Future of the Premier Lacrosse League

 Future of the Premier Lacrosse League

    To a lot of people in the sports world, the Premier Lacrosse League is almost unheard of. After watching this years season, that won't last for long.

    This years PLL season kicked off in late July with a round robin style tournament between all seven teams. This then decided playoff standings where all teams made it, but the first place team got a first-round by. 

    It is safe to say that this years schedule was nothing less than exciting. It only lasted three weeks, with teams playing almost every other day. It kept you on your toes, and for a lacrosse fan, was the best week of the entire summer.

    The teams were placed in a bubble in Utah for the week leading up into the 3 week slate of games. There they practiced for a week and then the games began.

    What people have to understand is how impressive it is that these players were able to put their bodies through such an action packed schedule. I imagine myself playing a weeks worth of practice leading into a Saturday game and I cringe at how sore my body is. I can't even fathom what some of these men in their mid to late thirties are feeling going into back to back games throughout this tournament.

    Another thing that made this tournament so exciting was the physicality. There are not many sports these days that have such an aggressive side to them. Most sports, like hockey, have began to focus a lot more on player safety. Not lacrosse... lacrosse has began to make a name for itself on how aggressive the sport has become.

    Lacrosse has been commonly referred to as a "gentleman's sport". That is clearly not the case with plays like Garrett Epple taking off Matt Gaudet's head and hitting him while he was down after trash talking their goalie. 

    To some this can be off-putting, but to others this is what makes the sport so exciting. To me, this is what is going to make the PLL gain popularity.

    I don't think this is the last time that you will hear about the PLL that's for sure.

Tyler Stinson