lxm pro tour
the philly event was the first one on the east coast for the lxm pro tour .
former virginia all - american attackman and current lxm pro john christmas nets 5 goals in the lxm 702 las vegas event. for more information on the lxm pro tour please visit urltoken... .
for more on the mll, check out connor’s long island mll experience, and for more on the lxm pro, check our kevin rowen’s lxm pro tour kicks off post .
some of the biggest names in lacrosse going at it in the lxm pro tour, tln brings you highlights from the lxm pro 206 seattle event presented by champion sports. with athletes such as kyle harriso ...
john christmas with a great goal against stx goalie matt russel in the lxm 949 game last saturday. i guess this is what its like to be a goalie in the lxm pro tour! check out urltoken for tour ...
some of the biggest names in lacrosse going at it in the lxm pro tour, tln brings you defensive highlights from the lxm pro 206 seattle event presented by champion sports. make sure to tune in sept ...
the lxm pro tour’s next stop will be at the naperville polo fields in naperville, ill. , the weekend of july 20 - 21 .
lxm pro and team stx midfielder, kyle harrison, shoots 111. 3 mph in a shooting clinic in las vegas, nevada. for more information on the lxm pro tour visit: urltoken subscribe to tln f ...
ritz said the clinics were a chance for lxm pro to serve the lacrosse community .
unboxing adrenaline: black card gear, lxm pro cascade r and more ...
whit mccarthy shows us his maverik weapon of choice. follow whit and the rest of the lxmpro tour all season long on tln! visit urltoken for more info on the lxm pro tour subscribe t ...
game time: saturday jan 5tht 5: 00 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the seventh and last stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm pro - del mar team stx takes on team sole in a star studded m ...
lxm pro john christmas at the lxm pro event 619 (coronado island) backs down a screen shot for a goal. check out http / /: www. lxmpro. com for more info on the tour don' t forget to: subscribe to tl ...
this desire to give the west coast the opportunity to see top level lacrosse in person was why they started the lxm pro tour. tom garvey, a long pole who has been with the tour since the beginning, is very proud to be a part of the tour, and excited for where it is going .
riding high after the biggest comeback in lxm pro history, team stx takes the 3 - 2 series lead to las vegas december 1st. team stx has the ability to capture the tour’s crown before they head to del mar january 5th for the final stop on this years tour. for ticket information and up to date information on lxm pro please visit urltoken or urltoken .
the lacrosse network brings you the second stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 619 team stx takas on team sole in a star studded match up featuring athletes such as kyle harrison, sam bradman, lewis ra ...
the lacrosse network brings you the first stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 949 team stx takas on team sole in a star studded match up featuring athletes such as mikey powell, kyle harrison, sam b ...
# 7: kyle co - founded and joined the lxm pro tour in 2009, taking his passion for lacrosse to the west, and helping to grow awareness and interest in the sport .
game time: sunday september 29th 1: 30 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the third stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 206 seattle team stx takas on team sole in a star studded match up ...
as seen on sportscenter! ! sportscenter top 10 number 3 play! lxm pro eric krum with an amazing acrobatic goal in the lxm pro 801 event in utah. subscribe to tln for more great lacrosse content! ...
game time: sunday november 10th 5: 00 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the fifth stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 602 arizona team stx takes on team sole in a star studded match up fe ...
game time: sunday august 5th 3: 30 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the third stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 206 seattle team stx takas on team sole in a star studded match up feat ...
game time: sunday dec 1st 6: 15 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the sixh stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 702 las vegas team stx takes on team sole in a star studded match up featuri ...
former virginia lacrosse standout and current john christmas goes for the air gait in the lxm 619 event in coronado, ca check out http / /: www. lxmpro. com for more info on the lxm pro tour don' t f ...
former syracuse all - american attackman and current lxm pro mike powell has some fun at a shooting clinic at the lxm ats 801 event in utah. stay tuned for the lxm ats phoenix event live on tln novem ...
on the tour, everything is centered on growing the game and giving back. every player on the tour is deeply passionate about the sport, and wants to see it continue to grow healthily. speaking with maxx davis of the tour, he acknowledged that this is what sets them apart from any other pro lacrosse league .
two of the five founders of lxm pro are former radnor greats max and xander ritz, two brothers who helped monster energy defeat new balance, 10 - 9, in the pro game .
