AHC: Make Lacrosse One Of The Most Popular Sports In North America

I personally like watching Lacrosse games when they're on TV, and my little cousin has actually started playing the sport. Their is even a pro league, the MLL. However, for whatever reason, it just isn't at the same level in North America as something like Football, Hockey, Baseball, or even Soccer. So, you're challenge, is to get Lacrosse to the level of those sports, in which the MLL, or something like it, is followed across the nations, can be seen on TV on a reliable basis, has sports stars that are house hold names, ect.

So, can it be done?
 
I personally like watching Lacrosse games when they're on TV, and my little cousin has actually started playing the sport. Their is even a pro league, the MLL. However, for whatever reason, it just isn't at the same level in North America as something like Football, Hockey, Baseball, or even Soccer. So, you're challenge, is to get Lacrosse to the level of those sports, in which the MLL, or something like it, is followed across the nations, can be seen on TV on a reliable basis, has sports stars that are house hold names, ect.

So, can it be done?

Lacrosse has become a LOT more popular in the last 20 years. Before then, in the US it was confined to the northeast. Well, really to Long Island, parts of upstate NY, certain New England towns and Prep Schools. Maryland too I believe, and maybe NJ, Philly.

Anyways, whatever made it suddenly become more popular it OTL should happen earlier. It was popular in Prep Schools and Indian Reservations for the entirety of the 20th century.

I think the key really lies in making it popular amongst kids. Pro leagues will follow, as they have in OTL. Maybe if college lacrosse became to the Northeast what college football is to much of the rest of the country? But I guess college football is only so big because of the NFL... sort of a chicken and the egg situation there.

Okay, I am rambling. Let me think more and get back to you...

EDIT: I reread your post, and realized you might not realize just how popular lacrosse is in some places. It was easily one of the most popular sports in my high school. In the town my cousins live in on the South Shore of Massachusetts they treat hs lax like small towns in Texas treat hs football.
 
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EDIT: I reread your post, and realized you might not realize just how popular lacrosse is in some places. It was easily one of the most popular sports in my high school. In the town my cousins live in on the South Shore of Massachusetts they treat hs lax like small towns in Texas treat hs football.

Fair enough, but I still don't see it being on the same level as other sports in terms of popularity/wider recognition.
 
Fair enough, but I still don't see it being on the same level as other sports in terms of popularity/wider recognition.

Definitely. I didn't mean to imply it had the universal appeal of football, baseball, basketball, hockey, or soccer. Just that on a youth/HS level it is very popular in certain areas. Although I'm sure MLL has their loyal fan base, it doesn't have a huge following anywhere. I actually know someone who plays in the MLL. They are great athletes and deserve more attention...and more money probably wouldn't hurt either.

I just realized I have no idea if 'MLL' should be prefaced with 'the' or not.

Anyways, as far as making Lacrosse more popular: I know it's post-1900 but one idea would be a more powerful Iroquois Confederation.

As for doing it later, I think the key lies in New England boarding schools, where it was quite popular. Football codes came out of British boarding schools, maybe strained relations with the UK in the late 19th/early 20th century could make American schools focus more on a home-grown sport. Then it just needs to evolve into it being played professionally.
 
Definitely. I didn't mean to imply it had the universal appeal of football, baseball, basketball, hockey, or soccer. Just that on a youth/HS level it is very popular in certain areas. Although I'm sure MLL has their loyal fan base, it doesn't have a huge following anywhere. I actually know someone who plays in the MLL. They are great athletes and deserve more attention...and more money probably wouldn't hurt either.

I just realized I have no idea if 'MLL' should be prefaced with 'the' or not.

Yeah, that's what I was going for in the OP.

One of the ideas I had would be to erase one of those sports (well, not one of those sports, but one of their respective North American leagues), and then have Lacrosse coming in to fill the void.
 

FDW

Banned
I think that's the problem you have there, by the beginning of the 20th Century you already had Baseball, and Football in many parts of the country, with Hockey, Soccer, and Basketball following later on. Lacrosse on the other hand had a rather strong regional element to it compared to the other sports, which probably hindered it's spread until recently.
 

Indeed. Maybe a couple movies based on lacrosse as well. Pop culture can drive a sport tremendously. Also, maybe football coaches encourage their athletes to play lacrosse to train for FB season, and I agree with you on the baseball strikes. Maybe the Olympics brings it in, during a successful Olympics like LA '84, and a lot of people are impressed.
 
Indeed. Maybe a couple movies based on lacrosse as well. Pop culture can drive a sport tremendously. Also, maybe football coaches encourage their athletes to play lacrosse to train for FB season, and I agree with you on the baseball strikes. Maybe the Olympics brings it in, during a successful Olympics like LA '84, and a lot of people are impressed.
Lacrosse-playing Jeremy Lin?:p
 
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