornett is really trying to accomodate them though.

Yeah, I couldn't tell if he was against it or if he is just taking the position that they need us more than we need them.

Good points, Kerry. I think the ticket prices are reasonable. I don't know what the league's attendance expectations are. The international exposure would be interesting and couldn't hurt.

[mranderson]

I am usually in favor of any sport coming into Oklahoma City, no matter how well I like or dislike it. However, I can not see Lacross in Oklahoma City.

[BDP]

If it comes here, you can see it and probably for free with your connections.

[bombermwc]

Well as for OCU, I'm not sure how many women wrestlers are around either, but they put that team together...

[metro]

If it comes here, you can see it and probably for free with your connections.

that's true, political experts usually get a lot of free perks and gimme's

[Kerry]

I happened to see the Portland/San Jose game on TV last night. They seemed to have a pretty good crowd; web site says 6300 and that looked about right. It was a cross between ice hockey and soccer. It looks like a sport that is much better in person than on TV. Like soccer and ice hockey - a lot of the action takes place away from the ball.

[y_h]

Seeing as how lacrosse developed from a Native American game, I think there might actually be some local interest and appeal.

[ksearls]

My 12-year-old son's friends are playing and he too is going to switch from soccer to Lacrosse. He is excited because you get to push people and you get a big stick. Yikes!

[mranderson]

Seeing as how lacrosse developed from a Native American game, I think there might actually be some local interest and appeal.

Every sport developed in North America or South America was native american. Some were developed by white people, some black, some probably american indian, and probably some latin.

[BDP]

Every sport developed in North America or South America was native american.

Not if it was developed by a non-native American. Maybe you should track down the actual individual who developed each game in America and break it down by their country of birth for us. That would be fascinating and literally factual, so as not to confuse anyone with linguistic anomalies, like calling people from America “Indians” or labeling people “native” by heritage and not the place where they were actually birthed or perhaps in relation to the Europeans who “discovered” them, even though we both really know they weren’t really “discovered” as much as they were just new to some confused Spaniards looking for a entirely different place altogether. We really must get this right so everyone knows what we’re talking about.

[betts]

This is from an article today regarding lacrosse expansion, and some of the cities that are being considered for teams.
Mondays with Matt: Minor League Markets Suit MLL :: A look at the top 10 minor league sports markets, according to SBJ, and their viability in lacrosse

3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The NLL is already looking into an opportunity to expand here, according to an LMO interview with commissioner Jim Jennings in May. The city successfully sustained NBA basketball for two seasons, adopting the New Orleans Hornets when they were displaced because of Hurricane Katrina.

You may also remember Duke alumni Aubrey McClendon and Bob Pascal (not lacrosse players) collectively spending over $500,000 in advertisements last spring to "celebrate" Duke lacrosse after the program was defamed for the better part of 13 months. Because newspapers don't permit anonymous ads, they were funded, generically, by "The Duke Lacrosse Booster Club of Oklahoma City."

Perhaps the MLL could ride these guys' coattails - and deep pockets - into expansion there. Heck, even if they stipulated an all-Duke roster, that team could still be viable on the field and off, especially after the "super seniors" take advantage of that added eligibility year in 2008.

Any opportunity for pro lacrosse in Oklahoma, however, would rely solely on its fan base - as the sport is virtually nonexistent there on high school and youth levels.