Before Saturday’s ESPN3 broadcast of The Florida Launch hosting the Boston Cannons FLN was able to sit down with the broadcast tandem of Dave LaMont and Kevin Finneran. All season long the duo has broadcast games, either on ESPN3 or for MLL’s own online broadcast arrangement with YouTube. The broadcasts are also syndicated to various outlets around the country, as this week it was picked up by Fox Sports Ohio and the MSG network in the New York City area. Thanks to both Dave and Kevin for their time! Turns out the broadcast certainly taxed their efforts as the 40 total goals and the histrionics at the end of the game certainly called on them to go their own version of overtime!   Dave, you are the experienced announcer of the crew. It’s the first time you’ve been working on lacrosse this season. Can you tell the readers about your prior broadcasting experiences? I’ve been broadcasting since the beginning of college actually starting with the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers as a reporter, the Dolphins . . . I’ve pretty much done everything that is down here. For play-by-play I started primarily with the University of Miami in the 90’s as an all-sports guy, never a broadcaster. Since 2004 I started over at ABC and was lucky enough to stick around when ESPN took that over, called college football, college basketball, volleyball, a lot of different sports. Bowling has been a particular passion of mine but this has been a real good trip for me, I’ve really enjoyed it.   Kevin, you’re the exact opposite . . . you grown up around the game, a star player, coach, pretty much everything else to do with the sport. But you’ve never really done any broadcasting before. So how has the experience been for you and is it something you could see continuing to do in the future? It’s been an awakening experience; you know I’ve learned a ton. I’ve been fortunate to work and learn alongside a true professional. I think that when we are at our best we complement each other very well: Dave from the broadcasting and the insight and the professionalism and experience of that part of the business and me with the lacrosse experience, passion and the knowledge of the individual players. I’ve enjoyed it and have a lot to learn and I look forward to next season.   Dave, how does broadcasting lacrosse differ from the other sports you’ve covered? I think that with lacrosse, even with the shot clock, you don’t really know when something is going to break, you don’t definitely know when someone is going to shoot. You can anticipate whereas you know in basketball with a finite shot clock or a football game there’s going to be a moment when everyone takes a break when they’re going to call a play, so I think the fun thing about lacrosse is the end to end action is also a little bit different because there can be a turnover and a quick turnaround and the shots can come from anywhere. I like this version. I love the two-point shot, I like the shot clock. I don’t like it when they take the air out, I like to see the action. That’s been the best part of this.   Kevin, the Launch started the season 4-1 and tailed off since; what do you see as the main factors in that slump? Well, you know, they are very good in a lot of places. They are just not as deep as some of the other teams and I think that they will address that in the off-season. And they are young, other than Casey (Powell) they are young at attack with Kieran McArdle and Kevin Cunningham and they’re relatively young at defense. Their top defenseman is Tucker Durkin and he is a second-year pro. So, they need some more depth. When you have a new team you are constantly trying new ways to win and if you are not winning you are also changing the lineup once in awhile. Sometimes that’s helpful and sometimes it takes a while for the chemistry to come together. They’ve been in a number of close games and they’ve been knocked around a couple of times. I think it starts with the defensive end if you want to take it to the next level this season and next.   Dave, what has surprised you the most about the sport now that you’ve been with it for over half the season? I wasn’t prepared for how physical the game is. With the hitting and the chopping that goes on and the fact that a lot of things that I would go ‘that looks like a penalty to me’ is let go at this level that is called in the college game but as I watched more of it in preparation for this, I think they are a little bit stricter in the college game. That surprised me; these guys really pummel each other almost like in a basketball game when the guy is setting up on a post up or coming around the net like in hockey in some ways. I think that’s the first thing. The speed of the game I kind of anticipated, these are the best players in the world I think and Kevin has said that before and I certainly go with what he says. So that part.  The quality of the play didn’t surprise me. But they beat on each other pretty good out there.   Kevin, who are the younger players who have stepped up for the Launch this year that the fans might want to pay attention to the rest of the way? Clearly Kieran McArdle, he’s up for Rookie of the Year in my book, no question about it. And even though he hasn’t had a chance to be seen here at home, Niko Amato has a great future for the Launch in goal. There have been a lot of local guys who’ve paid their dues, out in the community, spreading the gospel of the Florida Launch, guys like Chazz Woodson (assistant coach at Ransom Everglades) and Doug Shanahan (assistant coach at St. Thomas). Obviously a guy like Tucker Durkin is another one. Hopefully Casey Powell will play another year or two as well.