Feb. 10, 2007
There is no way around it. The National Lacrosse League is a successful organization.
Commissioner Jim Jennings has pulled all the right strings in growing the league, the public relations and marketing folks, headed up by PR Czar Doug Fritts, have done a superb job, and the competition committee is adept at tweaking the game to give the fans the best product.
The bounty has been so abundant that the NLL is even toying with the idea of an outdoor league -- we're awaiting an imminent announcement on the topic from the Big Man. These are truly the halcyon days for the box lacrosse boys.
Despite these unquestioned accomplishments there is one NLL-related issue rattling around in the back of my mind that I can't quite elucidate. It's a question peripheral to the health of the league, to the say the least, but one that needs to be addressed if I'm able to push forward comfortably with the 2007 season:
Why, exactly, was Eric Nies selected as the roving `sideline' reporter for NLL telecasts on the Versus network?
For those of you unaware of Nies' background, he was a cast member on the initial Real World joint -- MTV's seminal production that sparked the insipid and intellectually insulting trend of "reality" television. I stopped watching MTV about a decade ago when I could no longer culturally relate to, or verbally understand, its programming, but LMO's pop culture maven, Matt DaSilva, assures me the Real World franchise is still running strong.
Prior to his emergence on the sidelines of NLL games this winter, my last memory of Nies was as host of The Grind, another MTV ratings winner geared strictly for post-pubescent males (and even spawned a `hip-hop workout video'). According to his Wikipedia entry, Nies' ties to sports and/or communications loosely consists of a couple of workout tapes and infomercials, as well as being the son of an NBA official. Not exactly a powerhouse sports media resume.
The genesis of the Nies Question occurred while I was flipping through the NLL website prior to the season and stumbled upon a slightly cropped beefcake photo of Nies promoting his presence at NLL contests. (The shirtless Nies picture has since been replaced on the NLL site by a scruffier, and slightly "sleepier," version). It seemed like an odd choice for an up-and-coming league like the NLL to tab an aging and relatively obscure reality personality with no apparent lacrosse connection to be the televised face of the league.
Technically, his selection was a decision made by the Versus (née OLN) network, but one would think (hope?) the NLL would have to sign off -- if only tacitly -- on any on-air talent at one of its games. And the decision to go with a male sideline reporter bucks a recent trend by various networks of opting for a distaff presence patrolling the sidelines/stands.
So what gives?
What were the factors that led the NLL to say `Nies is our guy?' Could there be some demographic marketing numbers pinpointing Nies as a surefire ratings hit? Does he know someone, or have pictures? Is Nies to Canadians what Jerry Lewis was to the French?
I don't dislike Nies. He is a benign character in general. His unscripted descent into a reality television-induced purgatory also makes him a sympathetic figure in my eyes. The fact that the NLL -- an organization that has made all the right moves -- green-lighted Nies certainly gives him a level of credibility.
Yet, there is still something odd about this hire, and there is undoubtedly a story behind it. I'll make it my goal to find the answers.
Contact Jac Coyne at jcoyne@uslacrosse.org.
