The sport of lacrosse sometimes struggles for positive media attention on a national level.
Not this time.
On the evening of Friday, March 23rd in front of a raucous Pepsi Center crowd, Colorado Mammoth forward John Grant Jr. made an improbable shot that has reverberated around mainstream sports television and online media circles.
The shot, and subsequent goal, consisted of a between-the-legs fake, followed by a behind-the back bounce shot towards the far post that settled in the upper corner of the net without the goaltender having a clue what had happened. Oh yeah, one last thing….the shot was off-handed. Grant is a natural lefty. The miraculous shot was taken with his right hand, with a defender dogging him at every step.
“Oh my god!” belted Mammoth TV play-by-play announcer Josh Gross. “No words to say for that goal - nothing. Let’s watch it, let’s admire it, and let’s appreciate the hat trick in the first quarter from John Grant Jr.”
“I don’t even know what that was!” proclaimed Mammoth TV analyst Andy Lindahl.
Footage of the goal was immediately sent to ESPN and the next day it appeared on the twenty-four sports news giant’s Top 10, claiming the number two spot.
Soon after, Yahoo! Sports and online blogging leader Deadpsin.com both added footage and brief descriptions of the goal to their websites, which led to more than 350,000 views to date.
Click here to see video of Grant’s goal.
“This highlight has taken on a life of its own and it’s bringing much-deserved national attention to the sport of box lacrosse, “said Gross.
One commenter on Yahoo! Sports said the goal was “very cool, aware and skillful.”
“I don't play lacrosse, never have other than in [a] high school gym, but it's pretty straightforward--you respect the play of a good athlete,” the online commenter went on to say.
Lost in the buzz of the amazing goal was the fact that Grant registered a “sock-trick”….that’s lacrosse-speak for one player scoring six goals in one contest. The first three of Grant’s goals came in the first quarter alone.
While most highlights catch some serious airtime for one evening and then fade from memory, some live on. The latter appears to be the case for this one, as local and media outlets have indicated plans to continue to show and talk about the score.
“Lacrosse fans have known for years what a fun and exciting product the Mammoth provides,” said Gross. “Hopefully this goal, and the national attention it has received, will help to draw some new fans to our sport.”
For more information on Grant and the Colorado Mammoth, visit www.ColoradoMammoth.com.
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