the lacrosse network brings you the first stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 949 team stx takas on team sole in a star studded match up featuring athletes such as mikey powell, kyle harrison, sam bradman, lewis ratcliff, john christmas, max ritz, sean lindsay and many more to find out more about the lxm pro tour check out urltoken and follow the tour all season long on tln! don' t forget to: subscribe to tln for more great lacrosse content! like tln on facebook urltoken follow tln on twitter urltoken and check out: urltoken
several thousand people – many of them teens and youth lacrosse players – soaked up the sun and the chance to hang with pro lacrosse players, enjoy the rapper wale and watch a pro lacrosse game in perfect weather today at the lxm pro 610 at radnor high .
check out these lxm pro 410 under armour uniforms and cascade helmets, and other gear from the event (love the crab) .
game time: sunday november 10th 5: 00 pm pacific time the lacrosse network brings you the fifth stop on the lxm pro tour... lxm 602 arizona team stx takes on team sole in a star studded match up featuring athletes such as kyle harrison, sam bradman, john christmas, max ritz, the bratton bros and many more to find out more about the lxm pro tour check out urltoken and follow the tour all season long on tln! don' t forget to: subscribe to tln for more great lacrosse content! like tln on facebook urltoken follow tln on twitter urltoken and check out: urltoken
practice through the eyes of lxmers andrew casmir and brendan porter as they get ready for their upcoming lxmpro tour 2012! check out urltoken for information on tour dates and info! featur ...
in the early stages of a professional sport, it is common to see duopolistic competition. first it was the afl and nfl, then the aba and nba. now, we have major league lacrosse and the lxm pro tour. although it is the tour that provides an aba - esque flash, it is mll that has attempted to revolutionize the game with its 2 - point line. everyday i wish that tour players like kyle…
shamel bratton rips a corner shooting around at an lxm pro event subscribe to the lacrosse network for more great lacrosse content! urltoken ...
lxm pro 410 rolled into towson university' s johnny unitas stadium saturday evening for the group' s second east coast matchup, serving as a followup to their philadelphia stop last year. here are some news and notes from tonight' s 11 - 10 ot lxm pro team nitro win .
lxm pro finished the evening with a post - under armour game performance by wale, the d. c. - based rapper who performed at the lxm pro event at radnor township last year. wale rocked the remaining ua kids through until about 11 p. m. on the night .
from the lxm pro tour 619 on cornado island: kyle harrison lazer shot literally rips a hole through the back of the net; one of his best of his six goals from the event. don' t forget to: subscri ...
former syracuse lacrosse all - american and current lxm pro mikey powell stresses the importance of practicing stick tricks to enhance hand - eye coordination at the lxm 949 event. don' t forget to: s ...
former syracuse all - american attackman and current lxm pro mike powell challenges the guys from park city lacrosse to a game of pig. stay tuned for the lxm ats phoenix event live on tln november 10 ...
icymi: lxm - mll deal means players in each league can play both. who are you most excited to see in an lxm jersey? !
let’s start with the basics. the mll has 8 teams (two of them new in 2012) and the lxm pro tour has two teams. that makes a true comparison hard right there. in pro league years, the mll is like a 20 year old, ready to explore the world, and the lxm is 14, and getting ready for high school. this isn’t a knock on the lxm. did you go to high school? you did? almost everyone does, it’s a stage .
the lxm pro tour has been getting mixed reviews both online, and in conversations i’ve had with a number of people in the lacrosse world, but the fact is that the lxm is still quite young, and when you look at the progress they’ve made, and lessons they’ve learned, their growth and improvements are quite impressive. let’s try to look at this fledgling pro lacrosse venture with a little perpsective, openness and honesty! !! !
since its inception in 2009, there are now 12 stops for the tour, going as far east as atlanta and florida .
this is the time of year when there is a lull in the professional lacrosse world. the mll has wrapped up and the nll preseason hasn’t officially started. right about now is typically when the lxm pro tour has started up in the past to bring high level lacrosse to non - traditional areas around the country. we reached out to adrenaline, who is the force behind lxm to see what their…
bradman’s seven goals are a new lxm record. if anybody’s going to break that mark during this tour, stx and sole will meet for the first time in 2013 on january 5 - 6 in del mar, california .
