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74-75 NLL COMMENT FORUM

9/19/2015

If you are an old or new fan of the 74-75 NLL league and have feedback, comments, photos or other memorabilia from that era that you would like share feel free to email [email protected].
Your contribution would be greatly appreciated.

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25 Comments

doug marcus

9/20/2015 03:27:17 pm

thank you again jimmy for this. i hope all wings fans, from either era, early nll fans, mill nostalgic freaks, and current nll diehards visit this.

Vintage NLL Wings link

9/20/2015 10:29:29 pm

Thanks Doug. Blogs coming up soon.

doug marcus

9/20/2015 11:04:43 pm

http://www.vintagenllwings.com/uploads/5/9/3/8/59387291/8746282_orig.jpg

without a doubt, merv and platt dished out more assists than an nba point guard, but merv was john stockton good. i don't think i ever hated a player as much until mark steenhuis for making my wings miserable.

doug marcus

9/22/2015 04:28:28 pm

http://www.vintagenllwings.com/uploads/5/9/3/8/59387291/8434360_orig.jpg

it is interesting that even today, amateur pundits including myself, expect big attendance from traditional box hotspots, and yet we are disappointed. year 1 of the nll and the teams that you would expect to draw well were so bad and moved. the franchises in philly, baltimore and montreal drew well but are not near peterborough, whitby, orangeville or missasauga. maybe its because owners there have to work to draw their fans in, they need to entertain them, and educate them as well. did tor/roc/syr just expect a build it and they will come approach ala vancouver ravens and langley stealth? even in year 2, those 3 were the financial backbone of the league. the transplanted quebec city caribous did ok i guess.

doug marcus

9/30/2015 01:42:49 am

hi jimmy;
just read your first entry - wow, a lot of info there. sounds like those mid 60's games must had been a thing of wonder to watch. interesting that it was bobby allen introducing the gaits to the Syracuse program. i know that bobby had a title like scout or instructor with the team's final years here. but nobody ever told me what he did. kinda crazy that a team in desperate need of a coach kept one on the shelf rather than behind the bench.
still hoping one day we can get college box - that will be the ticket to our success.maybe coach simmons can leave that as a final legacy to lacrosse.

vintagenllwings

9/30/2015 01:20:50 pm

Due to Bobby Allan's job as a high school principal it wasn't going to be feasible for him to commit to the season. It was the fact that he was Canada's National Team Coach for the World Field Lacrosse Championships in 1978 that he came in contact with Roy Symmons. The Canadian team trained every weekend down at Syracuse university in preparation for the World Championship. The Gaits tried out for the team 8 years later as 18 year olds and which lead them to Roy Symmons at Syracuse. Bobby coached the National field team in 78, 82 & 86.

doug marcus

9/30/2015 01:49:45 am

http://www.vintagenllwings.com/uploads/5/9/3/8/59387291/9245548_orig.jpg

omg kiki olsen - man is this nostalgic!!

doug marcus

10/1/2015 10:07:16 pm

simple question jimmy, who was better - johnny davis or john tavares?

vintagenllwings

10/3/2015 05:09:35 pm

Good question again Doug:
Who was better. It is so difficult to compare eras between great players. In this case I not sure you can separate either and declare which one was better. They both dominated their eras as the most prolific scores ever. Their statistics in the box game prove both that. Both players were complete players who could play both ends of the floor equally well. John Davis had to play his entire career that way with the no offense/defense strategy used in today's game. From that point John Tavares played the majority of his career that way, but no doubt would have been a brilliant player of the 60's playing the two way game as well. Both were clutch players who were both team, league and play-off MVP's on numerous occasions. If there was one thing that John Davis probably did better and it could be attributed to the style of play in the sixties and what was needed to score. John Davis had brilliant stick faking manoeuvres that could literally have a goalie jump out of the net from the prolific fakes he could throw. I think many of the 60's ball offensive ball handlers of their day could fake much better than some most of today's current pros, in addition to being much more adapt and using and throwing the backhand. Bobby Allan, John Davis and John Grant Sr. come to mind and probably Jack Bionda. In today's style of game they would not get the time to throw all the numerous fakes used in the sixties and would be flatten. Although superb athlete each in their own right, John Taveres with the longevity of his career, well into his 40's was probably better conditioned over the extended time of his career. When the pro league folded in 1974-75 John Davis never played and again and was done at the age of 32. It's difficult to say who could have had more points if they played the same amount of time as there a a couple factors that make it difficult to compare. Certainly John Davis would have benefited from playing offense/defense style of play as he would have been on the floor more often offensively without having to check. John Tavares would probably have his amount of points in the John Davis era as the goaltending equipment allowed players to see more of the net but his offensive output time would be curtailed by having to play defense as well as offense and only be out every third shift as they would play three lines in those days. Again, the only deference's in the two abilities is that John Tavares was able to have a lengthier career but both were tow great complete players and prolific goal scores that the game has ever seen. One from each different era. The thrill would have been to have seen both play when they were in their prime.

