That's a Wrap: MCLA Tourney Final Thoughts
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
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Here's Johnny!: Even the usually stoic John
Paul, Michigan's head coach, could not contain a
smile after the Big Blue won its second
straight MCLA championship on Saturday. He should be
happy, especially since he and his team were part of the most
important title game in the association's history. |
The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association has found its
home.
After last week's MCLA tournament, culminating with a riveting
Division I national championship game, it is clear that Denver, and
Dick's Sporting Goods Park in particular, is the spot where the
league needs to be on a yearly basis.
Was it due to the perfect weather and relatively balanced
competition? Sure, that definitely helped, but the reason why this
should be an annual spot is primarily due to the city and the
venue.
The MCLA is all about branding these days, and establishing a
permanent location for its championships is the first step. There
are so many moving parts in the MCLA and unknowns from year to
year, the association needs something concrete that a casual fan
can bank on every year, and there's nothing more fundamental than
location.
A lacrosse fan may not know who the best team is, or who is
eligible this year, or who the top players are, but if the
championship site remains the same, then you have a tradition. And
tradition means memory retention.
Go ask a sports fan who won the NCAA D-I baseball championship and
they'll probably shrug their shoulders. Ask them where it takes
place, and a good percentage will know it's played at Rosenblatt
Stadium in Omaha. That's the kind of name association the MCLA
should shoot for when cracking the nation's lacrosse
consciousness.
Will that fulfill all of the MCLA's branding goals? No, but it's a
start.
Admittedly, there is some utility to moving a championship site on
a regular basis, but only if the goal of the MCLA is to break into
a new areas and showcase its game. The league, however, already has
lacrosse hegemony west of the Mississippi. Why crack an egg that's
already broken? Plus, there is no benefit to dropping a
championship on the East Coast, which is not only
lacrosse-saturated, but a long trip for most of the traditional
MCLA tournament participants.
So what city makes the most sense?
Phoenix? As we found out during this year's WDIA tournament, it's
way too hot (103 degrees at 3 p.m.). Los Angeles? The Home Depot
Center is very similar to Dick's and would make a great venue, but
L.A. is a mess and geographically extreme. Seattle? A growing
lacrosse community, but not established enough to support a
championship. Dallas? The potential is there, but obviously it
lacked something for the MCLA to move out. Salt Lake City? It's
plausible, but not exactly a "destination" location. Vegas?
Probably not the place you'll want 12 teams full of 18 to
22-year-olds eliminated after the first round with just one
consolation game to occupy them for five days.
Then there's Denver.
The geographical hub for eight of the ten conferences in the MCLA,
the Mile High City leaves only the PCLL and SELC representatives at
a travel time disadvantage. Throw in a large airport and plenty of
accommodations located near the venue, along with a city that
offers enough to do for parents and families using the tournament
as a de facto vacation, and the question marks about Denver slowly
disappear.
And from a competition standpoint, the whole elevation thing was
much ado about nothing. Some coaches said it took a little while
longer for their middies to recharge, but the finalists in both
D-II and D-I came from cities at elevations averaging 603 feet - or
a tenth of a mile.
Throw in a large, lacrosse-savvy population, and Denver is almost
the perfection location.
All that it would need is a suitable venue.
After the Dallas tournament last year, I wrote in this space how
the MCLA should consider moving to a regional format where the 16
teams are broken up into four, four-team pods, with the winners
from each moving to a lacrosse-friendly location for the semifinals
and finals. The primary reason for my theory was the
disjointed feel in Dallas.
For the first two rounds of the tournament, we were in Farmer's
Branch at a venue that offered plenty of field space, but not much
else in terms of amenities (parking, stands, etc.). That was
followed on the weekend with games 10 miles away at Texas Stadium
in Irving. While it has some history - probably more for Cowboy
fans - let's not mince words: the place was a dump. It was also far
too large for the MCLA's needs.
Overall, there was no continuity with the event. It felt thrown
together and didn't have very much local fan support, leading me to
believe a regional format would be a better fit financially and for
fan support.
After seeing Dick's Sporting Good Park this year, I rescind my
regional idea.
Dick's appears like it was made with the MCLA tournament in
mind.
Fields upon fields outside the main stadium - with a couple of
artificial surfaces if there are weather issues - for the early
round games, ample seating and viewing areas, loads of parking, and
a location away from congested areas and near the airport were all
on the "pros" side of the column. Throw in the main stadium, which
has the perfect amount of seating and services for what the MCLA
could possibly need for the next decade, and extending its stay
seems like a slam dunk for the association.
Denver is not without drawbacks, the biggest of which was the
conflict between the MCLA championship games and local lacrosse
activity - specifically the Colorado high school finals and a
Denver Outlaws (MLL) home game, which undoubtedly bled the
hoped-for attendance figures. These things can be mitigated,
however, with a little advanced preparation and cooperation.
It's all there for the MCLA in Denver. You throw in an alliterative
slogan ("Drive for Denver," or maybe "Mission: Mile High") and the
league has the bedrock for its branding mission.