starbucks has never spelled kyle harrison’s (@ kyleharrison18) name right, and each spelling is funnier than the last. his lxm pro tour teammate andrew casimir (@ acasimir5) is often the punch line of k18’s jokes, whether it is for being a knicks’ fan or for trying to make it in the rap game .
phoenix, az played host to the critical game five of the lxm pro tour. this marks the first time lxm visited phoenix. in front of an electric crowd at the reach 11 sports complex, team stx and team sole battled in classic lacrosse fashion. although both sides made huge runs, it was team stx who came storming back from a 9 - 1 deficit to secure a 16 - 10 victory .
ex - terp max ritz scores last - minute winner for stx in lxm ...
so i guess i shouldn’t be surprised when people start comparing the lxm pro tour to major league lacrosse. both organizations pay their players, both have sponsors, both are pulling from a similar talent pool, and both play at least some of their games over the summer. both are also blessed with some serious d3 talent .
watch lxm pro live right here on the lacrosse network on saturday june 23rd at 4: 30 pm pacific time featured athletes: mikey powell kyle harrison shamel bratton rhamel bratton lewis ratcliff ...
produced by: jalbert productions & maverik films subscribe: urltoken new york, n. y. — former unc attackman and maverik athlete billy bitter made his lxm pro debut, contr ...
action shot of kyle harrison (johns hopkins university). lxm… (anna scipione / baltimore… )
lxm 619 in coronado, ca is a wrap. the day of lacrosse started early with the coronado classic which featured over 80 teams across five age divisions and on seven fields throughout the island. saturday night concluded with an exciting lxm pro game where team stx took down team sole 17 - 14 .
shamel and rhamel bratton starred for team nitro, in what i believe is their first official lxm pro event (don' t believe they played in the orange county contest). they each finished with one goal apiece. of note, rhamel bratton wore no. 33 instead of his traditional no. 3, in expected difference of teammate chazz woodson, the lxm pro veteran who has dibs on the number .
and that goes for just about everything the lxm and mll have to offer. rosters in the lxm are more flexible than they are in the mll, but that doesn’t mean we see more turnover in the lxm. both lxm teams have more consistent and returning players than some mll teams from last year, and less than others, so it’s an issue both leagues face, just differently .
3 time all - american from the naval academy and current team stx captain / lxm pro matt russell had an unbelievable year with team stx. watch his best plays and saves from the 2012 season! subscribe ...
what makes the lxm much more interesting to keep an eye on this year is their partnership with the mll. typically players have had to choose one or the other as they could not play in both leagues. this led to most top college players opting for the mll if they were ever given the chance. most is the key word there as a few years ago, peter baum sent shock waves through the mll world when he took his top draft pick in the mll and tewaaraton award off to the lxm pro tour instead. because of this typical movement of players, the lxm pro teams were regarded by many in the lacrosse world as second tier players who just couldn’t make it in the mll .
the ritz brothers, brothers scott and craig hochstadt and kyle harrison are the co - founders of lxm pro. the tour launched in los angeles on nov. , 21, 2009 and then hit austin, texas, on april 10. the next events are slated for jacksonville (oct. 17), san diego [ jan. 8 ] and las vegas (march 5) ,
former salisbury all - american and current team stx lxm pro sam bradman went off in 2012 with team stx! watch his best goals and moments from the 2012 season! make sure to follow sam on twitter @ br ...
the sport of lacrosse is growing. two weeks ago, the lxm pro tour and the mll agreed upon a merger to allow players to play in both leagues. it also brought in a couple of new sponsors and companies to help grow the sport as well. with all the recent signings and mergers, it presents an interesting problem though. will players have to choose between the nll and mll before…
google hangout with friends & watch the game, click the link: urltoken the lxmpro tour kicks off the 2013 season live from orange coast college in orange ...
minneapolis, mn – june 3, 2014 — epoch lacrosse has officially signed on as a sponsor of team adrenaline lacrosse and the lxm pro tour. epoch will be providing team adrenaline’s elite players with the most technologically advanced lacrosse equipment including its cutting edge carbon composite dragonfly shafts, game changing “otter mesh” and the company’s much - anticipated “hawk” head. “epoch is approaching lacrosse in the same manner that we do at adrenaline. by actively looking…
billy bitter makes it look easy! google hangout with friends & watch the game, click the link: urltoken the lxmpro tour kicks off the 2013 season live f ...
like, comment, subscribe! kyle harrison' s official youtube channel - former johns hopkins all - american and current team stx captain on lxmpro tour subscribe: urltoken ...