doug marcus

10/5/2015 02:03:40 pm

davis retired at 32? injuries, exhaustion after the fold, hard to believe. akin to jim brown retiring at the height of his nfl career.

George Wardle link

2/13/2020 05:37:41 pm

To me John Davis was the best stick handler and faker and could dominate games . It was a lot different game back then with the timber making welts all over your body and you had to play defence as well as offence . Up once back once and off lol. Tavares amazed me for the length of his playing time and they are both awesome players but for the most entertaining player and great awareness of the game John Davis had it . So many good players back then , with Paul Parnell , Rick Dudley, Suggate , Jim Higgs, Cy Coombes, Grant Sr. and many, many, more . It was a tough era to duplicate and compare to today's times . The game will be good until we see the last one .

vintagenllwings

10/5/2015 03:02:04 pm

Basically all the pro players didn't play after the 74-75 season. The OLA had a ban where only 5 pro players could only play on one OLA team. John Davis remained in Montreal where there was no Senior lacrosse and never played again. Paul Suggate and about 95% of the league never played again. Some were only 25, 26 or 27 years of age. Those that did continue went out west for a couple years were there was no restriction on the ex pro players. Weird but true.

Richard Peladeau link

10/17/2015 01:21:20 am

Excellent site.
Was not an official season ticket holder for the 1975 Quebec Caribous but attended up to 90% of their home games.
Attended all home semi final playoff games and all games in Quebec or Montreal of the final.
Kept a scrapbook (it took 4)of newspaper accounts of all the Quebec City Caribous games. In the playoffs there are accounts for both Montreal and Quebec semi finals and finals. Also included are programs ,ticket stubs and other memorabilia. Even the SI article included in your site.
On August 26 ,1975 the last regular season home game and my birthday I caught a game ball and after the game you were allowed on the floor to meet the players and I had them sign my ball.
Although just a fan that championship season which included my first serious relationship, first summer job and high school graduation and college in the fall was very special.
February 13 1976 was a Friday.
Again this site is wonderful.

Vintage NLL Wings

10/17/2015 02:07:07 pm

Thanks Richard!
Glad you found the site. It's fantastic that as a former league follower you can reminisce fondly about how the league had an impact on your life,as it was a profound phase in ours as well. I am curious as to how you came across the site. Was it random or did someone steer you towards it?
I would be very interested in posting some of your memorabilia that you have saved and collected from the Caribou. If you have those scrapbooks still around and access to a scanner I would love to add more Caribous content on the site to share with other old and new vintage NLL fans. You can email me at [email protected].
Great to hear from you!
Vintage NLL Wings

Yvan Dery

12/27/2015 11:26:18 pm

Great site Great Memory!
I'm 57. I Was 17 in 1975 and as a lacrosse player I followed Les Québécois and les Caribous... I became friend with Marius Fortier , former Caribou GM and founder of Quebec Nordiques. They finished the 1975 season almost financially "even", Quebec was a succes on the floor and in the community. I do not understand why the NLL is not considering this market...

Vintage NLL Wings

12/30/2015 06:25:13 pm

Hi Yvan: you are definitely right about the success of the Quebec franchise. Without question the Quebec franchise would be more than viable to the current NLL. That and the rivalry with Montreal is always superb. The 74-75 NLL is the league that should never have folded which is so unfortunate. It would be interesting to see the league today if the original NLL survived. Without a doubt much further ahead than it is now. As I have stated before the current NLL is still trying to do what the original NLL has already done. Without a doubt it definitely needs the Quebec/Montreal rivalry and franchises. A travesty that they are not in the league along with Philadelphia now.

