For years, high school athletic directors, town lacrosse program administrators and the heads of club programs refused to believe how bad the referee shortage would be because, come game time, there would always be referees to do the games. That hasn’t been automatic this season, when the effects of … [Read more...]
Jaffe: This season, the ‘new normal’ must be a better normal
After two seasons affected, altered, shortened, canceled and/or lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, lacrosse players, coaches, parents and fans are hoping for a “return to normal” this spring. They’re not aiming high enough. Properly appreciating the return of the game means recognizing all of the little … [Read more...]
Jaffe: The not-so-hidden cost of this pandemic is depth
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have adjusted to shortages. It started with toilet paper, but today it can be nearly any item that’s out of stock, back-ordered or available in limited quantities. This season — and potentially for the next few years — the problem comes to the lacrosse field, … [Read more...]
Jaffe: Like the man, Stew Curran’s legacy one of a kind
Editor's note: This column appears in the November-December issue of New England Lacrosse Journal. Stew Curran introduced himself to me on a lacrosse field in the mid-1990s with a perfectly placed shot and some choice words about just how pretty it was. He told me it was about to be a long … [Read more...]
Jaffe: How retired Paul Rabil remains in sport’s driver’s seat
Pam, the woman in the next seat, was certain she knew the young man I was talking to before the plane had boarded, but she couldn’t place him. He was tall and striking, 6-foot-3 and with a posture and athletic gait that suggested he was something special without even trying to be. Yet he was … [Read more...]
Jaffe: The key to attracting officials is sharing the wealth
Jaffe: At Gillette, Cannons are both past and future of pro game
The past, present and future of professional lacrosse was on display at Gillette Stadium this weekend, and all of them were personified by the Cannons Lacrosse Club. Officially, that is Cannons LC of the Premier Lacrosse League, and not the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse – who spent 19 … [Read more...]
Jaffe: Trained refs make errors; ‘lawnchair refs’ are much worse
I’ve spent years listening to coaches and players acting as backseat officials, and fans becoming armchair referees from the stands. From that experience, let me just say, loudly: “Hey, backseat ref, you suck!” I can have bad moments on a field, no doubt; but a trained official having a bad game is … [Read more...]
Jaffe: In a changed world, never lose the power of play
On March 14, I played in my first lacrosse game in over two years. Like everyone else, there was time off due to coronavirus, but I also missed over a year before the pandemic due to back and hip problems. Take enough time away from the game and you start believing you can get by without it, that … [Read more...]
Jaffe: Refs could be caught in a perfect return-to-play storm
My worry for the 2021 season isn’t the coronavirus, the long layoff and lost development affecting young players, or the fragile finances of some lacrosse businesses. It’s a brewing storm over officiating. This is not another piece on how there is a shortage of game officials and how it is creating … [Read more...]
State of the Game: Not just games and seasons lost in ’20
Lacrosse fans lost more than just the season this year. They lost hope that the game can become “the next major” any time soon. Generations of fans have harbored hope that lacrosse would grow into the next big thing, joining football, baseball, basketball and hockey as the big sports in … [Read more...]
Jaffe: In wake of merger, what comes next matters most
Now we can really find out what’s next for professional lacrosse. In 2018, when the launch of the Premier Lacrosse League was announced, everyone talked about what a second professional field lacrosse league run by the game’s best players – rather than a group of investors – would mean for the … [Read more...]
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