Iroquois Medal at World Lacrosse Championship — Whining Ensues

http://www.thompsonlax.com/traditional-wood-sticks/

An Iroquois national team kicked some ass in the World Lacrosse Championship, doing better than the nation has ever done before — and eliciting hand-wringing and whining about their use of (completely legal) heavy traditional sticks.

From The Daily Beast:

The Iroquois, the only indigenous people recognized as a separate nation in international sports competition, medaled for the first time in their history Saturday night by beating Australia 16-5. The senior national team—led by a thrilling offensive talent regarded by many as the LeBron James of his sport (that’s Lyle Thompson) —finished third and nearly beat superpower Canada for the first time. When the teams played the Sunday before, the Iroquois lost by only a single point.

By most accounts, the fact a team drawing on a population base of less than 150,000 people can hang with a nation like Canada of more than 35 million people is one of the feel-good stories of the year. But not everybody’s buying the narrative. Some believe over-aggressive Iroquois players used an unfair advantage by wielding their traditional wooden crosses, or lacrosse sticks, and are calling for a ban in the name of safety.

Read the full article here.