Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

What Is It About Lacrosse?

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by

James A. Bacon
in


L

acrosse, the kind of hockey with sticks invented by Native Americans, has gained special popularity in Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the South. Or make that notoriety.

The game had been played for years at regional schools such as the U.S. Naval Academy and Johns Hopkins, but it only won broader popularity about 20 years ago.

In my neighborhood, kids with “Duke” on their t-shirts walk up and down the streets chucking the little balls from basket to basket. When I went to my 40th high school reunion at a Jesuit prep school near Washington, the showcase event was a lacrosse game which we won, beating highly-ranked Landon 4 to 3. Back in the late 1960s when I was a student, football was king.
But there seems to be something dark about the sport. A former Landon and University of Virginia lacrosse midfielder, George Huguely, faces first degree murder charges in the death of another Virginia lacrosse player, Yeardley Love. She was found beaten to death. Huguely’s lawyer says it was an accident.
Just a few years back, lacrosse got another black eye at Duke, when a Durham stripper hired for a party falsely accused three Duke lacrosse players, including one from Landon, of rape. That case with a travesty with the university quickly damning the players. The local prosecutor lost his job and lawyer’s license for bungling the case and helping ruin the boys’ reputations.
Even so, what is it about lacrosse?
True, football players at Big 10 schools get into trouble with booze and girls. But there’s something about lacrosse’s recent popularity that seems to suggest that it is the sport of the rich kinds, or the new rich kids. If you handle the ball well, you’re on your way to a name school in the region, such as Virginia or Duke, and then on to a great law or medical school and a lucrative career.
With that status in mind, maybe some of the kids think they are a little too special, a little too entitled. That might make some not hold back one’s temper with a girlfriend. Or do something tacky like hire a doped up stripper for an all-guys’ party.
When I watched the Landon game last month, I found it fast and interesting. But I wish it had been football on a fall day.
Peter Galuszka

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10 responses to “What Is It About Lacrosse?”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Didn't the Mayans have a version of Lacross that was played to the death?

    Even so, bad behavior involving mens handling of women goes back a lot farther.

    Lacross might not be the key variable here.

    RH

  2. Groveton Avatar
    Groveton

    As far as I am concerned the Duke case is irrelevent. Some lacrosse players hired a stripper for a stag party. Oh, I am so appalled!! Next you'll tell me that there are multiple bars in DC where you can quite legally go drink and watch women dance completely naked. If the Duke case proved any group to be habitual miscreants it proved lawyers to be pathalogical miscreants.

    The UVA case is a different, and far worse, matter. The young Hughley man should be considered innocent until proven guilty. However, if he is guilty, I see more of a lovers' quarrel gone horribly wrong than a systematric issue with lacrosse players.

    So, let me take this to the next level.

    Len Bias dies of a cocaine overdose after being picked in the first round of the NBA draft.

    Larry Johnson (former KC Chief, now Redskin RB) is arrested multiple times for domestic violence.

    OJ Simpson (a former college and professional football star) is accused of killing his ex-wife and her boyfriend in cold blood. Later, he brings loaded guns into a sports card trading convention.

    Kobe Bryant is accused of rape.

    Ben Rothelisburger is accused of rape.

    Three University of Tennessee basketball players are accused of robbing a fellow student at gunpoint in the parking lot of a convienience store.

    Gilbert Arenas puts 3 pistols in his locker and stares down a teammate with one of the guns drawn after practice.

    Plaxico Burress carries a concealed handgun into a New Yprk City nightclub and shoots himself with it.

    Football and basketball players have been getting into serious trouble for decades. If anything, the stupdiity seems to be increasing at an increasing rate.

    So, why the shock at two incidents (one really a non-incident) involving lacrosse players? Is it because they are generally clean cut young white men from affluent backgrounds? Is there some belief that clean cut young white men from affluent backgrounds shouldn't get in trouble whereas the racially diverse football and basketball crowd is expected to screw up?

  3. Walter Abbott Avatar
    Walter Abbott

    Oh, stop it, Peter.

    Crimes of passion – as this appears to be – have happened since the dawn of mankind and will happen for ever more. This had nothing to do with lacrosse, so please stop trying to play a half-assed amateur psychologist.

    As far as the Duke Lacrosse Frame, the only wrongdoing that occurred was the that perpetrated by the Durham Police, Mike Nifong, the Duke University administration, and other Durham area officials.

    It was an attempted lynching.

  4. RBV Avatar
    RBV

    "If you handle the ball well, you're on your way to a name school in the region, such as Virginia or Duke, and then on to a great law or medical school and a lucrative career."

    Rich kids and their parents decided a long time ago that they can't or don't want to compete with other kids (mostly minorities) for spots on other teams such as football and basketball at major division-I schools.

    Remember, at that level it's all about winning when it comes to the two major sports.

    Sports like lacrosse give the (mostly) well-to-do the opportunity to play a sport at the D-I level at an academically elite university…..an opportunity that otherwise would not be there if the only sports available were football and basketball.

    That being said, I see little correlation between being a lacrosse player and an accused murderer.

  5. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Other Sports.

    When was the last time you heard of a gymnast getting in trouble?

    RH

  6. Groveton Avatar
    Groveton

    RBV:

    You have an interesting perspective. Here are two graduates of Gonzaga High School currently playing in the NFL:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Haynos

    http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=bio&player_id=570

    Here's a couple from Centerville High School:

    http://www.redskins.com/gen/players/Will_Montgomery.jsp

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/players/8499/

    Here's a guy from Fairfax County's JEB Stuart High School who could really play the game:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Garner

  7. RBV Avatar
    RBV

    Groveton:

    I see your point….that some kids from well-to-do places still make it to the big time in football.

    But, can the same thing be said for poor white kids or poor minorities when it comes to making it to the big time as far as lacrosse is concerned, which in today's world means academically elite east coast schools?

    I am sure there are a few examples but the vast majority don't have that type of background.

  8. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    "…something dark about the sport?"

    Or something dark about the individuals and or the background of some individuals who happen to play the sport.

    It might be that those who succeed in football and basketbll have been drilled in that sport for years — Pop Warner, AAU, etc. — and those who have other things to do growing up (40 foot fishing boats tied up to $2 Million dollar second homes) are out of their 'element' by the time they are coordinated enough to impress a coach in the big two, three (baseball) or four (soccer).

    I am not sure what Groveton intends with his links to the five footballers. Centreville and J B Stuart have a lot of 'not silverspoon' households in their service area.

    By the way, Ruth Marcus addresses some of the same points as Mr. Gooze in her WaPo column today.

    Observer

  9. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Could size have something to do with this?

    Even point guards and quarterbacks are now 6' 5" and 240 in these times.

    Good lacross players are athletic but even 30 years ago in high schools that played both sports they were not big enough to make the football JV squad. They could star in lacross and soccer.

    With soccer getting more competetive, it is strating to be, as Observer notes, necessary to play in the under 5 league to acquire the level of skill needed in high school, much less college.

    Have you seen college vollyball teams recently?

    Wrestlers have weigh classifications.

    I think Observer is right — it is the dysfunctional home environment.

    Let us face it, it is very hard to raise a well rounded child. Society is so complicated that neither the hard working parents on the way up or those living off of family money have time for raising kids.

    JMG

  10. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    this is such bull shit. just because one laxer killed his girl freind doesnt mean all laxers are gonna kill their girlfreinds. saying that is pretty much saying since a few middle easters hijacked a plane, all middle easterns will hijack a plane. your trying to creat a stereotype that is false.

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