Shanahan summit
Scoring is down in the NLL. At press time, the average goals per game this season was 22.81, down from 25.11 last year and the lowest since 1991 when it was 22.29.
But if you think I’m going to call for my own Shanahan Summit to find out how to fix the game, you’re dead wrong. This might be the most exciting year in NLL history, as 10 of the 11 teams had realistic chances at first place two thirds of the way through the schedule.
When I was seven years old, I watched my first baseball game. The final score was 10-9 and I thought it was great. My uncle, a longtime fan, explained to me that the pitching was bad and the defense was porous. I guess I thought the defense was all right because when I played with my friends every dribbler hit became a home run. Years later I was able to appreciate the intricacies of a well-pitched baseball game, but as a new fan I wanted to see runs.
The same can be said for lacrosse. The league is cognizant that new fans are turned on by goals, but that’s a quick thrill. Long-term fans, those who support teams in Toronto, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Rochester, are beyond that. They may have first been infatuated by the high-scoring games, but ultimately only championships bring fans’ love. In 1992 I saw my first Buffalo Bandits game. It was a 23-13 blowout for Buffalo over Baltimore and I didn’t enjoy it. The goals came too easy. Although I knew how good Tavares, Kilgour, Veltman and Keenan were from watching them in summer lacrosse, their talents would’ve been better showcased if Baltimore had provided some defense. The Buffalo fans seemed to like it but I suspect their fondness didn’t turn into love until John Tavares scored the overtime-winning goal to beat Philadelphia 11-10 in the championship that year.
Close, dramatic games provide fans with a better memory than a high-scoring blowout—even for the fans of the winning team.
Too many observers of professional sports in North America think there is always a direct correlation between high scores and entertainment value. Like many North Americans, I can see the humor when British sports reports announce another exciting day of “football” where every game was tied nil-nil. I admit that a well-played 14-13 lacrosse game is usually more exciting than a well-played 8-7 game, but it’s wrong to use goals per game to determine entertainment value.