PLL and MLL are merging... | Syracusefan.com

PLL and MLL are merging...

Wow, Rabil did it!

They're only adding the Cannons. Going to be a lot of guys without jobs next year.

5 teams dropped x 25 players on the active roster = 125
 
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I don't post here much, and I'm sure this is the best thing for pro lacrosse, but I'm disappointed. Last year MLL launched a new team, the Connecticut Hammerheads, in my town. My son plays lacrosse and we were so excited to get season tickets and have a pro franchise be just 10 minutes from our front door. Never got to see them play a game in person because of COVID, and then, poof, there goes the entire league.
 
I'm not so sure this is the best thing for pro lax. Now there's no competition for the PLL. It was kind of nice having 1 touring league and 1 permanent location league. But Rabil got the last laugh. He asked the league office to give him some power to make decisions when he was a player, they said no. He tried to buy them out, they said no. Then he started his own league and ended up buying them out. The MLL administration was the downfall of the league. Unfortunately, this ends the careers of a lot of MLL players and there are less opportunities for small college players to get a shot in the pros, even if it was only for a couple thousand dollars.
 
I'm not so sure this is the best thing for pro lax. Now there's no competition for the PLL. It was kind of nice having 1 touring league and 1 permanent location league. But Rabil got the last laugh. He asked the league office to give him some power to make decisions when he was a player, they said no. He tried to buy them out, they said no. Then he started his own league and ended up buying them out. The MLL administration was the downfall of the league. Unfortunately, this ends the careers of a lot of MLL players and there are less opportunities for small college players to get a shot in the pros, even if it was only for a couple thousand dollars.
I thought I'd like the traveling circus nature of the PLL, but I don't like it at all. As someone who wouldn't even qualify as a casual lacrosse fan, there is no appeal in watching a bunch of faceless teams play over a weekend in an empty football stadium. I rooted for the Hammerheads because they were local.
 
I'm not sure this is a "huge step forward." It's more like a re-calibration with an eye towards a new model. As it currently exists, PLL is a barnstorming league (based on year 1 anyway) propped up by part-time personnel. All the branding and Rabil-banter cannot mask these facts.

In the end though, it's crawl-walk-run. PLL is trending in the right direction.
 
I thought I'd like the traveling circus nature of the PLL, but I don't like it at all. As someone who wouldn't even qualify as a casual lacrosse fan, there is no appeal in watching a bunch of faceless teams play over a weekend in an empty football stadium. I rooted for the Hammerheads because they were local.
Agreed. I hate the lack of regional teams. Why be a fan of one specific team? Sure you can follow your college teams alumni but that is not enough to generate sustainable loyalty unless a massive contingent all play on the exact same team for years and years, which is unlikely. Then on top of that even if you live in a major hotbed area you will only get to see the teams play live once or twice a year tops due to all the traveling around. No reason to care about one specific team. Only one chance to see them live all year so no chance of eventually building loyalty or some type of ritual as a group of fans for that specific team. It's a garbage system.
 
The only way this was a good thing was if they kept all the teams imo. This only hurtss
 
This is obviously really tough news for current MLL players and graduating college players looking to get a chance to play pro in 2021. Let's hope the college season goes ahead and the PLL is able to add some teams in the next couple of years?!
 
NLL benefits, larger pool of players now and only league with teams firmly based
 
Always expected this to happen, have to imagine the process was sped up by Covid-19. The MLL did not have a good end to their season, having to cancel their semi-finals and I wonder how their 2021 season would have looked, if it happened at all.

Exciting that there will be one "super league", but still beleive the MLL deserved better - they were around for 20 years, and that is no small feat. If you look up the number of professional sports league that were created and folded in the same time frame, its pretty remarkable that Major League Lacrosse had the staying power it did. 20 years ago there was no where for top field players to play - I still remember the day I learned about the League forming with a flyer that included Casey Powell. I know the league kind of became a running joke for a number of issues, and it never turned lacrosse into the fifth major sport, but there were some remarkable moments given to us by the league. Some of the best lacrosse games I witnessed were MLL games.

Understand the criticism facing the PLL and their model of a traveling circus, but the MLL tried the city based approach, and that had plenty of its own issues. It had basically two stable franchises in its history (Denver and Boston, the only two teams to make money or break even) and Boston moved venues multiple times over the years, from Lowell, to Boston U, to Harvard, back to Boston U and then ultimately to Quincy. Not a lot of stability. And of course you can look at any number of the other teams and all took multiple destinations or name changes. Long Island tried playing on New York proper, Baltimore became Chesapeake, the Barrage moved from Bridgeport to Philly, became multi time champs, and still had to fold because interest wasn't there. I certainly don't like the traveling model, but can understand why they would be hesitant to make commitments to set markets. And so many kids these days (their main target audience) don't care home town teams as much, and follow teams much more based on the players they like.