Here's hoping the MCLA executive board makes the easy choice.
A Signature Game
There have been four previous MCLA Division I finals that
were settled by one goal, including a 16-15 overtime win for Cal
over BYU in 1998, but this year's clash between Michigan and
Chapman was the best - and most important - in MCLA history for
three reasons.
First, this one was televised live on a nationwide cable channel
(Fox College Sports) and available streaming live on the web. From
what I was told, this did not come cheap - $50,000 was the number
thrown at me from a reliable source - but considering the product
they manage to televise, I would deem it worth the expense. The
risk was high: if the game turned into a dog along the lines of the
Michigan contests against Sonoma or Colorado, airing the game might
have caused more harm than good. The quality of this contest made
for a big pay-off.
Second, it showed that the MCLA was not turning into a one-team
league. It's always nice to have a signature program to sell a
league, but the association needs excitement now, not
inevitability. As someone who covers NCAA Division III, I respect
what Jim Berkman did with his Salisbury program for the past
decade, but it makes for a boring spring when the outcome is
essentially predetermined. While Michigan earned its just desserts,
Chapman's ability to compete well with the Wolverines keeps open
the hope that UM won't run away from the pack in the future. If one
assumes comparative scores hold great significance, we can
even consider Colorado State, BYU and Simon Fraser as programs
at the same level.
With that being said, there is an obvious gap between the haves and
have-nots in the MCLA in both divisions. It's something that will
have to be addressed sooner or later, likely in a form of a
definitive set of standards for inclusion in each division to
ensure everyone is operating on a near-level playing field in terms
of resources and competitiveness.
Third, this game was the last confirmation that the selection
committee in its inaugural season got it right. With the exception
of No. 10 Florida State beating No. 7 Cal Poly in the first round
of the D-I tourney, every other game where the seeding didn't hold
involved two teams ranked one seed apart - two #8-#9 upsets, one
#5-#4 and one #2-#1. That's pretty darn good for your first go
around with the committee structure. There were 10 total one-goal
games, but that's more of a testament to the parity within the MCLA
than any ranking malfunction.
There was a lot more riding on this game than just crowing a
national champion, and pretty much all the way around, the MCLA
came up aces.
The MCLA's New Prez
I met Tony Scazzero, the new president of the MCLA, for
the first time while in Denver and he quickly chided me in good fun
for blowing his cover as a Yankee in Texas with my
story on him earlier this year.
As was alluded to in that story, Scazzero is not a simple Texan
taking over the reins of the MCLA and hoping for the best. He's
been through the club wars and knows better than anyone how the
sport has grown at the non-varsity level - he was coaching at Texas
A&M before former president (and current Michigan coach) John
Paul had even picked up a lacrosse stick in college.
Frankly, the MCLA will need a very sharp and creative individual
over the next couple of years because even though it has been
around 13 years now, it is still trying to shape itself.
Ultimately, Scazzero will be judged by what happens in his
five-year term, but at this point he looks like the right man for
the job.
Magic Moments
One of the best parts about attending a championship is
seeing all of the poignant scenes and storylines transpire over a
weekend. Two stick out in my mind.
After I finished interviewing Derek Michalski, a long pole for the
St. Thomas team that won the Division II title, for my web story, I
asked him a more personal question. It referred to Michalski's
journey that culminated with the Tommies hoisting the trophy.
Coming out the Academy of Holy Angels in Minnesota, Michalski was
recruited by Stan Ross at Butler, and matriculated at the school
for the ill-fated 2006-07 campaign. It was midway through that year
when the school's administration made the Bulldogs a lame-duck
program, leading to the dissolution of that season as players tried
to preserve any eligibility they might have left. Obviously,
Michalski was stunned.
He was offered a spot on the Providence College lacrosse team last
spring, and he became a part of the Friars MAAC championship,
although mostly viewing the proceedings from the sidelines.
Michalski had left his family, friends and home state to pursue the
goal of playing NCAA Division I lacrosse, but all he found was
either betrayal or no playing time. In what had to be a unnerving
decision, he gave up the chase of his D-I dream and returned home
last summer, enrolling at St. Thomas.
I asked him what kind of trip it's been. He thought for a minute,
looked down at the ground and said, "That's a tough one."
After a beat, he looked at me and said, "Lacrosse is fun again."
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| In the face of a devastating loss, the postgame speech
Dayton coach Charlie Mark gave his players was a testament to his
dedication to their mental well-being. © Ryan McKee |
Shortly after I spoke with Michalski, I wandered over to the
railing at Dick's Sporting Good Park and watched Dayton coach
Charlie Mark pace back and forth in a corner of the field. In front
of him was his Flyers team, devastated after falling to St. Thomas
just moments earlier.
I would find out 10 minutes later when I spoke to Mark just how
much he was hurting at that moment, but there he was in front of
his players, trying to lift their spirits as best he could. The
players were in various stages of grief - some had head in hands,
others had tears, and a couple just had the thousand-yard stare.
But there was Mark, his voice rising and falling, trying to
convince the kids of their virtues.