# lxmpro sam bradman low to high scores for stx google hangout with friends & watch the game, click the link: urltoken the lxmpro tour kicks off the 201 ...
after several years in the sport' s most established pro league, major league lacrosse, harrison joined some other entrepreneurial lacrosse players to forge their own path in southern california. they affiliated with adrenaline, a san diego - based apparel line and retail chain, to form lxm pro, a roving lacrosse festival that includes a youth tournament series, lacrosse camps and a professional game between two teams .
this is the time of year when there is a lull in the professional lacrosse world. the mll has wrapped up and the nll preseason hasn’t officially started. right about now is typically when the lxm pro tour has started up in the past to bring high level lacrosse to non - traditional areas around the country. we reached out to adrenaline, who is the force behind lxm to see what their plans are. unfortunately nothing official is set, so we still will have to wait to have the many questions answered surrounding the newest version of lxm. the good news is they gave indication that there is still something in the works, so hopefully that news will come out soon .
but the lxm didn’t just give up after the decals were pinched! they must have gone to a hardware store and bought mailbox numbers to slap on the helmets in the place of the decals. did they look great? no. but it shows that even in the face of adversity, the lxm is willing to be creative and think outside the box. and that really bodes well for the tour. sure, it’s a pretty insignificant issue, but it shows that the lxm is paying attention to detail, and that gives me some majorly positive vibes .
the fall season opener will mark the debut of the new uniforms designed in collaboration by adrenaline and champion. lxm pro 801 is an event you do not want to miss! be sure to buy your tickets today at urltoken or watch it live online on at urltoken .
kyle harrison (johns hopkins) added a goal for team stx, which improved to 2 - 0 against maverik in this year’s lxm pro tour series. former syracuse star tim desko finished with three goals for team stx, the final one a spectacular between - the - legs shot off a turnover in front of the maverik net with 2: 30 left. former chesapeake bayhawk johnny christmas had three assists for maverik. the game was tied at 8 at halftime .
that’s what the lxm tour is all about. it’s not about who has the brightest gear, or who can do the coolest move. it’s about enforcing the foundation that the sport was built on. it’s about taking a player, no matter the level, and helping him get to the next level. the pro’s that are on the tour are excellent sources. these players have played at the top colleges in the countries against the top players. they then turn around and take time with younger players to help them achieve the next level of lacrosse. it is now the young players turn to take the knowledge they were given, and make utah lacrosse better .
developing the concept for the tour and watching it come to life was so rewarding. we got to take lacrosse to a whole other part of the country and introduce so many people to the sport .
the lxm pro games are the athletic highlight of a traveling festival that includes youth tournaments and lacrosse camps. originally envisioned as glitzy events that paired lacrosse with live music — like the extreme - sports tours that served as the group' s inspiration — the weekends have become more focused on the sport .
in the end, what we really learned was that the lxm would see failure along with success, and that as they grew, the goal had to be to cut back on the failures and increase the successes. this is an obvious statement, but some pro leagues (like the nll) seem perfectly content to just keep on their current trajectory of mediocrity (talking about the league here, not the players), so when a tour or league is willing to really look at themselves and make some changes, it gives me more hope. the lxm is definitely willing to do this, and all you need to do is consider their latest philadelphia event .
the lxmpro tour continues 2013 season live from del mar polo grounds in del mar, ca. like this video and subscribe to the lacrosse network for more great lacrosse content! subscribe to tln for mo ...
i brought up vegas because it’s going to be a very different event than philly. but it showcases a broader point; that the lxm pro tour needs to focus on each and every event like it’s their first. they need to work within the region to build support, and find unique ways to ingratiate their new idea into the hearts and souls of potential new fans. and if you look at the trajectory they’ve been on, and the recent changes we saw in philly, it looks like that is just what they are doing .
brendan porter makes a great case for pro lacrosse. here' s a player who had a solid but unheralded career at rutgers. on the pro field, however, with some years of growth behind him, his athleticism and wicked shot on the run stand out. one of those mid - major players that professional lacrosse thrives on .
