mll vs ncaa

[maclacrosse]

I think the reason that the ncaa is so much better then the mll is there are more teams and the talent is sperad around how about you

[radman]

More people identify with NCAA lacrosse. If MLL added a 4th pole and even got rid of the two point arc that would be cool. Bu they way its played its like basketball.

[Nigel_Tufnel]

I'm usually very traditional when it comes to sports. I too hate gimmicks like the 2 pt. line and think that in sports where one score is worth one point, that having multiple point systems like that are stupid. I think it's different for sports like basketball, where the 3 point is one of the greatest ideas ever introduced to the game IMHO. I also think that the 2 point conversion in football was a good idea too. BUT, I do like the 60 second shot clock. I think that it really speeds up the game and causes more transition. I would not argue if the NCAA picked that up.

[bushleague24]

the biggest thing i find when watching the ncaa and the mll is the camera angels. It seems like the mll tries to get to close to the action and you cant realyl see whats going on. In college, you can see all action and I love it

[IHSLAX4]

MLL needs white nets and balls, and college rules. Plain and simple, I hate all of the MLL's deviations from the NCAA formula. They're gimmicks.
i wouldnt call them gimmicks, the MLL players are so good that they need the shot clock, because if it wasnt there then they could pass it around all night long, yea sure if it was NCAA rules they would get a couple of stalling warnings but thats about it. and the 2 point arc is there to add excitement. because if you think about it if a MLL team was down by 2 points with 30 seconds left all the fans would know that the team that is 2 down is only one possesion away from tying it up.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

mll has been trying to revamp the sport of lacrosse for years. i refuse to watch it, too many rule changes and what's with the 2 point line? this isnt basketball. i partly agree with the shot clock.

[SYR_Garebear]

I think the reason that the ncaa is so much better then the mll is there are more teams and the talent is sperad around how about you

In my own opinion, lacrosse is not widely accepted enough to be taken into full consideration at the professional level. People believe its too barbaric. No other sport allows you to whack the opposition with your stick without a penalty. Also, mll/nll doesn't have enough promotion. Except for lacrosse players and their friends, no one really watches the sport at the professional level. In college, many students on campus go to the games increasing publicity.

[GroundBallGetta]

Like all college sports, NCAA lacrosse is more about the love of the game, healthy competition, school spirit and furthering the reach of the sport. There's no endorsements, no sponsorships.....none of that. It's just a bunch of folks on the field doing what they love for the heck of it. The MLL and the NLL, to me, are fun to watch. But watching the college teams go at it is much more interesting.

[Tehb2]

People just don't feel connected to their MLL team. For one, it isn't a well known league outside of lacrosse fans. Also, it just doesn't seem like the teams "represent" the area's they are playing in. Take any NFL team, go to Philly and the area's surrounding it, and for the most part the citizens feel they are represented through the Eagles, and can be prideful and get behind their professional teams. MLL is almost like some club with a few of the best guys, going back 20 years, that just play for fun. All the gimmicks and fancy tricks are cool, but something is just missing in how the average fan relates to the team in their area.

Maybe when the sport becomes more popular, and ALOT more D1 schools add lax programs, then maybe there will be more MLL teams, and it will become a more popular league, and a more popular sport. With the rise in the number of players there needs to be a rise in the number of college programs, especially in the D1 schools that attract the most attention from the people who live nearby. But there aren't alot of D1 programs, and most that do exist are located in the lax hotbed areas.

[lowrollincaddy]

MLL needs white nets and balls, and college rules. Plain and simple, I hate all of the MLL's deviations from the NCAA formula. They're gimmicks.


The reason they use orange balls, black nets and yellow pipes are only for TV purposes. The brightest non florescent color the human eye can detect is yellow. The black nets make it easier to see the corners (this both helps shooters on the field and people watching tv). And the orange balls are easy to see on the black nets. You way say a white ball would be better on the black net, but the orange ball is easier for the eye to track through the air, because the color white tends to blur more than orange. The two point arc was added so in case of a team going on an eight or nine goal run it would be easier for the losing team to catch up, which makes for closer games on tv, and people won't turn the game off in the middle of the third quarter when the game seems out of reach.

Thats just an unbiased explanation. My opinion is that some rules are needed to be added and some need to be dropped in order for the game to more exciting. I think the shot clock should be extended to 90 seconds. This stops teams from taking "possession" shots when the clock is winding down, or if they lose the ball and the other team knocks the ball out and offensive team gets the ball with only a couple of seconds on the shot clock because the other team never gained possession of the ball. 90 seconds is plenty of time to settle the ball and get a good shot off, and then the clock resets. I just dont like seeing rushed shots all game long.

