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MLL to add 4 teams

BY TOM ALLEGRA
STAFF WRITER

July 16, 2005

A crowd of 12,674 at Invesco Field at Mile High would normally be cause for concern for Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen.

But not when it was the paid attendance for the July 2 Major League Lacrosse All-Star game. Instead, the larger-than-usual turnout was a sign that the league -- which will add a Denver-based franchise under Bowlen's ownership next season -- has built a strong foundation.

"The direction the league is going in is so positive," said Lizards goalie Greg Cattrano, one of six Lizards to play in the All-Star game. "Three, four years ago, people were saying it's not going to make it, but it's in its fifth year right now with expansion on the way."

The MLL plans to expand from six to 10 teams next year, with new franchises expected to take root in Denver and Los Angeles and expected to be granted to Chicago and Dallas.

That means the Lizards will only be able to protect 10 of their 19 players come the end-of-season expansion draft. However, it also means the once-regionalized sport is starting to garner national attention.

"The fans love it and are so excited for a new franchise there," said Lizards coach Jim Mul�, who served as the head coach of the All-Star Game's Old-School squad -- a team comprised of players who had been in the league since its inaugural 2001 season. "To have over 12,000 people on a holiday weekend, they just had open arms for the event. It's unbelievable how into it they are in other parts of the country."

Attackman Tim Goettelmann, who led all Lizards with five points (three goals, two assists), praised MLL players for their dedication to the league despite their small salaries (most starting players earn between $9,000 and $18,000) and their need to plan around their full-time jobs.

"You have to give credit to the players," he said, "because we're coming out all summer and working hard."

Goettelmann's Old-School squad worked hard to get back into the All-Star game. The Old-Schoolers went on a 7-2 run to end regulation and tie the score at 20, culminating with Josh Sims' equalizer with 17 seconds left. But defenseman Nicky Polanco, the only Lizard on the Young Guns team, picked off a Gary Gait pass and started a transition break that Walid Hajj finished with 7:50 left in the first overtime.

onpoint wrote:In my opinion, this is going to greatly increase the marketability and competitiveness of the MLL. Thinning out the talent pool a little bit will give a lot more players the chance to play. The teams now are so elite that the games are hard to watch and it is hard to appreciate how good the players really are. Now that there will be less superstars (comparatively), maybe the teams will be able to garner some fan loyalty and the game will really be able to take off on the professional level.