The Problem With Lacrosse

The sport of Lacrosse received a lot of ESPN love a few weeks ago, following the national championship game. The last second and overtime heroics of Syracuse University "set the sports world on its ear." Sports reporters all over television, the Internet, and the world of sports lauded praise over the game, the 'Cuse, and the Sport. I heard too many times that Lacrosse is a lot like hockey, in the fact that u can't truly appreciate the game unless u see it live. Supposedly, Lacrosse is a beautiful game consisting of intricate set plays and athleticism. HA!!! That is a load of HOOHOCKEY and a steaming pile of HULLABALOO!! Lacrosse, other than being a sport full of guys who aren't good enough to play anything else, is missing a very vital element that might help it matter. Violent, face breakingly, hard, hitting. I always look at lacrosse players wearing these pads, and I wonder why. The only time they touch is on face-offs, and if a player runs into someone with any discernible force its a foul. WTF??!!? Rugby is a Man's sport, Football is a Man's sport, Hockey is a Man's sport. Lacrosse is a semi-man's sport. It gives off the visual effect that it is going to fast and visceral, but ends up being a mess of long, unimpeded runs, missed passes, aesthetically unpleasing stick work (as compared to hockey), and largely uneventful play. At most Lacrosse, comes off as clumsy soccer plus sticks, and minus the artistry. An anyman's game, it is not. An everyman's game is out of the question. At least with hitting, there would be the excitement of loud, teeth-clenching hits. It would also speed up the game because the threat of being laid on your ass, makes a player speed up all of his processes. Hits would capitalize on the barbaric nature of people that football and rugby stimulate. Add that to the size of the field and number of players, hitting would open up the style of plays that could be made, and add artistry to the game(similar to soccer). Finally piecing in the stick play that can now be increasingly used in the same manner as a hockey stick, and you finally have a sport to think about. Then, and only then, will I maybe listen to all they hype the New England and Mid-Atlantic states spout concerning Lacrosse