LAX Sports !

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

As I predicted. John Grant and the Rattlers absolutely destroyed the Outlaws this weekend with a 16-6 beating. The Rattlers set themselves apart from every other team this season, and they did the same this past weekend.

They were led by the MLL MVP John Grant and Joe Walters stepped up big time for the Rattlers this weekend. He was named the Championship Weekend MVP, as he should as he had 6 goals and 5 assists in just two games…the most important two games of the season.

This whole season the only team I could see taking down the Rattlers were the Outlaws. They had the only team in the league that could possibly compete with the complete team of the Rattlers. But, this weekend they proved me wrong.

As it turns out, surprisingly, the Philadelphia Barrage ended up playing the Rattlers better. In the MLL Playoff Semifinal between the Barrage and Rattlers, the game went into overtime and for several moments it seemed like an upset was imminent. But luckily for John Grant and company they overcame the tough minded Barrage. The game on Sunday though was not nearly as close.

The Rattlers dominated throughout and it makes me wonder if the Barrage won in overtime against the Rattlers if they would be champions. Let’s put it this way if the Outlaws played the way they did on Sunday against the Barrage, the Barrage would be the New York Giants of Major League Lacrosse…Ok maybe I went too far, but these Lacrosse comparisons are tough!

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

With wins by the Barrage and Riptide the postseason has been sorted out putting an end to a fantastic regular season. The Philadelphia Barrage beat Boston last night to make it to their 3rd straight postseason. Los Angeles Riptide made it in last night by defeating the San Fransisco Dragons. But, quite frankly neither team stands a chance.

They’ve played well all season but the Riptide and Barrage are simply no match for the overly talented and powerful Denver Outlaws and Rochester Rattlers. The Rattlers and Outlaws seem to be destined for a match up in the final pitting Rochester’s John Grant against Denver’s Brian Langtry. The Western Conference Champion Outlaws have put up the most dominant numbers in the entire league and I’m afraid that only the Rattlers can stop them.

So, what are my predictions for the postseason? It’s simple really…The Outlaws destroy the Riptide, The Rattlers demolish the Barrage, and we’re set up with one of the best finals the MLL has ever produced between the Outlaws and Rattlers. Although I love how John Grant has been playing I think this is Brian Langtry’s year as he and the Outlaws will leave Boston with the championship.

It might sound lame but the definite winner of all this is the fan. Lacrosse has made a huge move this year with the college championships and this year’s MLL season. Finally lacrosse fans can unite and actually be able to watch their favorite sport on television, even if it is on ESPN2.