During All Star Weekend, the PLL released the 26 ‘host city’ choices, as voted on by the fans (I guess).

Here they are:

Albany

Baltimore

Boston

California

Carolina

Charlotte

Chicago

Columbus

Connecticut

Dallas

Denver

Great Lakes

Kansas City

Louisville

Maryland

Minneapolis

Minnesota

New York

Pacific Northwest

Philadelphia

Raleigh

Rocky Mountain

Seattle

Texas

Utah

Washington D.C.

Those versed in Florida geography will quickly recognize that the growing hotbed of Florida was not able to gather enough votes (if anyone in Florida voted, let me know) to make a final 26 that somehow includes BOTH Minneapolis and Minnesota., BOTH Carolina and Charlotte, Pacific Northwest AND Seattle and Rocky Mountain AND Denver, Dallas AND Texas, not to mention Baltimore and Maryland . . .

Cities? Of the 26, we have SEVEN STATES (I’ll be generous and call New York a city for this, since New York City considers anyone outside the 5 Boroughs as beneath them anyhow . . .), THREE Geographic collections and an area in Washington DC. 15 cities if my high SAT Math score is still valid.

I’m having a hard time believing Louisville has more votes than Long Island, but what the heck . . . and Albany somehow got more votes than Syracuse . . . God, it pains me to write anything favorable about Orange Country.

Were late mail-in ballots the deciding factor? Ballot dumps at midnight? Vote harvesting by UL and Bellarmine? Inquiring minds want to see the raw data!

Maybe we fell short because too many chads were hanging (I hope my readership isn’t too young to remember that . . .)?

Anyhow, we the people of Florida, already seen as lacrosse rubes in the Northeast, will go without the incredible honor of having the Sebring Whipsnakes or the Mount Dora Atlas.

Wait ’til next year!

*****

Fixing the All Star Game

Hate to mention it, but I didn’t watch all the All Star Game, nor to be frank, much of it. Athlete’s Unlimited was more exciting. How does ANYONE find a college stadium in Louisville as an exciting enticement? Or how many players opted out of playing?

Nice to see Jarrod hit 121 . . . always enjoyed watching him practice that shot with the Launch. But geez, if anyone wants to question what Richie Moran told me on the Hobart-Cornell broadcast years ago isn’t accurate . . . well, DAMN. Shooting accuracy . . . or inaccuracy. Modern stick technology certainly affects accuracy, as Richie stated. Anyone think Lyle Thompson, or pretty much any older player with the older stick (was it John Hess who tweeted about doing that?) would go better than a ‘1 for’ in the final?

Hey PLL, before I decide to tune you out for a while over the Florida snub, here’s a little unsolicited/undesired advice that will gain you so much mainstream coverage you’d think you were in a dream.

Go back and look at the MLB Field of Dreams games and LEARN SOMETHING from it.

Next year’s All Star Game:

Inside the Haudenosaunee Nation

PLL All Stars versus Haudenosaunee National Team

At Night, on ABC

Build them a stadium in an open field for a few thousand that can be left up permanently (I’d bet Governor Hochul would kick in a few bucks, that’s pretty natural for New York in anything)

Adjust the rules to try to play a more traditional Haudenosaunee game

For one quarter, everyone uses a wood stick

Each PLL All Star gets their own animal name (get Jim Calder’s book if you don’t get that one)

Pregame Medicine Game Presentation

Get some real celebrities who PLAYED the game, instead of athletes in other sports who are Johnny Come Lately’s . . . the Steve Carell’s, Mick Foley’s, Dave Grohl’s; even John Kerry if he isn’t flying around the world to cut carbon use (how many of you know he and Robert Mueller were prep teammates and Mueller was a heck of a Princeton player?). Bring food trucks and let Adam Richman do a Food Network show (yep, he played too in high school). John Tesh can play the anthems on the piano. And Geraldo Rivera can show his goalie skills if he wants to have his own segment. He can call it ‘The Five’ Hole to mock his former employer.

You think that may be a better Saturday night broadcast than one more Shark Tank?

Get it done PLL . . . and I’ll forgive you for the city naming snub . . .