A fourth pole needs to added to the game. Marketing the game as "the fastest game on two feet" is why the fourth pole is not added to the game. The MLL does not want to see the league go the way of the NCAA and the slow down game (Johns Hopkins). They want to see transition up and down the field. I believe that a fourth pole being added will not slow down the game because the league is small and the best offesive players are in the league. A fourth pole will allow teams to be more aggressive on defense and could in turn cause more transition.

The two point line needs to go. I dont get why a 16 yard shot should be worth more than a 15 yard shot.

Thats just what i think

[SYR_Garebear]

People just don't feel connected to their MLL team. For one, it isn't a well known league outside of lacrosse fans. Also, it just doesn't seem like the teams "represent" the area's they are playing in. Take any NFL team, go to Philly and the area's surrounding it, and for the most part the citizens feel they are represented through the Eagles, and can be prideful and get behind their professional teams. MLL is almost like some club with a few of the best guys, going back 20 years, that just play for fun. All the gimmicks and fancy tricks are cool, but something is just missing in how the average fan relates to the team in their area.

Excuse me if I worded it wrong but this is what I meant by publicity. Football publicity is everywhere. People have tons of NFL sponsored gear. From golf balls to tee shirts to cell phones. The MLL has very little besides the goods they sell at the individual games. I've even seen some tatoos.

Also the transition from college to pros is a leap of faith (in the eyes of a goalie). In the MLL you've got about 20+ more pounds of equipment making it more difficult to move and the the pressure the 2 point arc puts on a player can break you down mentally. The arc just gives players a reason to wind up and crank'em instead of using true lacrosse skill. Cornell came back against Duke on pure skill and motivation. Not because they could crank them from the restraining line. The arc takes away from the true skill of the individual player. And if they wanna keep the arc then they should add a fourth pole to force them to shoot beyond the arc.

[LAXNIXONKIL3R]

Excuse me if I worded it wrong but this is what I meant by publicity. Football publicity is everywhere. People have tons of NFL sponsored gear. From golf balls to tee shirts to cell phones. The MLL has very little besides the goods they sell at the individual games. I've even seen some tatoos.

Also the transition from college to pros is a leap of faith (in the eyes of a goalie). In the MLL you've got about 20+ more pounds of equipment making it more difficult to move and the the pressure the 2 point arc puts on a player can break you down mentally.



20 pounds of gear.... i think not

[lax-crazy]

i think a huge difference between the two, are rivalries... think about how most people growing up with lacrosse, have been following there respective teams, and passionatly. The MLL is so new that there arent big time rivalries. Hopkins and maryland have faced off what like... 150+ times or something, thats insane.

yea MLL has some modifications, but i dont think that those are why MLL and NCAA are so different.

i love the shot clock, not so much the 2point line

[hattrick619]

me and my dad were watching MLL the other dad and were dissapointed. The speed of the game is soo much slower on MLL and it seems much less competitive. my dad played club lacrosse after playing at cornell and he thought that MLL was basically glorified club lacrosse

[thunder_15]

after this yrs ncaa season im liking it alot more

[dougm]

btwn the ncaa and the mll, i like the nll the most - rivalries matter.
despite that, the 4th pole is an ok deviation and some type of shot forcing mechanism needs to be introduced but the 2-pointer shot is just bogus.

[MACDADDY]

i think to have people outside of lacrosse know more about these things, the leauge has to get alot more serious. these people are playing for the love of the game, something most people would not do. you are always hearing all these big stars from football and baseball making record breaking scores, and really high pay, while lacrosse, it seems, is sitting in the corner playing with its friends (us).

[stregs12]

I like NCAA. I haven't been to a MLL but NCAA is really good and the price of tickets are much cheaper

[hopkinslax2]

In the MLL, there is almost too much scoring. Yesterday, the Bayhawks took on the Pride in a game that had 33 goals. That is a goal almost every 2 minutes. That is crazy! What do you guys think about this? I know about America liking lots of scoring but is this too much?

[laxn]

I like both but in general in all sports I prefer college sports. MLL is fun too watch but I just like college better. I completely disagree with you about the talent being more spread in college, it's just false, everyone in the MLL is good and every team is talented, there are so many teams in college that just can't compete, and no matter what the same for years have been winning every title in recent history. Also the parity this year is new to the world of college lacrosse.

[dougm]

when will you give up on the mll and ncaa being mutually exclusive from one another? i love box more than field but i don't dismiss the quality of play btwn college and the pro's. besides, its early in the season and just like in the nll, it takes a few games before the defenders get their act together.

[DJ Death]

the run n' gun style of the mll is very fun to watch. much like uva in '06 or syracuse in '04. also, the level of skill in the mll is crazy. guys are throwing accurate one-handed behind-the-back passes and cranking 100 mph shots from behind the 2-point arc into the upper 90. the college game is more methodical and emphasizes a more patient offensive style to try and take advantage of every offensive possession, but teams like albany, uva, and cuse push the ball with speed and prove that it doesn't always have to be like that in the college game. i think both are fun to watch, but for different reasons. the mll is mindless balls-to-the-wall action, while ncaa is smarter and more thought out and is a useful tool for guys trying to up their game.