Wish there were more MLL teams being moved into the PLL, I feel nostalgic for teams like the Lizards, Bayhawks and Outlaws which put out some really great lacrosse teams. Obviously the PLL is much better organized, and promoted but I hope they don't forget that the MLL laid the ground work for them. Just taking one team (for now) feels more like a takeover, and not much of a merger. Don't want to grow too fast, so I think bringing all six teams into the fold would be a bad idea, but still feels they could do better than one. There are going to be a lot of good players not playing pro lacrosse (especially considering the group of rookies entering the league). Going forward, I can't imagine all eight teams will play in a weekend (four lacrosse games in one venue seems like too much lacrosse for most people to watch), or maybe they will travel to multiple cities each week, and split things up. Lots of questions remain.

Lastly, lots more Syracuse alums in the MLL vs the PLL, off the top of my head, Brendan Bomberry, Nick Mariano, Randy Staats, Tommy Palasek, Nicky Solomon, Nick Mellen and Brad Voigt vs John Galloway, Sergio Salcido, JoJo Marasco and Joel White in the PLL. Hopefully we get more Orange players in the PLL going forward.
 
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Always expected this to happen, have to imagine the process was sped up by Covid-19. The MLL did not have a good end to their season, having to cancel their semi-finals and I wonder how their 2021 season would have looked, if it happened at all.

Exciting that their will be one "super league", but still beleive the MLL deserved better - they were around for 20 years, and that is no small feat. If you look up the number of professional sports league that were created and folded in the same time frame, its pretty remarkable that Major League Lacrosse had the staying power it did. 20 years ago there was no where for top field players to play - I still remember the day I learned about the League forming with a flyer that included Casey Powell. I know the league kind of became a running joke for a number of issues, and it never turned lacrosse into the fifth major sport, but there were some remarkable moments given to us by the league. Some of the best lacrosse games I witnessed were MLL games.

Understand the criticism facing the PLL and their model of a traveling circus, but the MLL tried the city based approach, and that had plenty of its own issues. It had basically two stable franchises in its history (Denver and Boston, the only two teams to make money or break even) and Boston moved venues multiple times over the years, from Lowell, to Boston U, to Harvard, back to Boston U and then ultimately to Quincy. Not a lot of stability. And of course you can look at any number of the other teams and all took multiple destinations or name changes. Long Island tried playing on New York proper, Baltimore became Chesapeake, the Barrage moved from Bridgeport to Philly, became multi time champs, and still had to fold because interest wasn't there. I certainly don't like the traveling model, but can understand why they would be hesitant to make commitments to set markets. And so many kids these days (their main target audience) don't care home town teams as much, and follow teams much more based on the players they like.

Wish there were more MLL teams being moved into the PLL, I feel nostalgic for teams like the Lizards, Bayhawks and Outlaws which put out some really great lacrosse teams. Obviously the PLL is much better organized, and promoted but I hope they don't forget that the MLL laid the ground work for them. Just taking one team (for now) feels more like a takeover, and not much of a merger. Don't want to grow too fast, so I think bringing all six teams into the fold would be a bad idea, but still feels they could do better than one. There are going to be a lot of good players not playing pro lacrosse (especially considering the group of rookies entering the league). Going forward, I can't imagine all eight teams will play in a weekend (four lacrosse games in one venue seems like too much lacrosse for most people to watch), or maybe they will travel to multiple cities each week, and split things up. Lots of questions remain.

Lastly, lots more Syracuse alums in the MLL vs the PLL, off the top of my head, Brendan Bomberry, Nick Mariano, Randy Staats, Tommy Palasek, Nicky Solomon, Nick Mellen and Brad Voigt vs John Galloway, Sergio Salcido, JoJo Marasco and Joel White in the PLL. Hopefully we get more Orange players in the PLL going forward.
Well said sir. I think Staats is basically a lock to make a team. Apart from that Mariano and Mellen both have a very good shot. Perhaps even Bomberry or Voigt as even in the PLL there is a spot for offball guys.
 
I don't post here much, and I'm sure this is the best thing for pro lacrosse, but I'm disappointed. Last year MLL launched a new team, the Connecticut Hammerheads, in my town. My son plays lacrosse and we were so excited to get season tickets and have a pro franchise be just 10 minutes from our front door. Never got to see them play a game in person because of COVID, and then, poof, there goes the entire league.
 

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