IL Indoor

Every week, Insider will take a look at some of the stories around the lacrosse world that are making lots of noise and some that have gone unnoticed. This week, we give Big-Ups to one the games best, chime in about the latest rumblings in Edmonton as Bruce Urban looks for equality amongst all pro teams in his city and at the 2010 WLA, we have once again had a player tell his team that he won’t play for them… Let’s dive in shall we!

Are they going to give him a silver stick?

Put all biases aside for a moment. Now, if you had the ability to start your very own NLL team and you could pick any players you wanted regardless of location, who would your first overall pick be? Would you take a goal scoring machine, a defensive stud, a brick wall between the pipes, or maybe a top notch two way guy? The choice would vary from person to person but when asked, over the past decade, there has always been once easy answer for this writer. I’ll take a guy that goes to war every game for his teammates.  Does whatever it takes to win, puts the team first, has a winning pedigree and above all else is a born leader. Now of course this player doesn’t necessarily have to be an all-star, MVP or cup winner but it just so happens that Colin Doyle is all that and more. Not much fuss was made when Doyle became only the third player in league history to break the 1000 point mark. Not bad company when you look at the two names above his, some guy name John Tavares (1420pts) and another average player named Gary Gait (1139pts). Ho-Hum right? Over his first 12 years in the NLL, Doyle would have averaged roughly 83 points a season. He hasn’t been below 80 points in a season since 2001 and year after year he continues to set personal bests in assists. Tutka once said this of him “Doyle has also shown to be maybe the most versatile ball player in the sport over the years… altering his game to ensure an unparalleled chemistry is sparked between him and his teammate (usually teammates). It’s an unselfishness rarely seen by superstar players in any sport, not just lacrosse, and is definitely comparable to what John Tavares did in his prime with some classic Buffalo Bandits teams in the early and mid-90’s.”  There’s no doubting that Doyle is one of the game’s all time best, a true team player, leader and general. Well deserving of the 1000 point club and a big standing ovation. Here’s to you Colin Doyle, a true example of how great this game really is.

Uraban Warfare

You have to wonder what effect Edmonton Rush Owner Bruce Urban’s latest plan of attack will have on this team’s future in the Albertan capital. Urban has never been one to hold back. While he does have every right to push for what he wants, he needs to be very careful. Urban continually pushes the envelope to drum up more exposure for his team in hopes that his next move will be the one that spikes the Rush into the mainstream. From taking out a full page ad in the Toronto Sun on the eve of a Rock/Rush game promoting a fight between tough guys Tim O’Brien and Darryl Welsh to giving away a brand new RV to a lucky fan to Denis Rodman (??) and most recently his partnership with Randy Couture. However, one thing working against Urban is the team’s relationship with Northlands and Rexall. Many NLL teams moving into new arenas have a tough time working cohesively with their roommates. Some existing teams feel the NLL is a major threat to their existence when really, they should be looking at the NLL team as a great way to get more fans and cross promote their product. Ever since the Rush have been calling Rexall Place home they’ve been on shaky ground with the Oilers and Oil Kings. From locker-room changes, use of facilities within the arena and the score clock, it seems as if they have been given as little as possible to work with. Maybe it’s a test, maybe it’s the house rules or maybe it’s a really cruel joke. Regardless, Bruce Urban is once again doing what he feels is best for his club and he does have a very valid point. The only negative that can come from this, is that the life line from Northlands to Urban could be cut, the bridge burned and as a result, the Rush could find themselves looking for a new home.

WLA rooks holding out

The 2010 WLA draft took place a week ago in Burnaby, BC and for what it’s worth, it wasn’t worth much. In terms of viewing that is. Drafts in general completely bore the audience and unless there is a superhuman in the first round or a few block buster trades in the works, most people would rather watch reruns of Jersey Shore. This year’s version of the draft was right along the lines of OMG am I really watching this? No major trades, no real surprise picks and generally an uneventful night. However, the one asterisk that has come from all the picks is that for the second straight year a player has made it known that he doesn’t and won’t play for the team that drafted him, ala Eric Lindros. Last year it was Alex Gajic, Colorado Mammoth, who told the Langley Thunder that he only wanted to play in New Westminster with his brothers Ilija and Nenad. So he has been a hold out ever since and as a result he has to sit out two full seasons before he can become a free agent. The Thunder could move him but it’s pretty obvious that they could have done that last year and they are either trying to make an example out of the youngest Gajic or are waiting for the right offer. So he will once again have to sit out this year until he can suit up in the WLA or suck it up and play. This year it’s seems Kevin Crowley has told the Burnaby Lakers that even though they drafted him, he will not report and only wants to play for New Westminster. There has been an ongoing debate in the WLA over whether or not the teams should be able to protect a few players from their junior teams in order to help grow local ties but what about teams that don’t have a junior program? A few years back, mainland players were only draftable by the mainland teams and island players by Victoria due to travel and work. That’s a fair assessment but for a player to refuse because he wants to play with his brother, his childhood buddies or a team he thinks has a better shot at winning is selfish and does nothing to better the game. For Alex Gajic to turn his back on Langley last year was a slap in the face to the other talented players that did show up like Alex Turner, Stephan LeBlanc and the NLL’s rookie leader Garrett Billings. The draft is in place so that the lesser teams get better and build some great competitive battles league wide. For a player to put himself above the game does nothing but hamper the game and cast a shadow upon himself that no 21 year old needs to deal with.  If you love the game, the only thing you should be asking is when you will get to play, not where.

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