[8-ball]

i think in the next 5 years when teams can practice more together, the defense will really pick up, and i wouldnt be surprised if the average score for a game would be around 12-10, etc. right now its a lot of offense and the defense never really starts to really pick up until theres about a month left in the season. when teams can pay the players enough to practice more together, itll be a lot better. still great to watch, and will be even better in years to come.

[ALEX WIZ]

More people identify with NCAA lacrosse. If MLL added a 4th pole and even got rid of the two point arc that would be cool. Bu they way its played its like basketball.
The 2 point arc owns

[Carolinalax1515]

I think they should add the fourth pole on defesne just because if you look at the scores MLL teams score TOO much. I recently saw on MLL.com a score to a game was 19-17 thats insane. I wachted the season opener on ESPN 2 and i just wasent in the game like any NCAA game. Overall i like both the legues but NCAA owns

[clo2400]

The majority of people who see NCAA lacrosse on TV only watch the "top" teams play and those games are obviously sick. The players are ridiculous! But I guarantee if you go and watch a low end DI game, it won’t be half as exciting as the two worst teams in the MLL playing. The MLL has amazing players and athletes. They are the best outdoor players in the world.

And about the two point line, it isn’t even a big deal, it doesn’t change the game that much. If you love lacrosse you will enjoy watching the MLL. The MLL is the next step in the growth of lacrosse. It’s a young league which has limited tradition. Teams in the NCAA have been around for over 75 years, there is much more tradition surrounding the game.

I love the NCAA and the tournament games are awesome, but at the same time the MLL is great for the sport…

[taco5]

i think the ncaa is more popular because alot of people have gone to coleges where there is a good lacrosse team and they like to follow them. and barely any people have ever even heard of the mll.

[singsingallstar]

ncaa is a lot easier to like because people that have alredy been to college will want to watch the games that their college plays also the colleges can get the students to go to the games

[mvlax11]

I like ncaa better.. cause the mll reminds me a lot of the nba... so much scoring and not as good defense as there is in ncaa...I mean they just can shoot from anywhere just like the NBA, but the 2 point line is pretty nifty, it keeps games more competitive. Something is just missing in the MLL....

[BLUEJAYSFAN9]

I think College is so much better

[Lax_Hitman]

The sport is still relatively localized. As much as everybody says it's growing, it's still really Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic sport. As it grows more (really growing, not just the people on the forums saying it's growing) and the college game expands, I believe the pro game will expand. Same thing happened with the NBA which started out being shadowed by the college game in 40s and 50s, and then expanded into what it is today.

[emart]

i think the fans are a lot more in it at the college level. they seem to be having a lot more fun, but they could also just be... more thirsty before they go to games. if you know what i mean.

[mvlax11]

well in mll you don't see the masses of people w/ face paint like you do for an nfl game or a college game. I've always liked college sports more than pro sports because of the perceived purity of college sports.

[dougm]

argggg
heck, i'm not the biggest mll fan but these are some of the lamest reasons. are you a lacrosse fan and if you are, why aren't you going to the mll. if the lacrosse fans don't like the mll, then the mll should give up on the field fan and concentrate on the sports fan.
i love college lax but c'mon, this notion that college is where lacrosse ends is nuts. i have no idea if the nll-o will do any better but at least i get the sense they won't try catering a fan base that in too many mll cities don't want pro field as an extension of colege ball.

[brunos13]

Just a couple of quick thoughts on this. First, I prefer the NCAA. I feel that it if a truer representation of the game.

As far as fan support, yes Denver draws the biggest crowds. What other lax do they have to watch in the summer? On the Island, you can watch some of the top college players almost any week night at Cantiague Park (open/advanced leagues). For free. Those guys run and gun and play probably the closet thing to the original intent of the sport without the use of specialized middies, two point arcs and/or shot clocks.

[helix28]

The one thing NCAA should do is put names on the back of the players jersey and should sell jerseys.Same with mll should sell jerseys.

[clo2400]

i agree, but im pretty sure the majority of teams sell last years jersey's. if you click merchandise on the MLL homepage. they should make them more available.

[NJPrideLax]

i like ncaa better becuase i just feel more into the game because of the rivalries and tradition(especially hopkins) for example i was on my feet screaming during the cornell-duke game. Im not even a fan(Notre Dame Fan) of either of these teams, i dont like or dislike either. And in the mll the only team i get fired up about is the Pride. Just my opinion

[Laxer1220]

the biggest thing i find when watching the ncaa and the mll is the camera angels. It seems like the mll tries to get to close to the action and you cant realyl see whats going on. In college, you can see all action and I love it

Thats it!

I always knew there was a difference with watching the game but never realized what it was... This makes sense. :DOH: