5/31/2010 Super Bowl Monday, for Lacrosse Lovers

Of the many things I love in my life, two of them.... I get to celebrate on the same day every year..... on Memorial Day.

The first... is to celebrate, the life of my late Father, who was a soldier in WWII, along with all those that have served our country ..... and... the 2nd....is, Lacrosse...a game I learned to love, growing up on Long Island.

These two will forever be etched together for me...and it’s a tribute to the NCAA to annually crown its Lacrosse champions on Memorial Day.

For me it goes much deeper.... I remember the first time I drove myself, in my white VW bug.... up a road... along the Hudson River ... to watch a lacrosse game between ARMY and NAVY at the United States Military Academy at West Point... If you have never been to West Point, I would strongly recommend it...it is an awesome experience to get within those gates....it’s quite a secure feeling... from that moment I was hooked on this curious game where you could play from behind the goal. I abandoned my baseball bat and glove forever.... and picked up this funny looking stick with a net on it... and never looked back.

Back then, besides perennial powerhouses, Johns Hopkins and Maryland, some of the finest teams came from the Military Academies. My first idols were Pete Cramblett, Tom Cafaro, and the Army Coach, at the time, James “Ace” Adams.. Tom was from my high school, and later became and all American....all 3 are inductees into the national lacrosse hall of fame......and not surprisingly, a few years later, I played for coach Adams, at the University of Pennsylvania... of course, every season, Coach Adams would schedule a preseason game against Navy...at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis...Even though we were Ivy League, he wanted a shot at the Navy...it was in his blood.

Lots of years have passed, since then, but I was real pleased to see that the Army qualified in the field of 16, which is now down to the final four.....you can probably watch the games tomorrow on ESPN.. and of course the championship game will be televised this coming Monday...on Memorial day.....

Peace...I love u Dad......rayray..