MLL Skills competition

[jmplax31]

Well, no all-star game, but we do get to see the skills competition. It will be on TV too.

http://www.majorleaguelacrosse.com/0,5911,1_401_0_55412,00.html

[Stopper22]

i am really startign to get annoyed with the MLL, now that they are in Philly everythign is being held in Philly. It is not fair to every other city in the league. Philly gets this and also the Championship, it is not fair at all

[cannonslax624]

let's face it...weve said it before, we'll say it again..we want the MLL to make $$$...if the only way to do this is have a lot of cool stuff in Philly, then FINE! if its making cash, theres a chance in later years they can have it other places...but im sure they have a plan behind all of this...wouldnt you say?

[powellfan1]

The MLL is trying to get a good fan base set in Philly with the new team there.

[RockStar]

Not sure this is wise, giving all your showcases to an uproven franchise. Then again, this league is slightly more bush than the NLL, and nothing they do surprises me.

I have this feeling that Philly might be a disappointment in terms of numbers.

They support their NLL Wings, but this is a different sport that doesn't really appeal to the same crowd.

If they're lucky, they might draw up to half of the Wings fan base, and perhaps a few other field laX people who aren't Wings fans. If they're not so lucky, this could be a huge fizzle.

[mightymouth]

Actually at a scrimmage announced in the papers that morning(on our site www.philadelphialacrosse.com , and www.thebarrage.com on thurs) with no TV or radio coverage they got about 150 minimum.

Season tickets they sold almost half the stadium. And last years championship was the highest attended championship ever in the MLL. That was without a team here.
Plus Philly is centrally located for every team. Even Roch isn`t that far away. I go there for the NLLeverytime philly plays there.

I am really looking forward to covering the Barrage this year.

[viking]

if Jake knows what hes doing hell work that WINGS fan base very hard...
they know loyalty blood and guts lacrosse..
get Chopper, Big Gabe, and all the local WINGS alumni to go to games and mingle...

Chris Bates is Head coach at Drexel...Brian Volker taking Penn to the big final 16 next week..Billy Miller moving back to Philly for Lincoln National...
Captain Gabes..Scott Gabrielsen and Chris Flynn and Paul French selling commercial real estate in the burbs..
Kevin Finneran still has a Philly pad...

get those WINGS to the Barrage games..
sell WINGS stuff too..Teammates...
MLL has the product they just need the exposure...
2004 is key to MLL..
well see where this goes

[stegmakk]

Work the Wings fanbase=SMART
No allstar game=Bad
If top talent will be there for skill competition, why not throw together a game too?

[Thrillhouse]

I think the team is going to do really well here. Nova is in the burbs and it's easy to get there; there are tons of kids around here who will want to go to the games. In March they had the Drexel/UVA game at Haverford School. It was free, but there had to be close to 1,000 people there. I think they are going to sell a lot of tickets.
For the Championship game, I think it would be better to have it where there isn't a team yet, to help the sport grow; but like what's already been said, it all comes down to $$$.
NCAA's 2005 in Philly will be insane.

[Petem0ss]

Originally posted by RockStar
If they're lucky, they might draw up to half of the Wings fan base,

I know you said "if they're lucky", but if they do in fact do that, they'll lead the MLL in attendance in the first year - the Wings averaged over 13,000 at home in a sub-.500 year. I think 5,000 was the original target for average MLL attendance & that will be a challenge for them.

[Stopper22]

yeah they might be a good fan base, but by putting everythign in one city what are you tellign the other 5 citys??

[Thrillhouse]

Originally posted by Stopper22
yeah they might be a good fan base, but by putting everythign in one city what are you tellign the other 5 citys??



Philly Rocks!

[mightymouth]

Villanova is in a hotbed area for LAX. Radnor, coached by Mike Busza is less then a mile away. Haverford is a mile the other direction. Cabrini College is nearby as well as several other colleges. It is a great area for lax. Remember most Wings fans live closer to Villanova then they do to Philly. Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties are the best Lax counties in PA.

[banditsfan85]

Originally posted by RockStar
Not sure this is wise, giving all your showcases to an uproven franchise. Then again, this league is slightly more bush than the NLL, and nothing they do surprises me.

I have this feeling that Philly might be a disappointment in terms of numbers.

They support their NLL Wings, but this is a different sport that doesn't really appeal to the same crowd.

If they're lucky, they might draw up to half of the Wings fan base, and perhaps a few other field laX people who aren't Wings fans. If they're not so lucky, this could be a huge fizzle.

rockstar is right, first of all they are only opening up one side, and he is also right when he says they attract a differant fanbase. they got 5k for THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. imagione what they will get if they are bad. plus i dont see how 5k is a good number of fans.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally posted by banditsfan85
rockstar is right, first of all they are only opening up one side, and he is also right when he says they attract a differant fanbase. they got 5k for THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. imagione what they will get if they are bad. plus i dont see how 5k is a good number of fans.

According to the MLL's website, a league-record 6,593 fans enjoyed the 2003 New Balance Championship Game at Villanova Stadium.

I couldn't find the stats for other years, how many people showed up to the other Championship games?

If any place could draw in more people, they would be having the game there, it's as simple as that. Even when our teams suck, Philly fans still go to the games so we can boo. The people who run the fan websites for the Wings already have Websites up for the Barrage. We are really excited that we they are playing here. Trust me, the team is going to do really well here.

[jmplax31]

Originally posted by Thrillhouse


I couldn't find the stats for other years, how many people showed up to the other Championship games?


Not offical, but from my memory they had a little less then 6100 in 01' in conneticut. They had about 5900 in Columbus in 02'. I think Philly will be a great sucsess. Like Rochester its a sports town, just bigger. I think the Barrage can avaerage 5500 to 6000 or more. The Championship game could get up to 8000 if the right teams made it. Very happy with the move to Philly, but next year, Rochester is geting at least the All-star game or Championship at Pae Tec. No doubt in that one.

[Stopper22]

the 6,500 isnt even a record attendance, Rochester had 9,500 at a regular season game in the 2nd year.

[jmplax31]

6500 is a championship record, yep

[RockStar]

Originally posted by mightymouth
Villanova is in a hotbed area for LAX. Radnor, coached by Mike Busza is less then a mile away. Haverford is a mile the other direction. Cabrini College is nearby as well as several other colleges. It is a great area for lax. Remember most Wings fans live closer to Villanova then they do to Philly. Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties are the best Lax counties in PA.

True, all of it true, but,

NCAA fans and Wings don't necessarily equal MLL fans.

We'll see.

[cannonslax624]

There's a good chance it will...People will take lacrosse anyway they can get it? I'm sure Wings fans could use something to watch in the Offseason, especially if the league has some of their favorite NLL players in it anyways...Sure, every person in the Wings fanbase is not going to go to the Barrage games...But I'm sure there are plenty who will...Not to mention former NCAA stars of peoples favorite teams too

[Thrillhouse]

Bummer, I have a game in MD this Saturday, don't know if I'll make it back for 1st game. I'm going to try though.