Rabil and the Raine Group's six-team Premier Lacrosse League would begin play next summerGETTY IMAGES
MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks Owner Brendan Kelly said "time will tell" whether Paul Rabil's start-up outdoor lacrosse league will succeed, but added he does not "see it happening," according to Bill Wagner of the Annapolis CAPITAL. Kelly said, "The key word here is proposed. ... It’s a heavy lift to run a league and MLL has been doing it 18 years. I see MLL getting better and stronger every day.” Kelly added that he and others involved with MLL were "well aware" that Rabil was considering launching a league. Kelly said Rabil is "trying to bring fresh money into the sport, which is a good thing" and he applauds "anyone who is taking an initiative to grow the game and putting money into pro lacrosse." Wagner notes MLL recently announced "several initiatives, all of which are designed to invest in players." The league "will expand its schedule to 16 games" from 14 and "increase the salary cap" by 51%. Meanwhile, Kelly said that he is "not concerned about losing players to a start-up league." Bayhawks D Jesse Bernhardt said of a possible new league, “It’s been a hot topic of discussion within the lacrosse world. ... There are a lot of questions left unanswered and many new ones that will arise in the coming weeks.” Bernhardt added MLL's push to increase players' salaries is "great news" and things "seem to be going in the right direction to make the league more professional and provide more exposure” (Annapolis CAPITAL, 9/27).
