Speaking of the MLL and such - Minor League Lacrosse?

[OAKS]

Anyone know what this is about?

http://www.minorleaguelacrosse.com/

[Sonny]

That is interesting..... From their FAQ:

Why Minor League Lacrosse?
Despite the explosive growth of youth and professional lacrosse, college lacrosse easily remains the most popular and exciting level of the sport. Unfortunately, lacrosse fans only get one chance a year to watch college lacrosse…until now. Beginning in 2007, the excitement of college lacrosse no longer ends with the Final Four. Fans will soon have the opportunity to watch the country's best players compete for school pride and love of the game. Thanks to Minor League Lacrosse, the spirit of the college game lives on throughout the summer.

How is Minor League Lacrosse different from MLL & NLL?
Minor League Lacrosse is an amateur league featuring collegiate athletes. Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and National Lacrosse League (NLL) are professional leagues using paid athletes.

Is Minor League Lacrosse affiliated with MLL & NLL?
NCAA rules prohibit amateur leagues from forming relationships with professional leagues. In order to preserve player eligibility, there is no affiliation between Minor League Lacrosse and MLL or NLL.

How do I order tickets?
Tickets will be available in the spring of 2007. Please contact franchises for more information.

How do I purchase merchandise?
League and team merchandise will be available soon. Please visit our online store for more information.

[AflacLax]

Who is eligible to compete?
Men and women from all NCAA Division I, II and III programs are welcomed to tryout. The best college players in the country – ranging from Tewaaraton Finalists to DIII All-Americans – are selected to compete on one of eight men’s or eight women’s franchises. Recent college graduates are also invited to tryout.

Too bad their FAQ also says that Minor Leauge Lacrosse is for the top NCAA (Divison I, II and III) and reccent NCAA gradutes. I wonder if this league would allow USLIA members to try out.

[KnoxVegas]

– ranging from Tewaaraton Finalists to DIII All-Americans –

All-America!!!!!

Is this to be something like the Cape Cod League is to college baseball? No franchises have been awarded? While, in theory, this sounds likea good idea, its presentation leaves a lotto be desired. At least they are concentrating the teams on the east coast, where there is a market and most of the players will come from.

Though this could be the collegiate version of the WUSA. We will have to wait and see.

[StrykerFSU]

So let me get this straight...college players play for privately run teams for no compensation and risk injury so that someone else may profit from their efforts.

I hate to be a wet blanket but can someone explain to me how this is good for the players. It is not as though kids these days need more lacrosse playing opportunities. There are adult leagues around the country that welcome college players and their skills are not exploited for financial gain (however small I anticipate that gain might be). I played in an adult league in Fairfax during my summers away from school, keeping my meager skills sharp as a butter knife and had a great time doing it.

I guess I really just want to know who this new league is really supposed to benefit.

[shrekjr]

Sounds very similar to a lot of the summer baseball leagues popping up around the country.

[PigPen]

So let me get this straight...college players play for privately run teams for no compensation and risk injury so that someone else may profit from their efforts.

I hate to be a wet blanket but can someone explain to me how this is good for the players. It is not as though kids these days need more lacrosse playing opportunities. There are adult leagues around the country that welcome college players and their skills are not exploited for financial gain (however small I anticipate that gain might be). I played in an adult league in Fairfax during my summers away from school, keeping my meager skills sharp as a butter knife and had a great time doing it.

I guess I really just want to know who this new league is really supposed to benefit.

with you on that one Bub-sounds like a scam for the players-you're better off playing summer league in around certain hotbeds. the Cape cod league is really different in the sense that a lot of these kids are looking to get drafted (or at least better their stock) and leave school and go pro-as opposed to lax where no one except the occasional Box crazed Canuck would leave school to go pro.

[Jumbo]

of course MDIA talent can play. If its a real league they will take players from anywhere as long as they can play at that level. Still sounds like the students are getting ripped off.

[KnoxVegas]

How are they getting ripped off? The risk of injury is there but it is also there in everyday life as well. This amounts to the ultimate summer league, where by talent scouts for the various pro leagues can observe them. This is no different than a college team. Both are attempting to make a profit and promote the game. Again, I site the Cape Cod League.
Check out:
National Alliance of College Summer Baseball
http://www.nacsb.org/

[StrykerFSU]

This is no different than a college team.

I disagree, college players are compenstated for their athletic contributions by the chance for an education at the very least and a free ride in the best case. Players in this league would be performing with no compensation at all while possible impacting their potential careers in a negative way. I think that a comparison with the AAU basketball leagues is more apt. Players in AAU are exploited everyday by coaches and agents who claim to be trying to give the kids exposure but what they are in fact doing is lining their own pockets at the expense of their players' development. While there are cultural and racial aspects to AAU that may not apply to minor league lacrosse, the fact that team owners, coaches, agents, etc. will be profitting from the athletic abilities of uncompensated kids is exactly the same.

[Kojima]

i'm sure most kids would love to play for free... what's wrong with that? sounds like a good summer league. no one's getting "exploited" -- and if a player thinks he's that good/that he should be paid to play, there's nothing stopping him from trying to go pro (where the big bucks are, right?) sounds no different than a college or summer league to me. personally, i think it's a good idea. it'll be interesting to see if it does well/gets off the ground...

along those lines, has anyone heard more news about reebok and the nll opening their own summer league to compete against the mll. i think their thought process was they could keep their players, pay em more money and receive more media attention if they have a dual in-door/out-door pro league.... these rumours started when reebok first signed with the nll... personally, i think the nll needs to first do a much better job of selling their current game...

[StrykerFSU]

sounds no different than a college or summer league to me.

I've never played in a summer league where there were team owners that charged admission and profitted from selling tickets to games.