Poor sportsmanship, part 2

My last blog update was concerning the behaviour of our lacrosse team, the Edmonton Rush, and its captain, Brodie Merrill, after its disappointing game against the Washington Stealth. Instead of shaking hands with the other team, Merrill and a handful of other players chose instead to walk off the field.

Since then, Merrill has offered an apology and explanation for his decision to not shake hands, saying, in part:

There were some early signs that a couple isolated and minor altercations could escalate into something more serious; potentially putting both teams in a compromising position. We thought it was best to step away from the situation and let cooler heads prevail.

As critical as I was about this, I heartily accept Merrill's apology and explanation. I can't say that I have ever been in a situation where I couldn't expect to talk things out or to have my friendship and respect accepted by another. I have absolutely no idea what it would be like to be on the field where tensions are running so high that something as simple as a handshake could erupt into new hostilities. I've witnessed a couple of post-game skirmishes, but I didn't realize that that's how bad it can get.

Even as bad as I felt, there was no question that I would remain a fan. The Rush are my team, and I will continue to support them. Merrill's statement merely makes it that much easier to keep faith in our boys in silver and black. Thank you to Brodie Merrill for demonstrating why he's so respected as a player and an upright guy.

* * *

With the good news, of course, comes some bad. Our go-to instigator, our troublemaker on the field who gives as good as he gets, Gavin Prout (#9), has been traded back to Colorado from whence he came (with a very brief stop in Rochester). In exchange, the Rush get Mike McLellan, an extremely good goal scorer, and a first-round pick in this year's Draft. McClellan was originally drafted by the Rush in 2005 before being traded to Arizona. He appears to have a great record, including 7 points in the playoffs last season, and the Toronto native plays in both Major League (field) Lacrosse and Major Series (box) Lacrosse.

This was a questionable move for Coach Keenan, as Edmonton still faces Colorado 3 times this season and both teams are fighting for the same playoff spot. Giving up a great goal scorer for a relative unknown quantity means a little more time is needed for our offence to gel. But if it works as well as Keenan hopes it will, Edmonton will hit the playoffs again.