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Walax interviewed David Gross, Chief Operating Officer
of the MLL about the growth of professional Lacrosse, and Lacrosse here in
Washington. This interview is the first of a four-part series covering
the Boys State Championships and the MLL game in Seahawks Stadium.
Walax: What are some of
the new and exciting things the MLL �Wild West� Tour is bringing this year?
DG: One of the
exciting changes we are bringing west this season is on the field. The
MLL has changed its shot clock from 45 seconds to 60 seconds. In
addition, the fans in Seattle can expect a festival atmosphere before the
game. Our league partners will be more involved in activities prior to
the game. The MLL will also bring its All-Star game to Denver this
season as well.
Walax:
How has ESPN2 game coverage helped spread the MLL nationally?
DG:
ESPN 2 has spread MLL coverage nationally and internationally, bringing MLL
coverage to the Pacific Rim, Europe and South America. We have
received several emails from fans in countries across the globe. In
addition, ESPN has brought the MLL complete coverage throughout the US,
televising games in 80 million households. Because of ESPN, any fan
can find MLL coverage.
Walax:
Will more games be on ESPN or other networks?
DG: Yes, we signed
a two-year extension with ESPN 2, featuring 12 games of the week.
Walax: Who are the
biggest stars kids can expect to come out for the game?
DG: Each of the
players appearing in the game are highly skilled and 36 of the top 120
players in the world. There is nobody bigger than Gary Gait. He
has won every honor possible. This is his final season and all fans
should come catch a glimpse before he retires because a player of his
caliber doesn�t come around often. He is our sports Michael Jordan.
For New Jersey, Jesse Hubbard is one of the most explosive offensive forces
in the MLL.
Walax: What do you see
as the number one growth factor in professional Lacrosse?
DG: Simply, after
you see just one game, be it live or on ESPN 2, you are hooked. Nobody
can watch an MLL game without being amazed by the talent and level of play
of our players. Whether you are an active or retired lacrosse player
you now dream of playing on an MLL team.
Walax: Does the West
Coast market play a major role in the viewpoint of the league in relation to
its continued success?
DG: Absolutely,
that is the reason for the MLL�s Wild West Tour and the reason we plan to
add a 6 team Western Division in 2006 and increase it to 8 teams for the
2008 season. Western expansion is a major key to the growth factor for
both the sport of lacrosse and the MLL.
Walax: What do you see
happening in 2006 here in the Northwest? Could we get a team in
Seattle perhaps?
DG: The Northwest
has a great opportunity to have a MLL team in 2006. Perspective owners
need to feel confident there is a fan base to support a new team. An
early and large pre-sell for the MLL game at Seahawks Stadium would go a
long way in helping grow that confidence. Seattle is in stiff
competition with other markets for the three remaining expansion team spots
for the 2006 season. We would love to have a team in Seattle so I hope
fans do not delay in ordering tickets for the May 29 game.
Walax: In most sports,
when a team moves to a new market, they pick up some local players.
Would the MLL have designs on local Seattle talent playing for a new
franchise?
DG: If a team was
to exist in Seattle, local players would get a hard look. However,
that would be the decision of the coaching staff, and I�m sure they would go
with the players that give the team the best chance to succeed.
Walax: Would this
require a supplemental draft or expanding the draft?
DG: Both.
First there will be an expansion draft in the Fall of 2005, where the four
new teams will have a chance to draft players from the six existing teams.
A few months later the MLL�s annual Supplemental Draft will take place with
all 10 teams participating and selecting players from the MLL Player Pool.
Walax: Would players
fly in for games or move here for the team?
DG: Again, both.
The MLL encourages all players to live in the market that they play in.
Those players that do not will travel to play in their home market.
Currently we have several players that fly in to play in their home cities.
Walax:
Will the MLL ever have labor problems like the
NHL is having this year? Why or why not?
DG: Our goal is to
avoid labor problems with our players. The key is working closely with
our Players Council and treating the best lacrosse players in the world as
the true partners they are.
Walax: How does the MLL
give back to the community to keep the sport growing and fans coming in
other communities?
DG: All MLL teams
throughout the year do 75 free clinics in their local community. In
addition our teams are involved in several charities and players make
several appearances in their local markets.
Walax: So, this will be
Mikey�s first appearance in the MLL here in Seattle�Will he be making
appearances before hand making him available for autographs?
DG:
All MLL players will be available for autographs. The players will appear
in a VIP event before the game as well as sign after the game for all of the
fans in attendance.
Walax:
What will Mike Powell do for the game? How do you
foresee this affecting the ratings of the MLL?
DG:
At this point we have not received a signed contract from Mike. So I
cannot comment on how he�ll do in our league.
Walax:
What is the ultimate goal for number of teams in
the MLL?
DG:
The short term goal for the MLL is to have 12 teams for the 2008 season.
After a longer gap of time, the league will expand to 16 teams. Once
that long term goal is reached we will not move past 16 teams for a number
of years.
Walax: Outside the MLL,
what factors have to align to cause a �Tipping Point� as big as other Major
League sports?
DG: We do not
compare ourselves to other sports. I do not believe we need some grand
event to get fans to care. Our goal is to continue to grow at a nice
steady pace and as always put the best product on the field for our fans.
If we do that, we will achieve long term success and growth for the MLL.
Walax:
How do you see the idolatry of players, the need
for Marketing and the potential for exploitation affecting Lacrosse?
DG:
All of our players are role models and pioneers. However people need
to understand the fact that everyone has faults and flaws and nobody should
blindly idolize another person. We appreciate all that our players do
to help grow our game. As a league we always accentuate in our
marketing the positive aspects of our players as the overwhelming majority
have attributes easy for us to celebrate.
Walax:
<from a fan> Will players ever be allowed to
equipment from other manufacturers such as Brine or STX?
DG:
The MLL has two equipment suppliers with exclusivity. Cascade provides
helmets and Warrior provides sticks, gloves and pads. All of our
sponsors including New Balance, Anheuser-Busch, Tommy Hilfiger have
exclusivity in the category they sponsor and we are looking to maintain such
exclusivity with Warrior, Cascade and others.
Walax:
How does the MLL feel about the warrior marketing
campaign? Will Warrior have control forever?
DG:
Warrior is a tremendous supporter of the MLL. Without the efforts of
Warrior, the MLL would never have been started and we have deep gratitude
for all that Warrior has done. We do not critique our sponsors
marketing campaigns. Warrior has done an outstanding job marketing our
players and our league. Our goal is to have all of our partners
promote us as much as Warrior.
Walax:
Will Canada ever get MLL teams in the expansion?
DG:
Canada is not part of our 2008 mix. We have not ruled out Canada when
the MLL eventually expands to 16 teams. We have several US markets
interested in teams as well.
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