Yvan Dery

12/30/2015 08:13:17 pm

I believe a Pro lacrosse league would become a huge success at these conditions.
1. Summer 32 to 40 game season... 12 teams.
2. Outdoor games like baseball... Would have to leave expensive arenas for adapted outdoor box stadiums ... and create a new sport experience.
3. Recreate natural rivalry... Phila- Maryland, Buffalo-Toronto, Montreal-Quebec, Calgary-Saskatchewan-Vancouver- Portland
Denver- Minnesota
Box is a canadian game. Key is in the North...
By the way, with friends, I try to introduce the 1975 NLL baneer in the new Videotron Centre. See in You Tube " les Caribous de Quebec- l'esprit sportif" You will have a 12 min. about les Caribous history and some footage of 1975... Semi final and Mtl-Qc game...

Vintage NLL Wings

12/31/2015 12:00:28 pm

Hi Yvan:
Great wonderful insight with you recommendations. As I have mentioned often that the current NLL is a league without a season. Lacrosse is a spring, summer fall type sport. I like your number of teams and rivalries. Right on for future type of markets with the right length of season with games played. The key to it all is owners with deep pockets. Lacrosse big dilemma is when both field and box try to play in the same season and try to use the same players. No other sport has that dilemma with their sport trying to become a legitimate 5th or 6th major sport. Lacrosse keeps knocking at to head against the wall trying to get respect from the major media sources.

Suprfrog link

3/22/2016 09:21:51 pm

For those who are on Facebook, I just started a new Original NLL group. Feel free to share photos and memories:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1577243345899595/

Rich Hollands link

8/30/2016 11:38:25 am

Hi Vintage NLL!
Love your site and wished I'd found it sooner.
Was in Rochester in '74-75 and was of course
a Griffins fan, but really we were fans of the whole league.
I know that Sandy Lynch joined Philly after the
first year in Montreal. Are there any photos of
Sandy as a Wing? In action or otherwise?
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
Rich

doug marcus

12/25/2016 03:21:14 pm

hi jimmy;
lots going on in the nll and mll. nll has a new commissioner who seems more driven and has the owners willing to do what it takes to not just survive, but grow the league. toronto signed 3 american laxers, 2 are among the top 10 in the mll, to their roster. these are are not practice players but guys the rock will need to contribute to make any run. but then we have the mll's ny lizards that appears to be making personal services a part of a richer contract that will keep players like paul rabil and joe walters from nll play. but the mll owner wants to own an nll franchise for the refurbished nassau county colisseum, the former home of the long island tomahawks and ny saints. and now, mll commissioner, david gross, is retiring. is this good news, no news or bad news?

Hi Doug:

2/24/2017 02:17:57 pm

Looks like a lot of good things are happening. Nice to see success with the Americans trying box and having great success with it. The USBOXLA hopefully will make great inroads. The new NLL commissioner is a a great choice. Hope he doesn't get discouraged by having doors closed on him if or when it happens. Lacrosse still needs to make inroads with the major media outlets buying in. ESPN etc. Still nothing in Canada that way. TSN etc. They have seemed to taken a step backwards in that regards. Lacrosse still has that 64,000 question that been ongoing for over 30 years. BETA vs VCR. It will be interesting to watch over the next few years.

followerstoday link

12/26/2016 01:40:13 pm

It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commentators here!

doug marcus

9/12/2017 05:10:56 pm

great day to be a wings fan again

doug marcus

1/17/2019 05:06:37 pm

looking back in time, i don't recall the native americans being singled out as they are today. i think its great that we celebrate the contributions by all three north american nations. the wilc brought a higher profile and then you have players like the thompsons, how could anything go wrong. well, idiots are idiots and the philadelphia wings' hype announcer got fired for either dumb, racist, or both. did a player like gaylord powless suffer anything that was tinged with racism back in the day?

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74-75 NLL COMMENT FORUM

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