Lacrosse isn't a cross we're willing to bear

by **Sonny** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:30 am

Topic moved to the main forum!

**Sponsor**

by **Catlax** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:17 am

Who cares, we're the only ones reading the article anyway!

by **Danny Hogan** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:24 am

Gregg Pathiakis wrote:
Sonny wrote:Here is the guy's email address:
thomas.hoffarth@dailynews.com

Please be nice, informative, and to the point if you drop him a line. He can hit that delete key really quickly.

As O&A say before they unleash the army, serious e-mails only.

he already compared us to nascar fans, i say give it to him.

by **Daniel Morris** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:42 am

I just don't understand the point of the piece. I understand it is opinion, but why just attack a sport played by hundreds of thousands around the world? Slow news day? Does this guy have some sort of grudge against lax? Maybe as a baseball fanatic he disapproves of a competing sport? I just don't get it. In addition, his facts are off. Goalies are not prohibited from wearing shin pads, his desciptions of the physical brutality of the sport are woefully outdated, and lacrosse has exisited in his community for some time now.

by **strykr11** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:49 pm

Daniel Morris wrote:I just don't understand the point of the piece. I understand it is opinion, but why just attack a sport played by hundreds of thousands around the world? Slow news day? Does this guy have some sort of grudge against lax? Maybe as a baseball fanatic he disapproves of a competing sport? I just don't get it. In addition, his facts are off. Goalies are not prohibited from wearing shin pads, his desciptions of the physical brutality of the sport are woefully outdated, and lacrosse has exisited in his community for some time now.

I believe the point is that it is humor.... What is funny as he points out: Lacrosse is a sport that has its roots in ball games played by native americans. First it is kinda humorous that a native american sport would be adopted to be a schoolyard activity of snooty east coast preppies. At the time none of those native americans could have gained admittance at any of those schools where lacrosse was played. What is even funnier is that it now is being pushed as a sport for the masses on the west coast by this fast talking huckster of infomercial fame. Then the place that the First 4 took place was at the Home Depot Center in Carson. A venue named after a store catering to blue collar activities in an industrial area of Los Angeles. About as far away from the playing fields of Groton, Hotchkiss and Exeter as one can imagine.Then the point was apparently to drum up interest in the sport to push tickets for a professional lacrosse franchise that will be at the Home Depot Center. Lacrosse has always had this amateur/professional schism within the sport. Because of this it was a Big Deal when Johns Hopkins started charging admission for their games....

by **Danny Hogan** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:51 pm

stryker did you write that article?

by **strykr11** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:54 pm

Danny Hogan wrote:stryker did you write that article?

YES...HAHAHAHAHA!!!

PS Not Really....I think though if one really understands the history of lacrosse the article is humorous....

by **Danny Hogan** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:03 pm

it wasn't printed in a medium soley for people who understand the history of lacrosse and it was weak humor at that.

by **CSUalum32** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:14 pm

wow, now that was ignorant!

by **BaylorLax4** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:30 pm

If he is a writer and only 1 % of his audience actually gets what he is talking about. Then maybe he should rethink his profession

by **mholtz** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:38 pm

CATLAX MAN wrote:If this wasn't a hearty dose of sarcasm, then the only explanation is that he's an idiot. I prefer to think the former is true. If not, have at him, Rob.

It could also be someone trying to create controversy to increase ratings/web hits/ad revenue.

It wouldn't be the first time the media did something like this.

by **Daniel Morris** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:15 pm

strykr11 wrote:
Daniel Morris wrote:I just don't understand the point of the piece. I understand it is opinion, but why just attack a sport played by hundreds of thousands around the world? Slow news day? Does this guy have some sort of grudge against lax? Maybe as a baseball fanatic he disapproves of a competing sport? I just don't get it. In addition, his facts are off. Goalies are not prohibited from wearing shin pads, his desciptions of the physical brutality of the sport are woefully outdated, and lacrosse has exisited in his community for some time now.

I believe the point is that it is humor.... What is funny as he points out: Lacrosse is a sport that has its roots in ball games played by native americans. First it is kinda humorous that a native american sport would be adopted to be a schoolyard activity of snooty east coast preppies. At the time none of those native americans could have gained admittance at any of those schools where lacrosse was played. What is even funnier is that it now is being pushed as a sport for the masses on the west coast by this fast talking huckster of infomercial fame. Then the place that the First 4 took place was at the Home Depot Center in Carson. A venue named after a store catering to blue collar activities in an industrial area of Los Angeles. About as far away from the playing fields of Groton, Hotchkiss and Exeter as one can imagine.Then the point was apparently to drum up interest in the sport to push tickets for a professional lacrosse franchise that will be at the Home Depot Center. Lacrosse has always had this amateur/professional schism within the sport. Because of this it was a Big Deal when Johns Hopkins started charging admission for their games....

Are you reading the same thing I am? I know the history of the sport from growing up in lower NY and playing most of my life and research done for a book I have written. As a journalism graduate I have some experience here, and it is simply ridiculous to assume this is a humor piece meant to drum up interest. This is written with the attempt to get some laughs no doubt, but this is an outright attack on lacrosse and its impact on the lives of Californian children. The author makes no positive remarks about the sport in any capacity, instead slandering every aspect. What parent is going to want to bring their kids to a game he describes as something violent and snobbish? A sport only an orthodontist would revel in? Yeah, ticket prices will be going through the roof any minute now (that last part was humor).

by **Gregg Pathiakis** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:23 pm

And I love how he does not even attempt to back up his arguments. He talks about it being a prep-school, snotty sport... but never explains why the sport is so bad.

by **Troy Hood** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:32 pm

Opinion or not; shoddy journalism in every respect. It shows what's happening to the profession across our country and the world. Even those that say, "we report, you decide" have a decided slant to their message.

This guy obviously has a bone to pick with something he doesn't understand. In addition to all of the other colorful "educational" methods suggested by Coach Graff, et al., I believe a re-enactment of the ESPN episode of "I'd Do Anything" featuring the Anaheim Storm should also be in order. Except, I don't believe Mr. Hoffarth gets the benefit of the box goalie gear.

by **AlumniLax** on Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:52 pm

ahh but troy.... those "we report, you decide" folks are refreshing compared to the mass libereal biasness we are all exposed to 24/7/365. this guy on the other hand is a complete idiot...

Lacrosse isn't a cross we're willing to bear

Hoffarth

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