The 2012 Women's Lacrosse National Championship game was one of the most unbearable, poorly-officiated and shamefully-played (by Northwestern) games in the history of womankind. Syracuse Orange coach Gary Gait and player Michelle Tumolo brought this to the attention of everyone in post-game comments and during the game.
The NCAA, who doesn't seem to be doing anything to fix the serious issues that plague the sport of women's lacrosse in terms of watchability, fairness, pace or officiating, is instead making sure that Gait and Tumolo are reprimanded for their efforts.
...coach Gait was found to have engaged in misconduct by making postgame press conference comments critical of the officiating following the championship game.
Tumolo was found to have engaged in misconduct by making unsporting comments and placing her hands on a game official after being issued a second yellow card during the game. In addition to the public reprimand, her transportation expenses and championship per diem were withheld.
Tumolo will serve a one-game suspension as the 2013 season begins, as it required due to the red card. Here are Tumolo's comments, which certainly let you know where she stood.
"We weren’t really expecting a national championship team – that had been in the national championship for eight straight years – would be stalling on a team they had already beaten. You know, it was really just mind boggling to us because, I’m not gonna lie, they kinda seemed scared to play us. Because they saw what we did against Florida."
"I actually said to the girl covering me, ‘This is so boring. I cannot believe this. This is why no one wants to watch the game. This is bad, this is so bad.’"
Here are Gait's comments that are so terrible:
"It felt like at times we were playing against a couple teams," Gait said of the referees, "but (Northwestern) was very good. They maintained ball possession for most of the second half and that was a big difference."
Northwestern, who played the cheapest, lamest, wussiest version of lacrosse possible to win the game, remains unpunished.
Lay it on thick, Candice Lee, chair of the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee and associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Vanderbilt University.
"The women’s lacrosse committee was disappointed with the unsportsmanlike actions displayed by the coach and student-athlete...We believe these types of behaviors only serve to discredit the sport of women’s lacrosse and the championship."
All due respect, Ms. Lee, but if you watched that game, you'd know the sport is doing a fine enough job discrediting itself on the field.