National Lacrosse League (1974-1975)
Tombstone
Born: 1974 – NLL founding franchise
Folded: February 1976
First Game: May 16, 1974 (W 17-14 vs. Philadelphia Wings)
Last Game: August 31, 1975 (L 13-11 vs. Boston Bolts)
Nations Cup Championships: None
Arena
The Capital Centre (17,000)11974 Philadelphia Wings Media Guide
Opened: 1973
Demolished: 2002
Branding
Team Colors:
Mascot: Crunch Crosscheck (the Neanderthal). Appeared as an advertising graphic only, not as a performing mascot.
Ownership
Owner: Tristram Colket, Jr.
Trophy Case
NLL Most Valuable Player
- 1974: Paul Suggate
Background
The Maryland Arrows were an indoor (box) lacrosse team that was active for both seasons of the short-lived National Lacrosse League (1974-1975.) .
While they lasted the Arrows featured one of the greatest lacrosse players of the era in Paul Suggate. Suggate easily led the NLL in scoring in 1974 with a ridiculous 115 goals and 124 assists in only 40 games. That was over 50 points ahead of the league’s second leading scorer. He took home NLL Most Valuable Player honors at the end of the season. In 1975 Suggate finished 2nd in the league scoring race behind Doug Hayes of the Long Island Tomahawks. Overall, Suggate was the greatest scorer in the National Lacrosse League’s brief history.
Attila The Hun & Crunch Crosscheck
Americans of the 1970’s weren’t all that familiar with box lacrosse. So the NLL wasn’t shy about marketing the sport’s hockey-style violence to get them through the turnstiles. The Arrows’ radio commercials featured a voiceover endorsement from Attila the Hun. The team’s mascot was a Neanderthal goon named Crunch Crosscheck.
A fight-filled June 1975 game against the Philadelphia Wings at the Capital Centre in Landover included a wild bench-clearing brawl and the spectacle of Wings’ players Carm Collins, Larry Lloyd and Zeny Lipinski allegedly beating a group of Arrows fans with their lacrosse sticks. 13 Arrows and 12 Wings players were later fined by Commissioner Gerry Patterson. Collins, Lloyd and Lipinsky were charged with assault and battery by the local state’s attorney.
Demise
The NLL went out of business in February 1976 before a third season could be staged. The Arrows were reportedly ready and willing to continue on, but there weren’t enough viable teams and the Arrows faded into history with the rest of the league
Maryland Arrows Shop
Maryland Arrows Video
1974 Arrows promotional video (10:13)
In Memoriam
Arrows owner Tris Colket, Jr. passed away on July 6, 2020 at the age of 82.
Links
“Attila Gives His Approval“, Joe Jares, Sports Illustrated, June 3, 1974
“Two Ways To Stick It To ’em” Larry Keith, Sports Illustrated, July 7, 1975
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5 Responses
In an era in which mixed martial arts still can’t get regulated in New York, I’m astounded no one has cracked down on indoor lacrosse. Bare-knuckle hockey fights are one thing — the ice strips down the fighters’ leverage, and NHL officials are well-trained when it comes to jumping in and stopping the action. In lacrosse, they drop the gloves and swing away with their feet fully planted. And that’s how they market the game.
beau – gimme a break. the nll is wussified compared to the old nll. btw – the best player i ever saw was paul suggate. total mean but total skillz
Wow… What great memories! I was at that Wings game where the players came up in the stands. 4th row – my Dad got them for me as a “graduation” gift to the next grade (3rd at that point). Somewhere I have photos of all of these guys, Cy Coombes, Gordy Howell, Bob Smith, and of course, my favorite, number 4, Paul Suggate.
I went to many a game both seasons and since I’m into both sports and music, I remember them playing a few seconds of the Maple Leaf Rag every time the Arrows scored at the Capital Center.
Even went to old Ulines Arena in Washington, DC to watch them practice once.
Even though it didn’t last long, I enjoyed the Arrows the short time they were around.
i loved the arrows, except the goalie greg thomas, married my beloved sister and took her back to canada, where they still live, after the league folded….other then that, they were great.