in lxm pro, harrison plays for team stx, named for the baltimore - based gear maker. the teams will play at least 13 times this year from san diego to philadelphia, up from eight in 2012. the other team will be sponsored by another lacrosse manufacturer, but that deal hasn' t been finalized .
sam bradman of salisbury scored 99 points this year as a d3 midfielder, and finished his career with 304 total points. within 30 minutes of salisbury winning their second straight national title, it was announced that their star player would forego the mll, where he was drafted, and join the lxm pro instead. only a few days later it was announced that sam bradman had signed a 1 - year deal sponsorship deal with stx, his new contract employer and an lxm sponsor .
the lxm still faces challenges. they need to continually draw in good numbers and find a list of locations that definitely work. then they can continue to experiment in new locations every second or third event. excellent promotion goes hand in hand with site selection, and i dropped some ideas yesterday on how the lxm could benefit from an nba lockout, and one of those ideas centered on getting lxm games on local tv before the lxm plays an event in their region. this idea is doable even without an nba lockout, but i mention it again today because local outreach is going to be really important for these guys .
from tonight' s 410 matchup, lxm pro makes a case that the world could use high - paced, athletic lacrosse like the game represented tonight. since these teams don' t practice much, both team' s leaned on their athleticism to guide them. the physicality and speed team nitro and team blue showcased were exceptional .
at the very least, i like the lxm to stick around for at least another couple years, and at a bare minimum i think we’re talking 2 more tour seasons. it could go the way of the usfl at that point, although i seriously doubt it. there is real potential there in many ways, even if you don’t see it. that brings us to the other option, where the lxm takes off on the west coast in a major way, and becomes a modern lacrosse fixture, much like the mll has done back east .
max ritz, who lives in los angeles, helped create lxm pro to spread the sport in non - traditional areas, mostly in the west and the southwest. his group decided to bring it to the east coast and philly was the perfect place – a budding lacrosse hotbed that can get forgotten behind the likes of baltimore and new york .
this latter result seems a little more likely if you’ve been paying attention closely. stx has been a mainstay in the lxm, and more of their athletes are opting to play in the tour instead of the mll. those athletes that do opt for the mll seem a little more likely to be dropped as sponsored players, which can be rough i’m sure, but makes sense from business, growth and marketing perspectives .
the lxm is still forming an identity, and still working out their partner relationships. they are trying new things, and going to back to old approaches that yielded solid results. the oc event was the only stand alone lxm game scheduled, and the fans still came to watch in the thousands. it kind of looked like the long island lizards game i took in last friday. the lxm is making progress, and if they can continue to find an identity, improve and stay consistent, i think they have a solid future .
the high scoring pro event saw 15 different players cash in goals, including game mvp kyle harrison banging home 6 goals and 1 assist to bring home the mvp sole bike (yes, a bike) .
today major league lacrosse named the lxm pro players who will be on mll rosters in 2014. the new partnership between the only professional field lacrosse leagues in north american allows players to play in both leagues. the two most interesting notes are that no goalies were signed, and billy bitter was not picked up by a team. boston the cannons theme this entire off season has been upgrading their…
major league lacrosse and lxm pro have a strained relationship. the two compete for talent, sponsorship dollars and to be seen as the vehicle that can push lacrosse into the mainstream. their rivalry has become something of a proxy fight between gear manufacturers trying to reach the rapidly growing youth market for lacrosse, which the sporting goods manufacturers association said is the fastest - growing team sport in the united states .
the quick deal with the lxm and stx alone make for interesting topics of conversation given sam bradman’s d3 roots, and if the mll can draft players before they even graduate, this should not be a problem. as to the stx sponsorship, if you choose to go with the lxm, stx is an obvious choice, and vice versa, but we’ll get to that later .
with the lxm, manufacturers like stx, easton, reebok and others all have access to game footage of their guys wearing their stuff. guys can wear their line of gear, and it provides a strong “in” with an exploding lacrosse scene outside of the traditional areas, namely the west coast. via the lxm, manufacturers are tapping into the next huge lacrosse markets early. honestly, it’s brilliant, it’s subtle, and it is why, at least in my opinion, the lxm will carry on for years. the investment towards future returns is simply worth it .
i was quite impressed with the intensity and physicality of the game. fans were treated to several big hits, flashy takeaway checks, and ripped corners. here is an unofficial scoring recap from lxm 619 :
harrison' s affiliation with stx dates back to his turning pro, when he immediately signed an endorsement deal with the baltimore - based gear maker. but harrison was unable to use stx equipment when he played in major league lacrosse .
