Hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and water polo have the most consistent action with the fewest breaks. They are also the least exposed via ESPN. When was the last time anyone watched lacrosse on ESPN? (NCAA Final Four doesn’t count!)
Field lacrosse is a difficult style to cover, due to the ball being so tiny in comparison to bodies, speed of the game, and the distances between cameramen and the action.
Indoor lacrosse, on the other hand, is much like hockey. Fewer players and less field/floor space means easier ball tracking, closer shot angles (for the camera), and more consistent game flow/fewer out-of-bounds breaks.
ESPN has long been known as the “worldwide leader in sports,” but I hold doubts in the authenticity of that statement.
Granted, ESPN is the first thing I turn on in the morning (even before opening my eyes) and the last thing I watch at night before bed. My love for sports heavily outweighs my negative opinions about their mission statement.
We live in a changing and expanding society of intermingling cultures and convenient, reliable transportation to new, far away destinations. That also means sports are growing beyond country borders and against social norms.
In a college business management class, we were taught the best way to conduct business is to stay true and through to our mission statement. If you’re a recycling company, don’t publicly or privately litter. If the restaurant claims it has wonderful steaks, don’t advertise them only to disappoint the customers.
When was the last time we saw Canadian or English American Football on ESPN? Believe it or not, in England and Canada American football is just as popular as basketball in those countries.
The NFL football season is coming to a close in the next few weeks, only to be followed by basketball and baseball highlights. I have previously mentioned my distaste for those highlights due to my personal preferences, however this post is not here to discriminate the interests of others.
Rather, I’m advocating for indoor lacrosse coverage via ESPN. And, while we’re at it, hockey. Of all the highlight reels I watch, they are the least represented, yet contain the most movement, action, speed, and aggressive play across all winter and spring sports. Seeing two high-speed hockey players collide in body checks is much more exciting than watching a tall man dunk a basketball, at least to me.
As lacrosse grows globally, so does the media-coverage-opportunities for ESPN. Their 7,000 worldwide employees (documented here: http://espnmediazone.com/us/espn-inc-fact-sheet/) could cover these events in countries not canvassed previously, and can open eyes to other sport activities that may be more: enjoyable, exciting, cultural, speedy, aggressive, competitive… The list goes on and on and on.
Are we, the United States of America, a country of slow speed, constantly stopping sports? Many different sources have claimed in 60 minutes field time/3 hours TV time, NFL football players physically move/play approximately 6-10minutes the whole time. The rest of space is filled with advertising, commercials, sponsors, announcements, previews, etc.
Basketball has many penalties and free-throws in place if you accidentally breathe on an opponent (a stretch, but still true-ish).
Baseball, in my humor, boasts a lovely 5 minute delay between pitches. I think bowling has more activity than baseball, but that’s another story for another time.
My mission statement is a simple one that many agree with: “Grow the game.” Maybe ESPN is “America’s Leader in Sports Coverage” or the “Worldwide Leader in Advertising Space,” but as far as the NLL, lacrosse and planet Earth are concerned, they have a long ways to go.
GET LACROSSE ON ESPN. Here are some suggestions:
High school
NCAA
NLL
MLL
MCLA
CLax
National Country Team (approximately 50 or so)
Youth Leagues
Adult Rec Leagues
Ideas for topics or suggestions on current posts? Get at us!
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