Bad news for the soccer 'Dogs

Apparently Fresno State women's soccer coach Steve Springthorpe is headed off to coach at NC State, a team that finished 11th in the ACC last season.

Springthorpe led Fresno State to each of the past four WAC tournament championship games, as well as two NCAA tournaments (2005, 2008). Considering the short time Fresno State has had a women's soccer program, they've experienced a solid amount of success.

It's a tough pill to swallow for Springthorpe to leave now, when the school has already started construction on a new women's soccer and lacrosse stadium that will take up a huge chunk of the Red Lot on Cedar and Barstow avenues, one of the premier tailgating areas in all of college football (at least from my personal experience).

No way!!! Too good to be true...

There is absolutely NO WAY in the whole wide entire world this can be a mere coincidence. Fresno State announced today it has hired its first assistant coach for the new women's lacrosse team. What, you don't think this is a strange, odd, jaw-dropping bit of news? Well you haven't heard her last name yet...

Gotham.

Yes, Fresno State hired a coach with the last name of Gotham and announced it on the very day the new Batman movie came out in theaters to record-breaking crowds. Coincidence? I think not. Shoot, they could have at least bummed some advertising from Edwards during all this hoopla.

Maybe a "Major Valley Lacrosse Annoucement Press Conference brought to you by Edwards 22 and IMAX" or something to that effect...

http://gobulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/071808aaa.html

Whoops...

That was a mistake by the Fresno State athletic department...

So let me get this straight...women's swimming & diving gets cut circa 2004, leaving scores of athletes with no team to compete for any longer. So they keep going to school, as normal, everyday students who just go to class, finish college and about the time they settle into a few careers, their sport is reinstated. Why?

Does Fresno State have more money now for athletics than it did then?

Oh, and here's the real kicker -- women's lacrosse was also added. Now, I don't know how to say this, and I don't want to be rude, but lacrosse sucks. If you don't believe me, just watch the first American Pie. That guy "Oz" chose singing in the choir over his championship lacrosse game. And that was in Michigan or somewhere more eastern than California, where people actually play lacrosse.

I've lived in Fresno for a long time, and not once in my life have I ever heard of a high school anywhere close to here playing lacrosse. Who even knows how to play lacrosse!?

Speaking of sports people know a thing or two about...shouldn't the athletic department have chosen a couple women's sports that would at least be spectator-friendly? Uh hum, water polo! How many people are going to pack the Clovis North High stands to watch swim & dive, and how many are going to go watch lacrosse (a game they've probably never heard of and/or don't have a clue how it's played)?

Speaking of which, where's the lacrosse field gonna be? They sure as heck better not decide to take a chunk of the Red Lot tailgating area from us next to put in a women's soccer/lacrosse specific facility! Don't do it athletic department, it's just not worth it!