“when it first started, lxm was a combination between lacrosse and music. there was always a concert involved. now we are at the level where we are doing it around youth tournaments, ” garvey said .
pro lacrosse player billy bitter does a little cliff diving in stowe, vt. join urltoken today: http: / / urltoken / join subscribe to las for more great lacrosse content! http: / / www. yout ...
maybe lxm is owned by steinfeld as well. makes sense since they discontinued the la riptide and san francisco dragons in 2008. lxm was started in 2009. it would be a genius marketing move by steinfeld, who had already built a billion dollar empire through his fitness brand. mll expansion into the west coast was too risky after the recession, so then try a different more loose angle that has a much lower overhead. in 10 years you' ll have a merger much like the afl / nfl merger in 1966. if steinfeld doesn' t own it, then whatever. lxm is great for the growth of lacrosse out west .
this entry was posted on saturday, august 28th, 2010 at 8: 10 pm and is filed under boy' s / men' s, pro. you can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. 0 feed .
but none of those things happened, and somehow, it’s now sam bradman’s time to shine. i think he’ll be able to do so nicely in the lxm for at least the near future, if he so chooses .
that also makes comparisons difficult as the mll is trying to breed local, consistent fans. same mll place, same mll time. fans for life. it’s the consistency approach. the lxm, on the other hand, is partnering with tournaments and events to help draw in crowds, but really, they’re bringing the show to the people, and trying to create fans of the lxm brand. two totally different approaches, and i don’t know that you can say one is “better” than the other .
these guys aren’t your prima donna, hot shot super stars. these are the kind of guys who will take players one - on - one and instruct them personally. and they will repeat until you understand it. and you can tell they love doing it. watching andrew casimir instruct young long pole players, it was evident that doing the tour is what he loves doing .
and they’re going to need to be creative here. when the lxm travels to vegas, they can’t craft uniforms to play off of local pro sports teams, because there aren’t any pro sports teams there. they could go with one unlv themed team and one minor league baseball or hockey team, but that’s not really what vegas is all about. vegas is about gambling. so i’m kind of hoping that a casino will be the name sake sponsor of each team, and that people who are staying in either of these two hotels / casinos get free tickets to the game. casinos get promoted, the lax teams get names and color schemes, and hopefully some new fans are drawn in. or the casinos could give tickets to all of their employees, and not patrons, and those off could go see the game for free .
like i said, the two are at very different stages, and the stages where they play their games exemplify this. mll teams have a home field, whereas lxm teams are either east or west, and the home team depends on where the game is played .
“they were so excited about the game. utah was my favorite stop on the tour for that reason. the crowd was amazing, everyone was supporting the event, and we ended up on sports center. you couldn’t script it any better than that. being able to want to give back, it’s not like you are forced to do it, if you want to do it you can. ”
, is that almost every single one of the questions asked above (except the concern about two leagues) was asked of the mll when it started. and they’re still here. yes, they definitely made some major changes, and had their own ups and downs, but the mll is still around, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away. so what does the future hold for the lxm, can the lxm exist for a sustained period of time, and are they making the right adjustments to see sustainable long - term success ?
the lxm’s first ever event out in orange county was really a huge success. they pulled in some high quality players, got two sets of pretty good uniforms, custom helmets, ha some minor celebs in attendance, and had a pretty rocking after - party / concert. the stands were packed and it felt like pro outdoor lacrosse was back in cali. the event really went off extremely well, which was good, but it also set a very high standard, and not every event after lived up to that level. after a small grace period though, people then began to blast the lxm for a perceived drop in quality, and the jacksonville event did nothing to help this perception. of course others acted like it was a total success. but because it was still so early… the rushed judgments were a tad unfair on both sides .
whatever happens with lxm this year, it is good for lacrosse as a whole if it returns. hopefully it can still help expose more people across the country to the game being played at an elite level. we will be sure to add updates when more information becomes available .
and the lxm provides this outlet quite nicely. it’s flexible, with some guys playing all the time, and others only coming out for a game or two. there are no serious coaches screaming at you or busting you over a fancy missed behind the back. the only people that matter are one’s teammates and the people in the stands, and while both teams want to win, the real goal is to have fun and put a great product on the field. it’s an interesting balance between pro and exhibition, and at this point in lacrosse’s growth and development, it seems very appropriate .
