Summer Lax News and Notes

[yancem]

Paul, question: are there different competitive tiers in this championship, i.e. it's hard to imagine Jamaica playing the US or Canada for example...are there lesser divisions?

I've been trying to figure this out as well. The best I can tell (based on comments by the broadcasters during the game yesterday) is that there is a Blue division which has the upper tier teams and then a second tier with everyone else. Unfortunately most of the web sites I've looked up have provided very little information outside of scores. If lacrosse wants to grow as a sport, it really needs to get websites that provide more information.

[burnspbesq]

Paul, question: are there different competitive tiers in this championship, i.e. it's hard to imagine Jamaica playing the US or Canada for example...are there lesser divisions?

Yes. The top tier is the Blue Group, which consists of USA, Canada, Iroquois, Australia, England, and Scotland. Link to group listing and standings below.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018...e_Championship

[CrazyNotCrazie]

The bracketing is extremely confusing but here is a fairly helpful breakdown that I found. Basically the top bracket of the top six teams (USA, Canada, Iroquois, Australia, England, and Scotland) gets preference for advancement to the final rounds, but teams outside of the top six also have way in which they could win the whole thing. Top two in the top group go to the semis, next two join the other 42 teams in trying to get the other two spots in the semis, and the bottom two teams in the top group can only finish as high as five or six. And there was some theoretical seeding of the brackets holding the other 42 teams, based on their past performance.

https://laxallstars.com/2018-fil-schedule-released/

It is fascinating to me that this ended up in Israel. Obvoiusly not a lacrosse hotbed, and geographically far removed from the traditional lacrosse hotbeds. With 48 teams, there are a lot of people involved in this tournament, so this is a big event for Israel to host.

[yancem]

The bracketing is extremely confusing but here is a fairly helpful breakdown that I found. Basically the top bracket of the top six teams (USA, Canada, Iroquois, Australia, England, and Scotland) gets preference for advancement to the final rounds, but teams outside of the top six also have way in which they could win the whole thing. Top two in the top group go to the semis, next two join the other 42 teams in trying to get the other two spots in the semis, and the bottom two teams in the top group can only finish as high as five or six. And there was some theoretical seeding of the brackets holding the other 42 teams, based on their past performance.

https://laxallstars.com/2018-fil-schedule-released/

It is fascinating to me that this ended up in Israel. Obvoiusly not a lacrosse hotbed, and geographically far removed from the traditional lacrosse hotbeds. With 48 teams, there are a lot of people involved in this tournament, so this is a big event for Israel to host.

Wow, thanks for the link but i have to say that I'm not sure I am any more clear as to how the elimination rounds will be determined!!!! That is seriously confusing and you could probably do a full day seminar on how the seeding will be done. Still, from what I did understand, it seems pretty fair and provides motivation to play hard in every game. It's cool to see that more countries are participating and I hope this will lead to becoming an Olympic sport.

[budwom]

The bracketing is extremely confusing but here is a fairly helpful breakdown that I found. Basically the top bracket of the top six teams (USA, Canada, Iroquois, Australia, England, and Scotland) gets preference for advancement to the final rounds, but teams outside of the top six also have way in which they could win the whole thing. Top two in the top group go to the semis, next two join the other 42 teams in trying to get the other two spots in the semis, and the bottom two teams in the top group can only finish as high as five or six. And there was some theoretical seeding of the brackets holding the other 42 teams, based on their past performance.

https://laxallstars.com/2018-fil-schedule-released/

It is fascinating to me that this ended up in Israel. Obvoiusly not a lacrosse hotbed, and geographically far removed from the traditional lacrosse hotbeds. With 48 teams, there are a lot of people involved in this tournament, so this is a big event for Israel to host.

thanks to all for the links...but reading the above link, I almost got dizzy and fell down...Byzantine in its complexity...bottom line seems to be it's a good idea to finish in the top two of the Big Group, otherwise they throw you in a pit with 50 others teams and somehow two more teams emerge, bloodied and bandaged, for the semis as well. Maybe the tournament is in Israel because they have (barely) enough mathematicians to keep track of the standings?

[lmb]

It is fascinating to me that this ended up in Israel. Obvoiusly not a lacrosse hotbed, and geographically far removed from the traditional lacrosse hotbeds. With 48 teams, there are a lot of people involved in this tournament, so this is a big event for Israel to host.

I'm hoping it's a concerted effort to grow the game world wide with the eventual goal of making it an Olympic sport. I would love to see lax in the Olympics!

[burnspbesq]

The US is rolling against Australia, up 12-0 at the half. Baptiste against a high school senior at X is just unfair. The US is dialed in all over the field, including John Galloway in goal.

[budwom]

The US is rolling against Australia, up 12-0 at the half. Baptiste against a high school senior at X is just unfair. The US is dialed in all over the field, including John Galloway in goal.

I guess that's the primary weird thing about this tournament, as good as it is to celebrate worldwide lacrosse...it would appear that only 2-3 teams max of the 50 or so involved have ANY chance of winning it all: US, Canada, and Iroquois...even within the top division, it's apparent Australia isn't competitive with the top 3, same I would assume for England and Scotland...I suppose we'll just have to make do with this imbalance, and see what teams/countries might be able to step up in the future...

[Indoor66]

Lacrosse is an American Indian game. We don't do particularly well at Cricket.

[BD80]

Lacrosse is an American Indian game. We don't do particularly well at Cricket.

Maybe if it were full contact ...

[chrishoke]

We play the defending champs Canada at noon today on ESPN2.

[fuse]

Fully acknowledging points for creativity- the “flag” on the side of the helmet is awful.

[bigperm13]

I agree with the comment on the "flag" on the side of the US helmets. Odd shape to choose. The whole uniform is a fail to me.

[BD80]

US up 9-8, 9 minutes to go, possession Canada. On ESPN2

[BD80]

9-9. 8 to go.

[BD80]

US down 10-9. 5 to go.

[BD80]

Danowski ties it up at 10, smoking one up under the cross bar. US man up.

[BD80]

US up 11-10. 1 to go.

[chrishoke]

Winner

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Was calling for the stick check in the last minute after we took the lead like checking for pine tar on George Brett’s bat? LGD GTHc!