Athletes Nailed to Lacrosse - 217
Hal Goes Metro--New York and Philadelphia
January 16, 2007

It’s often said that any press is good press, but lacrosse fans might tell you the contrary. As it becomes more and more apparent the case involving the alleged incidents at Duke University has more holes than a mesh jersey, it seems Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong will be called for illegal procedure, possibly landing him in the penalty box.

The unfortunate events in North Carolina last spring resonated well beyond the house where that ill-advised team party took place. Lives were potentially ruined, a team was disgraced, a university was tarnished, and an entire sport dragged through the mud. Blogs and message boards were ablaze with blanket indictments of lacrosse and its players. Slate.com even ran a particularly scathing piece by Dave Jamieson, where he exacted a form or post-pubescent editorial revenge on lacrosse players who he claims teased him in high school, generalizing them as nothing but “boorish,” “Steve Stifler” types. Meanwhile, as the coach of junior varsity lacrosse at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey, I had to answer for much of it. Walking down the street carrying a lacrosse stick to and from practice, complete strangers would cagily ask me if I played for Duke. Others would sneer or point and whisper, as if the stick itself was some sort of scarlet letter labeling me a threat to society.

And I’m sure I’m not the only one who dealt with this. Coaches everywhere had to sit and talk with their teams—from youth to varsity to collegiate—and discuss the situation. Players, fans, and parents alike all felt the need to take a cautiously defensive stance on the subject. Similar incidents have taken place involving athletes from other sports, but for some reason lacrosse itself seemed to take an extraordinary amount of heat for this. For many, this was their first encounter with the sport, thereby fostering the prejudgment that all the players are elitist, misanthropic meatheads. But if this case has taught us anything, it’s that prejudging a situation isn’t always the wisest thing to do. 

So when Mike Nifong makes his list of people he owes an apology, I hope he adds the countless supporters of the game of lacrosse. And while it’s safe to say something unsavory occurred at that house in Durham last spring, it’s important to judge the individuals responsible based on actual facts rather than the color of their skin or the content of their gym locker.

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