Bayhawks’ Kelly tries to pass on his passion for pro lacrosse
Brendan Kelly owns a team in Major League Lacrosse, but is also one of its top salesmen. Despite being located near one of the meccas of the sport, close to Baltimore, the professional game hasn’t caught on strongly even though the Chesapeake Bayhawks are one of the league’s flagship franchises having won an unprecedented f i ve championships.
But Kelly said he has seen a turning point in recent years because of new hires within the league.
“I’ve been more excited in the last 12 months than I’ve been in t he previous seven years,” said Kelly, who purchased the Bayhawks in March 2010. “Ownership has changed; we’re bringing in heads of sports franchises and sports companies.
“The owner of our Boston team is one-half owner of the Celtics, and the Denver Broncos have some ownership in our Denver organization,” added Kelly, whose team opens training camp this weekend. “We added some members of our front-office staff who were with the Ravens and the NBA to help with our sports marketing and sales. I think we’ve added some game-changers.”
You admire Kelly for his enthusiasm. And he is right about the added game-changers.
won three titles in this league and we’re just we’re in the process of studying it. But it’s Alexander P. Brown became the MLL’s new going back and approach the draft like we something we need in the Mid-Atlantic commissioner in February and has an did before. region. We would like to break ground in extensive background in launching and “If we get players from our areas that the fall of 2019 and begin play in 2021, no building sports media outlets. include Philadelphia, Washington, Baltilater than 2022.”
Bayhawks president Mark Burdett spent more, Virginia and Delaware, and they put The MLL game sells itself. Traditional12 years as the Ravens vice president of sales on our jersey, it will mean a little more. It ists will criticize the pro game for a lack of and development and Keith Weldon, the makes it special. We want to build that kind defense, but it’s just so much faster than the team’s vice president of business ventures, of spirit, that type of chemistry.” college game because of the shot clock and also previously worked in sales with the According to Kelly, the average attendthe 2-point goal. No deficit is insurmountRavens. able.anceofaleaguegameisabout5,800.On But is that enough? July 4, 2017, an Outlaws game in Denver Most of the players are specimens. In the When you think of pro sports teams in drew 26,614 and the Bayhawks had 10,002 mid-1980s, a “big midfielder” was 6 feet and areas surrounding Annapolis, you think of show up for a game two days earlier. weighed 180 pounds. In the MLL, you’re the Ravens and Orioles from Baltimore and Kelly is happy to say that season-ticket getting 6-4 and 6-5 midfielders weighing at the Wizards, Nationals and Capitals from sales have gone up 20 percent for each of least 220. Washington. Bayhawks lacrosse is in the the past two seasons. Those types of things In recreation and high school, lacrosse same category as the Blast or the old show him that MLL and its nine-team goalies are taught to step toward the ball. In Skipjacks hockey team. league is on the upswing. the MLL, goalies survive because of quick
What is missing in pro lacrosse is a Some Bayhawks games this season will hands and reflexes. Shots are so hard there tradition and heritage. If Big Biff played be shown on NBC Sports Washington and isn’t time to step. lacrosse, than there is a good chance Little league owners are confident Brown, a Kelly is hoping that the NCAA eventually Biff has or will play, too. They’ll most likely Gilman graduate, will be able to work out adopts its rules, as it did with pro and go to the same school and enjoy the same something soon with a major network. college basketball in adding dunks, the shot rivalries, which is why the sport struggles The league needs stability. The Bayclock and the 3-point shot. The thought is growing nationally. hawks have shown that by settling on a that a universal approach might be more
Yet at the same time, the passion is so residence in Annapolis. Since their original appealing for the entire sport. strong, which is why high school rivalries in season in 2001, they have moved to Johns The sport has evolved. When the MLL the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic AssoHopkins, M&T Bank Stadium, Towson first started, nearly 80 percent of the players ciation A Conference are so intense and University, Washington, D.C., and Annapoworked other jobs outside of lacrosse. Kelly traditional powers such as Syracuse, Johns lis. estimates now that 80 percent work Hopkins and Virginia have such strong Kelly is involved in preliminary talks and full-time in the sport as a player or coach, or followings. drawing up plans to build a 12,000-seat with involvement with various camps.
Kelly is working on the tradition. That’s multisports complex in Crownsville, where It might not seem like that a big deal, but why he rehired Dave Cottle as his head an old state hospital used to be located. all these things add up. They make Kelly coach. Cottle went to Northern High in The facility would also include a 6,000believe that the sport is moving in the right Baltimore, starred at Salisbury and went on seat amphitheater, 20 youth fields for direction. After years of struggling, he sees to become a Hall of Fame college coach at various sporting contests and a three-story some light at the end of the tunnel. Loyola Maryland and Maryland. team headquarters. The project is expected And he’s telling anybody who wants to
“When I first purchased this team, I to cost $40 million. buy into a product he loves to sell. never thought I would have people like “I’m excited about that potential, how big Dave, Mark and Keith working in the same of a statement that would be,” Kelly said. building with me,” Kelly said. “Dave has “That site has been dormant for 17 years and