Send In The Clowns

We have always been amused by lacrosse, which is America's oldest sport and tends to put us in the mind of butterfly collecting. It is also the only sanctioned activity in which it is legal to poke your opponent repeatedly with a stick. But we also knew that the pro version was missing one key ingredient: Drunken, loutish fans. Well, as you can see, problem solved.

The Rochester Nighthawks are your new National Lacrosse League champions, after Sunday's 13-11 triumph over the Arizona Sting. This was not lost on hundreds of Nighthawk fans who gathered around televisions to watch their team finally win the big one. Of course, the game was supposed to be played at Rochester, but had to be moved to Glendale, Ariz.

"It's unfortunate they couldn't have had the game here, but we're more than thrilled," said Nathan Ferguson, 29, of Gates. "It has been 10 years since they won. This is awesome!" Like many fans, he was disappointed that a scheduling conflict prevented the game from being at Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial. Rochester had earned home-floor advantage, but the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was already booked.

This happened to the Super Bowl once, didn't it?

Nighthawks Soar To NLL Title [Rochester Democrat & Chronicle] NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinals Will Have A Different Look [USA Today]