There has been some bone of contention about whether or not
lacrosse is indeed the fastest sport on two feet. Hockey has to be eliminated because it's not
played on two feet; it's played on two skates.
Baseball is the tortoise of sports, and base-running, when it happens,
doesn't really make it "fast."
Soccer players can run, but the ball movement isn't rapid-fire, and
shots routinely clock in the 60+ mph range.
Even when passing the ball up-field, a soccer ball either competes with
the ground or uses an aerial arc to slow its momentum.
Lacrosse has its merits as the fastest game on two feet
based on foot movement, for starters. A
full run from end to end is done without having to dribble a ball ala soccer or
basketball. In lacrosse, even a dodge
requires precise, agile, and rapid movement.
But the main reason why lacrosse might be considered the fastest sport
on two feet may well be due to the ball movement. Passes can be made down-field in split-second
time, and shots routinely travel at 90+ mph.
It is probably the most insane sport since goalies wear very
little protective gear: chest protector,
throat guard, helmet, gloves, and a cup; no shoulder pads, no elbow pads, no
shin guards. Compared to the amount of
goalie gear worn in other sports, including the ridiculously over-padded box
lacrosse (indoor) players, it's goddamned insane. Even baseball catchers wear more protective
gear than field lacrosse goalies.
Lacrosse originated as a traditional Native American sport,
a game that started as a ritual and evolved into the national pastime. It is considered Canada's national sport,
though hockey now shares that honor.
What's America's national sport?
Baseball. A sport so slow even
fat men can play it. A sport so slow
that even the players have to take steroids to stay awake. A sport where people get paid to stand at a
bag, strike out, and walk back to the dug-out without even breaking a sweat.
Good lord, we should be ashamed of ourselves.
To stave off that shame, I'll be watching the lacrosse games
on television. I doubt that the D II or
D III games will be televised; they never are, but we do have a bizarre number
of television stations now and a high percentage are various sports stations,
even college sports stations. D I finals
are always on TV, though, so I'll at least catch that on Monday.
Seems like the season just started yesterday, but I know
college lacrosse season started in mid-February while mounds of snow lined the
fields. An entire weather season has
passed since lacrosse started with weeks left of winter and ends now during the
calendar start to summer with the Memorial Day celebrations.
This is a Weekend of Warriors -- Those we remember for their
service to America and those Native warriors who gave us lacrosse. It is a weekend of memorials and a weekend to
become memorialized.
Play on, gentlemen.
Glory awaits.