this week’s comparison has nothing to do with playing styles or ability – we’re stepping off the field for a social media comparison. denver outlaws attackman matt gibson (@ itsmattgibson) is the funniest lacrosse player on twitter. next to los angeles lakers point guard kendall marshall (@ kbutter5) he’s the funniest pro athlete on twitter .
some will point to sam bradman joining the lxm as a sign that he might not want any of that. those people usually view the lxm as a sideshow, but to me, it’s just a different approach to things, and still in its fledgling stages. it might not go anywhere (of course many people also said that about the mll), but only time will tell. for now, it’s kind of like steve young opting to play in the usfl, except we don’t know how this one will turn out. and either way, young still became a huge super star .
sam bradman (7g, 1a) earned mvp honors at last weekend’s lxm 702 event in las vegas, leading team stx to a 22 - 20 victory over team sole. connor predicted that stx would win by 3, which was close, but his 15 - 12 scoreline got surpassed pretty quickly .
i don’t know that bradman will be lacrosse’s steve young, but i certainly think he has the potential. without a huge d1 name to overshadow him this summer, bradman could truly make a name for himself, and perhaps even do the same for the lxm and stx, all at the same time .
eventually the rule was changed to disallow a dive where a player landed in the crease for the sake of goalie protection. you could still dive through the crease as long as didn’t land in it, but the rule change effectively killed the dive shot. it still exists in the pro leagues, and in most box lacrosse versions of the game .
i’ll be following his progress closely, because right now, for me, sam bradman is the most interesting man in lacrosse. i predicted that an a - list celebrity would buy a pro lacrosse franchise, but missed a couple others calls, although i did nail salisbury going undefeated and winning their second nc. will my bradman prediction work out as well ?
the other positive thing to take away from lxm philly was that mike powell came out to play. the obvious portion of this positivity is that people love watching mike powell play, and the lxm gave them this opportunity. but the less obvious positive aspect is that it gave mike powell a place to play, and he loves to play lacrosse. before you say, “but mikey could play in the mll if he wanted to”, let me just say this… i don’t think he wants to. his video interview with european lacrosse magazine made this pretty clear. he’s looking for something different, and less structured than the mll, and the interesting thing here is that i don’t think he’s alone! ! !
the mll has found an identity already, which makes sense as they’ve been around for over a decade now and running pretty smoothly. the league has found some pretty solid ownership groups, and most seem to be in it for the long haul. the sponsorship money keeps the league afloat (like it does for many pro leagues) and the fans seem to be increasing both in number and loyalty .
both organizations have something to offer us, as well as major obstacles to overcome. both are also still quite young. there was a time, only recently, when i remember my friends used to dream of a pro lacrosse league. well, now we have two of them, and i’d recommend checking at least one out, especially if it’s close by, to everyone. it’s much better than just sitting back and waxing sophomoric .
today’s event featured an hour of clinics run by the lxm pros, who drilled 200 boys on the finer techniques of dodging, shooting, defense, face - offs and groundballs. the crowd was then treated to a live performance by fortune family, some dj music and the feature musical entertainment from the popular d. c. rapper, wale. there also was a huge vendor village and plenty of refreshments .
there is little to no doubt that sam bradman could have made it in major league lacrosse. there are a number of salisbury players in the league right now, and bradman is definitely on their level. unlike the brattons, college stars who also went to the lxm directly over mll straight out of school, he isn’t dealing with off the field issues in any way, so for many, his decision seems puzzling .
they wanted to build their careers away from a league they felt was too restrictive. major league lacrosse began as a collaboration between jake steinfeld of body by jake fame and dave morrow, who founded warrior lacrosse, a michigan - based gear maker. the league' s teams have been used to exclusively market warrior' s gear. in other pro sports, apparel and equipment makers pay a rights fee to be included in the pool of brands players are allowed to use .
more people than ever have the opportunity to see paid, post - collegiate lacrosse players play great lacrosse, and yet somehow, as a community, we seem to be searching for a way to tear one down or pick a side. why? between the lxm and the mll, there are only about 200 pros… do we really want less? are we already at the stage where the two leagues are competing with each other for fans? are we that desperate ?
