It’s my Parting Shot for my Weekend Short Shots…
By the time you hear this, or read it, I will be on the Saskatoon Blades’ bus to Prince George, B-C. At the time I wrote and voiced it, I was in Grey Cup City, Edmonton, as the Bridge City Bunch stopped Thursday for a team-building evening and early Friday morning practice. Grey Cup signage is all over downtown…which should come as no surprise!
The Blue and Gold won’t come home happy unless they win three of the five games in the B-C Division. The Blades are the fourth East Division team to head out. Swift Current lost all five games, Brandon won two, lost two in regulation time and dropped another in extra time. Regina closes out their B-C swing tonight in Prince George. The Pats have just one win in four games so far. At least three wins would put Saskatoon ahead of those three clubs in that aspect!
Once again, by the time your hear this, or read it, the National Lacrosse League’s labour dispute might be over and training camps will start this weekend with a December 15th start of the regular-season likely. Whether this comes out or not, you can be sure any agreement between the N-L-L and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association will have Bruce Urban’s fingerprints all over it. The Saskatchewan Rush owner stands to lose the most of any league owner if the Labour disagreement carries on much longer. The Rush have the best fan support and create the most revenue, which players around the league have noticed! The players hold the hammer in this dispute…playing pro lacrosse is their sidelight, they all have “real” jobs and don’t need to play lacrosse…or they can find another pro league to satisfy their passion. I’ll bet that Bruce Urban convinced the other 10 league owners to pony up, reach an agreement and get the 2018-19 season started! If it doesn’t happen and the whole season is scrubbed, the National Lacrosse League might never return!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk on the road with the Blades…