Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community……
The new Owen Sound Major Lacrosse franchise hasn’t played a game yet, and while we’re not sure when that first official game might be, it appears that without taking a faceoff, the yet unnamed Owen Sound entry has 2 wins and 2 ties, ……or tie ups.
Owen Sound scored a win in November of 2020 when news leaked of the pending franchise shift of the historic Brampton Excelsiors to Owen Sound.
That news was confirmed in an interview with club owner Joe Norton, who also operates the Owen Sound Bug Juice Senior NorthStars.
That Owen Sound victory was followed by a tie, or tie up, when various channels managed to get the Ontario Lacrosse Association to establish an ad hoc committee in January of 2021 to examine the scenario in which the Brampton squad would relocate their operations to Owen Sound.
Owen Sound won again in early March when the O.L.A. Board of Governors formally approved the shuffle to Scenic City, an approval that was confirmed in an interview with Major Series Lacrosse Commissioner Doug Luey.
But checking the Scoreboard over the weekend, it appears that we’re tied up again as the Ontario Lacrosse Appeals Committee rescinded the transfer to Owen Sound.
The Appeals Committee ruled ONLY the O.L.A. Board of DIRECTORS could grant such approval of a franchise transfer and the previous approval from the Board of GOVERNORS was invalid.
And so now, the ultimate decision lies with the Ontario Lacrosse Board of Directors.
Somewhere along the line, the Owen Sound Major Lacrosse franchise may have a season and a playoff series.
But I wonder if any post season series will ever be as back-and-forth as this apparent Best of 5 in which a simple transfer of a failing franchise in Brampton was destined for a warm and waiting lacrosse market in Owen Sound.
For Pete’s Auto Body I’m Fred Wallace