By MIKE KERN, Daily News Sports Writer
As far as field lacrosse was concerned, Mike French realized his prime had been behind him for some time now.
Then the Philadelphia Wings of the newly created Eagle League offered him an opportunity to get one last fling – in box lacrosse – out of his system at the age of 33. And even though he had been retired for four years, the competitor in him simply couldn’t resist.
“It’s a funny game,” said French, a former NCAA Player of the Year at Cornell who now works as a manager for a major Philadelphia consulting firm. ”Sometimes people (continue to) play it just because they have played for so many years. I’d like to see some more money in it, but that’s not the reason we do it.”
He can say that again. For at least this initial season, the league’s four- team stockpile of roughly 100 players, many of whom are in the same position as French, will be moonlighting as part-timers to help start things off on sane financial ground.
“I think they’re definitely going about it the right way,” said French, a native Canadian who was drafted in 1976 by the old Philadelphia Wings franchise of the National Lacrosse League, just before that circuit folded after two seasons of operations. “I’m only in it for a one-shot deal, at least as far as playing.
“To be honest, I thought Huntz (general manager-coach Dave Huntley) was joking when he asked me if I was interested. But I’ve gotten a big kick out of it. I figured they’d only use me sparingly, but as it turns out, I’ve been playing a regular shift, plus I’m on the power play (unit).”
Saturday night at the Spectrum, the Wings (0-2) will host New Jersey in their home opener (every team plays each other home and away during the regular season, and all four clubs are then seeded into a one-game semifinal and championship game format). The home opener also will mark the Wings’ first appearance in town, since each team has been forced to hold its weekly full-squad practice in Baltimore because the majority of the league’s players live in that area.
So, for French and several local teammates such as his younger brother, Paul, paying the price entails four-hour round-trip drives on I-95.
“Once you commit yourself, you have to be prepared to go all the way,” French said. “I’m obviously not the future, but I can still do my small part.”
Actually, there are three others on the club who are older than French, including John Grant, a fan favorite with the old Wings. But in the team’s first two games – a pair of losses, 11-8 at New Jersey and 20-19 in overtime at Baltimore – nobody has been more productive. After scoring a goal against New Jersey, French had five goals and two assists vs. Baltimore.
“The only problem with that,” French said, “is that now they expect me to do that every time out. Hey, I have no idea why that happened. I’m just trying to survive and contribute. After that first game, I was really broken and beaten. Usually, I’m the first one to the Gatorade bucket. But it’s not doing me any harm. I’m a little selfish. As much as I hurt, I’m having a few laughs, a few beers after the game. It was like going back in time.
“I was playing squash today at lunch, and I told the guy I was with, ‘Maybe once in a while you ought to cross-check me with the racket, just to make me feel right at home.’ “
Just over a decade ago, the old Wings drew an average of around 10,000 fans per game. Nobody is predicting this team can equal that from the outset, but Huntley is confident the Wings can match the approximate crowds of 7,000 they have seen on the road.
“This is a great sports town, and I think a lot of people are going to say, ‘Let’s give them a chance and see what they’ve got,’ ” Huntley said. ”There will certainly be interest out of curiosity’s sake, but after that they want to see an honest effort. They want to get their money’s worth. And that’s where I believe we’ve got what it takes to stick around.
“It’s just like going to a movie. If you take somebody and put out say $20, and you like what you see, nobody comes out complaining about a refund. All people ask for is entertainment value. If they’re satisfied, that’s the bottom line.
“We’re not a major league yet. We know that. You can’t just put something together and call it professional just because people are getting paid to do it. We have to earn that distinction. And the thing is, even if we had unlimited funds to work with, I don’t think you could assemble any better group of players in the entire world. And that’s a fact.
“To me, the Spectrum is like the Yankee Stadium of our sport. Before, the league failed, not the Wings. Philadelphia supported the team. And once they see what we have to offer, I think they’ll do it again.”
“I’ve talked to people from the office,” French added, “and they seemed intrigued with the idea. I really believe that Philly is an expanding market. I think the fans will be receptive, and it could serve as a flagship for the league.
“Hey, maybe they’ll just come out to see an old man get his.”
If it sells, keep that corporate rocking chair on momentary hold.
(Philadelphia Daily News, January 29, 1987