i’ll start off by saying this; not many d3 players get signed on as sponsored athletes. even more d3 players don’t have two pro leagues vying for their time. now if peter baum were a senior and colgate had made it further, even to the final four, we might not be having this conversation. if duke had won it all, cj costabile would undoubtedly be the subject of more attention. heck, if mike sawyer had scored the way eric lusby did, people might not be talking about bradman at all .
sam bradman comes from an “exotic” but well - known smaller school, and he plays with a certain style that is sure to electrify crowds. he’s well known in new york (he’s from canton, ny) and maryland. you can see the box game in his play, and his toughness is unquestionable. bradman regularly takes his opponents’ best shots and keeps on trucking. he is quick, smart, conditioned, and has a great stick. he’s perfect for pro lacrosse, and mll fans would eat him up because of his smaller size, and ability to play big .
the mll will continue to get more serious. more teams will be added to the league, teams will practice together more, the season will be lengthened, and eventually player salaries will start to climb back up. but in the meantime, the mll will have to ask its players to give more in the meantime. and there are guys out there who want to give, but just not in the way the mll has envisioned, and that’s actually a good thing! it means the best players in the world will continue to have more opportunities to play, and not less. it means that more people will be able to go and watch a pro game, and not less. these are both great opportunities for the future of our sport .
the big takeaway here is that the lxm is actively looking for ways to get hometown sports fans more engaged in their offering. they started this trend by bringing local players on to the teams whenever they went to a new city or area, but the uniform design and helmet decal ideas are another step in this direction. i don’t personally think the old school look was, well, old school enough, and i’m not sure the decals were totally spot on, but the effort and direction were definitely there, and this means good things for the future. they’ve formulated an approach and are now tweaking their message. i approve. if they go back to philly next time with powder blue uniforms with white and maroon trim, i’ll be sold. i would also accept one team wearing steelers colors and the other wearing eagles colors .
the teams were still called stx and cascade, which makes sense, but their uniforms were clear plays to the local sports fan populace. team stx rocked the old school philadelphia eagles inspired uniforms, and team cascade wore maroon and white phillies inspired gear. they even went so far as to have custom helmet decals made, but unfortunately those were stolen, and never saw the light of the field. seriously. if you see someone with those decals (below) on their helmets, you know they were stolen. messed up .
guys like kyle harrison, brett hughes, shamel bratton, sean morris and alex hewit could all play in the mll today if they wanted to. but it seems like their focus is no longer 100% on being a player in a league, it is now just on playing the game, and the former is what the mll seems to ask of their guys. it’s more than fair of the mll to ask these guys to dedicate themselves to an extreme level because they are trying to build something big, and serious. but it’s also more than fair for great lacrosse players to want to do something a little bit different. in mikey’s interview above, he makes this point a couple of ways and in interesting fashion .
connor is the publisher of lacrosseallstars. com. he lives in brooklyn with his better half, continues to play and coach both box and field lacrosse in nyc as much as possible, and covers the great game that is lacrosse full - time. he spends his spare time stringing sticks and watching futurama .
lacrosse all stars is a brand and distributed media platform connecting the worldwide lacrosse community with authentic storytelling, news coverage, reviews, broadcasts and original videos created by players, for players. we' re on a mission to grow the game® on a global scale and inspire the next generation of passionate lacrosse players.
lxm pro tour , or lxm pro , is a california-based professional men 's field lacrosse showcase that features many of the sport 's most accomplished players . lxm pro tour was founded by former college lacrosse and major league lacrosse players , notably former johns hopkins star kyle harrison the tour has demonstrated a pattern of being able to draw some of the top collegiate and professional players away from the more established mll .
lxm pro tour, or lxm pro, is a california-based professional men's field lacrosse showcase that features many of the sport's most accomplished players. lxm pro tour was founded by former college lacrosse and major league lacrosse players, notably former johns hopkins star kyle harrison the tour has demonstrated a pattern of being able to draw some of the top collegiate and professional players away from the more established mll.
lxm pro tour, or lxm pro, is a california-based professional men's field lacrosse showcase that features many of the sport's most accomplished players. lxm pro tour was founded by former college lacrosse and major league lacrosse players, notably former johns hopkins star kyle harrison the tour has demonstrated a pattern of being able to draw some of the top collegiate and professional players away from the more established mll.