"You lost to a good team today. And you're going to be back here
next year. You're going to be back!"
It was all in vain. There was nothing that could absorb the empty
feeling the Dayton players felt at that time, and Mark knew it. Yet
there was something inside the coach - a primeval love of his
players - that made him feel duty-bound to undertake this fruitless
task.
It was both a heartbreaking and inspiring thing to watch.
Like everyone holding down a job, there are some very tedious and
thankless parts of my position, but it's the human element behind
the game that makes it all worthwhile. And the MCLA is chalk full
of these stories.
No Consolation
The format at the MCLA Championships calls for the losers
of the first round games to play a consolation game on Thursday -
the "down" day for the teams still alive. Why does the association
do this when the quarterfinalist don't have to play in the
consolation round? Because when they qualify for the tournament,
each team is guaranteed two contests.
It's a logical practice. Most teams stay at the championship site
until Sunday - it would be rather defeatist not to - so if they
were eliminated on Tuesday and didn't leave for home until five
days later without another contest, that would leave a lot of space
to fill. And there are only so many natural history museums to
visit in Denver.
The approach to the one-game consolation varied widely this year.
At one end of the spectrum there were some hotly contested games
with coaches trying to get some quality minutes for up-and-coming
players against high-end competition. On the other end, there were
games that involved players sitting atop teammate's shoulders,
coaches stepping into the action on the fly, and the occasional use
of the women's faceoff technique.
It's probably not what the tournament organizers had in mind, but
it's not that surprising, either. The games are not counted in the
records and neither are the stats. From what I can tell, not even
the scores are recorded.
What's the answer? It really depends on what the MCLA is trying to
do with the consolation format.
If the executive board is comfortable paying for a three-man
officiating crew and the field space for a meaningless game just to
keep eliminated teams busy for three hours, the current format is
fine. If the association wants to use the consolation round as a
Thursday showcase, then it needs to sweeten the pot.
Either schedule an entire back draw that mirrors the championship
bracket in number of games and days played - not finishing in last
place will be a large enough motivator to keep that aboveboard - or
devise a reward for those teams that are triumphant in Thursday's
games. There has to be some sponsorship opportunities available
that make it worthwhile to both the teams and the sponsor,
right?
Currently, the only thing that keeps teams participating in the
consolation games is the impending threat of future penalties by
the league - how a team conducts itself at past tournaments has
been tacitly accepted as an MCLA selection criterion - so it will
have to take another step for all the teams to take it
seriously.
Personally, I have no problem with the current consolation format,
but there are probably some cost-saving measures that could be
taken if it is to become standard practice.
Slides & Rides
- I had the chance to speak briefly with Bill Harkins, the
head coach at Florida State, as he was being led up to the
television booth for a halftime interview on Saturday. The
Seminoles were bounced in the quarterfinals by Brigham Young, but
Harkins had been named the MCLA Division I Coach of the Year a few
moments earlier, so he was in demand. I congratulated him on his
season and his new award. A few moments later he walked away, but
then doubled back to me (much to the annoyance of his TV
"chaperone") and quickly said, "You know, when you've got good kids
and they play well, it makes the coach look really good." There are
many coaches at all levels of lacrosse who would do well to learn
this lesson. I've spoken with him for about 70 seconds, but count
me as a member of the Bill Harkins Fan Club.
- It's always good to catch up with John Schuett, who was the
public address announcer for the MCLA tournament. If you're
listening to the PA at a major lacrosse event, it's a good bet
you're hearing Schuett's dulcet pipes. He'll be on the mic this
summer in Prague for the women's World Cup.
- Pete Moosbrugger, St. Thomas' head coach, was named the Division
II Coach of the Year.
- If you are a parent of a college lacrosse player and you feel the
uncontrollable need to text message a coach about your son's lack
of playing time, it's a good bet your kid will be living with you
when he graduates. And that's not a good thing.
- I'll end this marathon with an MCLA affirmation.
I'm often asked why I'd ask my employers to cover the association's
tournament, and my answer is simple: generosity. All of the
coaches, players and administrators at the tourney are extremely
generous with their time and, at least outwardly, accept
interlopers such as myself.
Up in the press box on Saturday, I had an opportunity to speak with
Frank Clark, an assistant coach for the fourth-seeded
Minnesota-Duluth team. In our conversation, it came up that I was
moving to Wisconsin and was looking to stay involved in
officiating. Clark, who works in Minneapolis, told me I could
contact him any time if he could be of help. I assumed it was just
a comment made in passing; a tool we've all used to break off a
conversation.
Then I checked my email this afternoon and there was a note from
Clark, affirming his assistance in my quest. Initially, I was
surprised, but then I remembered that this is what the MCLA is all
about.
The coaches, for the most part, don't get paid much. The players
typically compete for nothing but the love of the game. The former
players who run the blogs, webcasts and live stats at the
championships commit to their job for little more than a plane
ticket, a hotel room, and a free beer or two. Without generosity,
there is no MCLA.
And I, for one, am very thankful for it.
