LAX Sports !

By Sean Connolly

In a recent interview, commissioner of the MLL Dave Gross, talked about expansion ideas in the MLL. A stir began when during the MLL All-Star game, announcers spoke about how there would in fact be an expansion team in Dallas and Raleigh. None of this was confirmed by the MLL.

But, in this interview Gross talks about how there will be an expansion team in both Dallas and Raleigh. He talked about how when teams played there the response was great and business would work there. He also began talking about the Portland and Salt Lake City markets which could be candidates in the future. Gross said that for now, St. Louis is out of the question.

The entire interview is pretty good, he talks about the expansion of the MLL and how it will work. Click here to listen to the interview and scroll down to “my multimedia” http://www.sportsgist.com/davidgross

By Sean Connolly

This is just a sickening story that left me queasy after I heard about it. John Grant, Rochester Rattlers MVP, had to undergo emergency surgery over the weekend to remove his ACL in his left knee which was infected. Grant, who underwent surgery to remove an infection from his elbow and the same left knee last week, was rushed into emergency surgery in Ontario after doctors saw in an MRI that the infection had not left and was beginning to attack the entire ACL.

During the surgery doctors had to remove Grant’s entire ACL and the screws that attached the ligament to the bone. I think I just lost my appetite. I mean this sounds horrible. The question now is, can he return to his MVP form, if he can return at all? This is what Grant had to say about the situation…

It’s very unfortunate, especially at my age, but I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to get back into game shape and play for Rochester again,I want to be there as much as I can throughout the season to support my teammates.

John Grant Jr. On His Surgery That Removed His ACL

A surgery like this isn’t something you just rehab for a little while and get back on the playing field in no time. As a result, Grant will miss the entire 2009 NLL season in which he plays for the Rochester Knigthawks. As for next season in the MLL, you can probably count that out to. It’s said that Grant will spend up to 12 months in a knee brace that will hamper him from playing.

The unfortunate part about this situation is that the doctors cannot re-insert his ACL until the infection is completely gone. This infection has plagued Grant for a while now as it has spread from his elbow to his knee.

Here’s what Knighthawks GM Regy Thorpe said about Grant’s situation…

We wish John all the best and pray he has a safe and speedy recovery, to say that we will miss him is surely an understatement. We fully expect him to be around as much as possible as he is very much still a part of this team. We’re counting on the rest of the team to step up in his absence and play some solid lacrosse.

Knighthawks GM Regy Thorpe On Grant’s Season Ending Surgery

What a couple of weeks of highs and lows. In late August Grant and the Rattlers defeated the Denver Outlaws for the MLL Championship, and within weeks John Grant’s upcoming NLL season is destroyed, and so could his career. I hope for the best for John Grant and I’m praying for a speedy recovery. Good luck John.

By Sean Connolly

It’s finally here…the playoffs. We’ve waited all season for this weekend and it has been worth the wait after one of the most exciting seasons in history. The playoffs will take place in Harvard Stadium in Boston Massachusetts and will be the home of two great semifinal games and a final that decides it all. In the first semifinal there’s the Rochester Rattlers against the Philadelphia Barrage and on the Western side of things we’ve got the Denver Outlaws pitted against the Los Angeles Riptide. With that said, let’s get down to my predictions of who’s gonna win this thing!

Rochester Rattlers vs. Philadelphia Barrage: Winner-Rochester Rattlers

It’s simple really…John Grant Jr. I’ve been talking Grant up all season as the best in the game and on Thursday the MLL validated that talk by giving Grant the MLL MVP for the second season in a row. The Rattlers are the number one seeded team overall with their 9-3 record and haven’t shown many signs of letting up this entire season. As for the Philadelphia Barrage, they come in as the weak link in this Championship weekend as the fourth seed with a record of 7-5.

The focus will lie solely on John Grant Jr. for the Barrage and expect all-star Brodie Merrill to step up big time. The lingering problem for the Rattlers though is their goalie Mike Levin, who has looked very shaky in net for the last couple of weeks. The best opportunity for Jed Prossner and the Barrage to win is to actually get in a shootout with the Rattlers and hope that Brian Dougherty can get his act together and hold down this Rattler attack. I don’t think it’s possible for the Barrage to win as they are over-matched in every aspect, so expect a comfortable win for the Rattlers.

Denver Outlaws vs. Los Angeles Riptide: Winner- Los Angeles Riptide

The Riptide!?! Yes, I said it, the Riptide will win. The Riptide come into this weekend playing their best lacrosse of the season after winning 6 of their last 8. Winning streaks tend to carry over into the playoffs and I think the 7-5 Riptide have what it takes to take down the more powerful 8-4 Outlaws. The Riptide have the MLL Goalie of the Year in Mickey Jarboe who’s GAA is down to 12.75 which ranked first in the league.

With a solid guy in the net they also have three guys who seem unstoppable at times. Jesse Hubbard, Kyle Harrison, and Kevin Huntley are all completely different players but their style mix well together. Jesse Hubbard is the MLL’s all-time leading goal scorer so expect his veteran play to shine this weekend. As for the Outlaws, Brian Langtry is of course the key. But, in the one loss they had this season against L.A. Langtry was held to one assist. The Riptide know how to shut down Langtry and expect them to do it again this weekend.

By Sean Connolly

That’s what I’m talking about! Finally, the most exciting season in MLL history is now being supplemented with an outrageously exciting playoff race that encompasses several teams in both the West and East. Let’s take a look at the table right now…

Western Conference

Denver 7-3-0

Los Angeles 5-4-0

Chicago 3-7-0

San Fransisco 2-7-0

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia 6-3-0

Boston 6-3-0

Rochester 6-3-0

Long Island 5-4-0

New Jersey 3-6-0

Washington 3-6-0

How great is this? We have a three way tie in the East between the Philadelphia Barrage, Boston Cannons, and the Rochester Rattlers. Don’t count out Long Island either as they’re just one game behind. The West is clearer to say the least but Los Angeles has been playing well and could sneak up on Denver…but don’t count on it. Denver has just dominated this season and has shown the Lacrosse world that they are the team to beat.

I predicted earlier in the season that it would be a match up between Rochester and Denver in the finals, but this race might be taking a toll on Grant and the Rattlers. Denver has been rolling along smoothly and I think they’re too strong to be taken down.

No matter the result this season will go down as the MLL’s best. Whether it’s Denver, Rochester, or my personal dark horse, Long Island Lizards who takes the crown it’s gonna be an absolute pleasure to watch.