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Monday Morning Mumbo  

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PLYMOUTH , MI (July 27, 2020) –  

Outta’ my lax-filled mind. Let’s talk about some things…

MLL Champs - The Boston Cannons hung in there and won the title over the Denver Outlaws on Sunday. The semi-final games were canceled on Saturday due to a Covid outbreak (3 players tested positive) on the Chesapeake Bayhawks team. They forfeited / withdrew as did their opponent, Connecticut. That left the league scrambling. Both Denver and Boston agreed to play and put on a great show on Sunday. The Cannons came out on top, 13-10. Kyle Jackson (Michigan) had a GB in the title game and 7 points throughout the tournament. Boston went 4-2 on the week. Props to the other players with Michigan ties: Mikie Schlosser (Michigan) and Charlie Hayes (Detroit) who played for Denver and Decker Curran (Michigan) who suited up for New York.

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MLL Uniform Rankings – Some lax fans don’t care for the MLL uniforms. I think they are solid and a little traditional – which I like. Here are my rankings after seeing all the teams this past week.

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1. Denver – The black/gray/orange scheme is so sharp. It stands out on TV, for sure. And I love the barbed wire effect on the sleeves of their uniform. Logo is top-notch.

2. Boston – Red/white and blue. Perfect. And the lacrosse ball exploding from the stick – poetry.

3. Connecticut – Their an expansion team and they went with a new look. Bright colors (blue and yellow) and a fun logo. The shark is mean looking but not threatening. Kids will eat this up (pun intended).

4. Chesapeake – The Bayhawk logo is a classic for the league and the color scheme is reminiscent of the Seattle Seahawks. Great combination.

5. Philadelphia – The color combo is strong – blue and orange and the logo is clean and dynamic.

6. New York – Someone must bring up the rear and it’s New York. I’m not a big fan of the lime green and the unis are busy. Yeah, I get the whole lizard skin motif – I just don’t like it. And the logo? I’d rather have Godzilla than the Geico guy.

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PLL is Back – I was glued to the set watching the PLL games this weekend. And the one I didn’t catch live – I fired up the DVR. So many fans are commenting on the chirping of Matt Gaudet (Chrome). Yeah, he was all over Blaze Riordan (Chaos), but if you don’t want him to talk – don’t let him score and shut their team down. It’s pretty simple. And, by having him mic’d up, it led to conversations, publicity and that’s good for the league. More people watching – more people sticking around for more. And please spare me the “sportsmanship” stuff. This is not high school anymore. At the pro level, there’s a ton of talk that goes on during play in all sports. If HS coaches want to use this as a “teachable moment”, great.  But coaches and parents need to explain to their kids that for the most part – pro athletes are not role models. Charles Barkley said it in 1993 and it holds true today.

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To the games, they were great. Up-and-down action saves on the doorstep, teamwork, passing and fantastic finishes. Lacrosse is so much fun to watch and seeing these guys again brought me great joy. I like the fact that the teams are not associated with a city. I can root for all seven teams if I choose. I like players who are on all the teams. And I’m sure the league loves me for that – more merchandise sold – hats especially. I’m looking forward to the games tonight and the rest of the week. And, to see what happens to Matt Gaudet. I saw him play live in Philly – I didn’t hear a chirp the entire day, for what it’s worth.

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 6x6 Goalie Academy – Last week Brad Gigliotti and his staff held their Summer Camp at the Hope College fields. Due to Covid, the camp was a commuter camp only, no evening sessions. The 24 campers were treated to talks, drills, outstanding instruction and goalie games. The four days flew by and each year I’m impressed by the organization, the quality of the instruction and the cooperation of the Hope staff. If you’re a goalie and haven’t gone before, I encourage you to go. It’s well worth it! Check out the pictures by clicking on the “Instruction” tab.

Goalie Summit – Speaking of goalies, there will be a goalie summit presented on-line later this week. On July 29, 30 and 31 there will be four sessions of goalie talks each day. Presented by Damon Wilson, Lax Goalie Rat, the summit will bring together some of the best goalie coaches in the country and it’s absolutely free!!! Here is the link - https://www.goaliesummit.com/

Always thinking about lacrosse – So, each evening, when I relax by my fire pit, I see this:

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Six chairs, 3 red and 3 blue. But I REALLY see the two-triangle offensive set. Ball starts up top and the triangles move, a typical motion offense. Then, how can I get the unit into a 2-2-2 or a 1-4-1…I may be retired, but the mind always defaults to lacrosse. Ah, my happy place.

See you next week!

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