To attract attention to the bite-sized world of men’s lacrosse, the biggest name in the sport made his the biggest declaration of his life.

Michael Powell, the three-time All-America selection, would unleash a move never before seen in the world of lacrosse.

It stirred up some excitement. Game-by-game, people wondered when it would come. He did behind-the-back shots and under-the-leg cradles. Was that it? No, he confirmed after each game. The Move was still to come.

But Saturday, in Syracuse’s final home game of the regular season, Powell finally showcased it. As it turned out, all the drama, glitz and glamour leading up to it was squashed by the overwhelming disappointment.

Saturday, in SU’s 17-10 win over Massachusetts, Powell finally displayed The Move, an acrobatic flip he insisted had never been done in a college lacrosse game before.

After it was over, we found out just why that was. The Move was reminiscent of Godzilla – an anticlimactic, overproduced frowner.

For those who missed it, Powell started in from the near sideline, jogging toward the net with about two minutes left in the game. Without a defender within 10 yards of him, Powell flipped in the air, landed on his feet, and fired. The shot bounced off a defenders helmet out-of-bounds.

So that’s what all the hoopla was about?

Evidently, yes. But for all we’ve heard about it, The Move failed to meet its self-induced expectations.

For one thing, The Move put Powell at a distinct disadvantage, one of the most serious problems with it. Because of the flip, Powell couldn’t have concentrated on the goal, putting his chances of actually hitting the shot further below his .319 season shooting percentage.

Not surprisingly, UMass darted down the field and Brian Jacovina fired a meaningless goal in the net. If it had been a close game, The Move could’ve cost SU.

‘I’m not one to draw attention to yourself,’ UMass coach Greg Cannella said, ‘and Mike is such a great player, I don’t think it makes him any better.’

The Move hardly lived up to its name either. What Powell did wasn’t a move. It was completely separate from the action. It’s like a basketball player doing a flip and then taking a shot. Would that count as a move like a shake-and-bake dribble would or an up-and-under lay-up?

Now, if Powell dashed toward the goal, flipped to avoid defenders, then fired, The Move would electrify. It would have a purpose then.

Instead, The Move was completely unproductive and impractical.

It also failed to score a goal, another shortfall. At least if it tacked a tally on the board for SU, it could be defended. Now, though, it’s just a missed shot. It’s the equivalent of if Dee Brown bricked his no-eyes dunk at the 1991 Slam Dunk competition, or if Babe Ruth just flied out to center field after calling his shot in the 1932 World Series.

Most of the 5,698 in attendance thought differently, though. Powell received a standing ovation following the shot as he darted off the field to avoid a reprisal from the Minutemen.

To be fair, Powell can’t be completely blamed. He’s trying to draw attention to lacrosse, which seems desperate for notice in a sports-driven society.

And he did – for a time. People wondered what he would do. It created buzz. It attracted interest.

‘You want to see things that are good for the game,’ SU head coach John Desko said. ‘A lot of people came today to see us play UMass, but a lot of people also came to see Mike throw the move.’

Too bad it fell considerably short of expectations.

Scott Lieber is the assistant sports editor at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear regularly. E-mail him at smlieber@syr.edu.

Published on September 8, 2004 at 12:00 pm