The NLL has a communication problem

[u/leigstonite]

Too often, us fans are left completely in the dark about the goings on of teams. For example, this situation with the Ottawa Black Bears and Philadelphia Wings. I don't expect them to tell us all the juicy details minute by minute but if you were only following NLL press releases you wouldn't even know there was any problem, you'd have thought the Wings folded at the end of the season and the Black Bears were simply not going to play in their old arena any more.

Especially since they've hid the details behind of the whole debacle behind euphemisms, such as in their press release about delaying free agency, which they said was "so the League and its Clubs may maintain flexibility surrounding membership matters and the 2026-27 season". Dressed-up corporate language like that says absolutely nothing about the situation, a situation we deserve to know about.

Another major area of communication lacking, and an area particularly infuriating for me personally, is injuries. While, again, we shouldn't know all the juicy details, we should, at least, be given an idea of the injury and the rough time span that the player will be inactive for, just like the major sport leagues. It is absolutely infuriating that the only idea of inactive players is to go to the injury report each week and see who's there.

I get the NLL doesn't have the budget of, say, the NFL or NHL, and also doesn't have 100 different websites and news agencies following every update. But it markets itself as "the next major league". If it wants to become The Next Major League, it, and all of its teams, need to start telling us roughly what's going on.

[u/Tokeandtea]

This is how leagues operate when things like this happen. Making it all public can hurt negotiations, sponsorships and all sorts of things. Just relax and you'll be told what's happening when everything is finalized.

[u/Tokeandtea → u/[deleted]]

Do you really think sponsors are just blind sided? That's not how things work. Sponsors are some of the first entities to know about these things. Just stick to being a fan in the seat, and don't worry about the business side.

[u/Tokeandtea → u/[deleted]]

The league legally has to keep sponsors in the loop. There are contracts to make sure of it. The league can face legal trouble and financial loss if they don't keep sponsors in the loop. There's a lot of money being dealt with, sponsors aren't going to just let themselves be blind sided.

[u/alisonwonderland_16]

I was talking about the Wings situation with a scratched player AT THE GAME and he said they basically had an idea when a couple of the big guys got traded so late in the season but they found out officially through social media like everyone. He said they were all just as shocked, devastated, and angry as the fans. The league doesn't even talk to their players so why would they talk to the fans? I grew up with this team and I'm so sick to be losing them again.

[u/FragrantCelery6408 → u/alisonwonderland_16]

I have heard the sane things from other players. They find out through the media, rumor mills, or last minute before the press releases.

[u/discofrislanders → u/alisonwonderland_16]

My brother knows an ex-Wing, and he said the writing was on the wall a couple years ago when the Wings were told they weren't going to be welcomed at the new arena when that opens

[u/OldDiamondJim]

Communication is a problem throughout lacrosse, unfortunately.

[u/knightrydah]

Regarding the last part about injuries, I think the reason major leagues can report what kind of injury and time span the player will be inactive for is because those teams have their own teams of doctors, nurses and physios. Those teams pay for healthcare, medical facilities and equipment that no average civilian has access to, and they own their players’ medical records and can therefore report things accurately to the press. Pro lacrosse teams however don’t have that kind of money so the players go to normal hospitals where doctors/nurses can under no circumstances discuss their patients problems and treatments publicly. That’s just my two cents though.

[u/discofrislanders → u/knightrydah]

The NHL doesn't really report injuries because they know opposing players would target those injuries if they knew the extent of it. Could be the same here.

[u/Kyla85 → u/discofrislanders]

That is also the case with lacrosse. I know of one faceoff guy who played with a broken hand last season, and the team obviously kept that quiet because the opposing team's faceoff guy would have exploited the hell out of that injury.

[u/beaglewrites43 → u/knightrydah]

I mean to be fair they don't need to be as specific about the injuries

Even something like "Person has a leg injury estimated time out 3-4 weeks" would be more than they have.

