This "To Our Members" column by editor Paul Krome appears in the October issue of Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Join US Lacrosse and its 300,000-plus members today to start your subscription.
Krome to Members: Shake on It
by Paul Krome | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
I was a three-sport athlete in high school, although it’s
debatable how much athletic prowess I actually possessed.
There’s no debate on my athleticism nowadays — I have
none.
Regardless, I still enjoy the change of seasons and following the
different sports that come with that.
When not covering fall lacrosse events, I enjoy college football
as much as the next guy — in particular, grilling my way to
an extra 10-15 pounds of weight via tailgate parties in parking
lots throughout the Mid-Atlantic on autumn Saturdays.
Lacrosse fans know how to tailgate as well, but another comparison
between the two sports piqued my interest recently, and it’s
one area that the Creator’s Game has football beat, hands
down.
Or should I say, hands up.
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) instituted a
pregame handshake between the two teams for college football games
this season. As warm-ups wind down, each team — some with 100
or more players dressed — will line up, and players will
shake hands as a gesture of sportsmanship.
As we all know, the starting lineups in college lacrosse games
— and in games throughout the high school and youth levels,
in many cases — have done this for decades, lining up at
midfield opposite each other just prior to faceoff.
It’s tough to dispute lacrosse’s sound, time-tested
perspective on sportsmanship, and recent grumblings about the
AFCA’s new initiative provide some fuel to the fire, at least
for me, about the oversized stature of college football.
“I don’t like it,” University of Oregon
quarterback Jeremiah Masoli told The Oregonian’s
John Hunt about the new initiative prior to the Ducks’
season-opening game at Boise State. “I don’t even like
shaking hands when you get out there with the captains for the coin
flip.”
What’s not to like? It’s a handshake with your
opponent before a game, not a hug and a kiss or a raising of a
white flag.
In fairness, Masoli has reason for a slight chip on his shoulder.
Media coverage of the Ducks’ 37-32 loss to Boise State last
year included a concussion he suffered on a late hit by a
Bronco.
But Masoli isn’t alone in his opposition to a gesture that
returns a sense of balance to a sports world that many times places
too much emphasis on the final score. Hunt cited other Ducks who
expressed sentiments ranging from hesitation to protest. ESPN
analyst Rod Gilmore frowned on the idea during an episode of
“College Football Live,” although I doubt he was the
only former-player-turned-commentator to do so.
Many of the comments opposing the AFCA initiative centered around
the emotional intensity players need to match the violent
physicality of the forthcoming game, and that a pregame handshake
would reduce that intensity level just at the point when it should
reach a crescendo.
Having played college football for one season, I can see some of
that argument. But getting fired up to beat your opponent can
happen in an instant. During a meeting one Friday night before a
Saturday home game, I wanted to explode out of my chair after
hearing the last few comments of a coach’s otherwise
predictable speech. And I never made it off the scout team.
So I don’t see how taking a minute to shake one opponent
player’s hand during pregame warm-ups reduces a
player’s readiness to a point of no return.
For a lacrosse perspective, I turned to Rob Scherr, US
Lacrosse’s sponsorship manager and a two-time all-star goalie
in Major League Lacrosse.
“I like it,” Scherr said of lacrosse’s
traditional pregame handshake. “I’m not a big rah-rah
guy, so coming down a notch to shake hands isn’t an issue. I
like how you shake hands with your opponent and then run to your
position.”
And besides, a pregame handshake doesn’t intimate
acquiescence to your foe. If anything, it can inject some intensity
by giving a glimpse beyond the helmet.
“It’s a chance to look your opponent in the eye and
get into that intimidation factor,” Scherr added.
So, symbolic or not, lacrosse’s pregame handshake goes a
long way, and provides take on the uniqueness of our sport.