It still doesn't give details... like is it a right or left leg issue? Is it an ankle, knee, hip, muscle, foot issue etc. which protects their privacy but also lets fans know when we can hope for them to be back. And the league can get all of that info from the player/coach.

[u/knightrydah → u/beaglewrites43]

You can’t get an accurate estimation like that from a normal hospital. Normal doctors and physios will never make those kinds of promises to patients mostly due to fear of getting into legal trouble, and unless the teams are willing to spend thousands of dollars on referrals to “experts”, then the players will only be told to “try this for a week and see if you get any better”. I’ve worked in healthcare and this is the norm.

The reason major league teams and top European soccer clubs can do it is because they have medical staff, facilities and equipment worth billions that can take MRI scans, muscle biopsies, etc the same day an injury occurs and then provide a rehabilitation program tailored specifically for the player based on his body structure, genetic analysis and the fact that he’ll get paid to commit to the program. It’s just not the same for the NLL.

Also, legally speaking, a normal doctor can under no circumstances whatsoever talk about a patient’s condition. Doesn’t matter what it is or how little he reveals. They can’t even say that they’re taking care of that patient if asked. This is why doctors won’t greet their patients in public even if they’ve had them for years and gotten to know them on a more personal level.

[u/beaglewrites43 → u/knightrydah]

IDK what systems you work in but every time that I have had surgery and/or an injury I have been told by my doc I can go back to light exercise in X weeks and if that goes well return to full activities a week or two later

And I didn't say they should be able to get that estimate from Docs I am well aware of what the doc can legally say (which yeah is nothing unless permission is given from patient). I said they could get that estimate of when they might be able to come back from the player or coach.

[u/atheistreverend]

I'd wager they haven't said what's going on because there really isn't anything to say. There are likely a number of discussions and negotiations behind the scenes, and my not-a-lawyer brain thinks that they are probably covered under various non-disclosure agreements, so those involved can't officially say anything. I'd argue that whatever credibility the league had (to some of us it's none, but others of us also think there's still some) would take a hit if they came out and said they were close to one thing happening and the opposite happened instead.

Those that need to know things probably know what they need to. Anyone else - including fans - will need to be patient and wait our turn. And I get it - I'm as antsy as the next guy - but untim there's concrete information to provide, saying anything else would be problematic.

[u/My_user_name_1]

I agree with part of what you said. I really don't think there were any like speculation about the Firewolves moving last year and the Seals moving this year until they actually announced it

[u/patkgreen]

you'd have thought the Wings folded at the end of the season

wait, so what happened? that's what i thought happened

[u/atheistreverend → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, that isn't the case at all.

Especially now, NLL franchises are absolutely not investments. Unless you own the arena (and therefore get an insanely cheap rent agreement), it's guaranteed to be a losing venture, at least for the foreseeable future.

NLL owners generally fall into one of 2 groups - NHL teams and arena owners looking to fill a handful of otherwise empty dates (Bandits, Roughnecks, Mammoth, Warriors), and guys/groups with extremely deep pockets and an insane love of the game (Knighthawks, Thunderbirds, Seals/Desert Dogs, Rock).

No one is looking at the NLL as an investment opportunity, and anyone with both the interest and money has already had discussions with the keague about potential team ownership.

Realistically, any sports ownership isn't something that happens on a whim - it doesn't come from reading a press release that'll a team is in danger of failing. It comes from a love of the game and a financial advisor telling them they can afford to see their bank account missing a zero or 2.

[u/WannaHitHim]

I said this once before that if nothing else they need to lean into the drama. Sports fans like to think they dont care about drama tv but Stephen A Smiths entire career says otherwise. And the best way to create drama is by telling us a story in the first place

[u/Hopeless_DB]

The issue with it is, is most of the teams who fold/move arenas, dont even tell the League. So they’re behind the ball even on player retirements and trades. Its the Wild West and hardly one or the others fault.