Below is a list of some questions I'm frequently asked about the Outsider's Guide, as well as some questions that aren't asked very often but which you should read the answer to anyways (to improve your enjoyment of the web site). As it is appropriate, I'll add new questions. This FAQ page was last updated on 12 December 2003.

Why is the site called the Outsider's Guide to the NLL?

As some readers have correctly guessed, it's a play on the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, written by the late Douglas Adams. Whether I am an NLL insider or an NLL outsider remains somewhat in doubt, but it's the average, run-of-the-mill NLL fan that is the "outsider" being alluded to, not me.

What's with the pennants on the home page, and are they in a certain order?

Even greater than my love for box lacrosse is my love for baseball, and some of you may recall from past trips to the ballpark that at many parks, pennants are flown near the scoreboard. Just like at the ballpark, the pennants represent the current standings, with the first-place team at the top and the cellar-dwellers at the bottom. The pennants double as links to the team pages.

The "Last Updated" line on the home page has been changed to a very recent date, but I don't see anything new. What did you add?

Any changes to the Outsider's Guide other than those pertaining to basic maintenance (updating home page, standings, schedule/results, etcetera) is considered an update, and a listing of recent updates can be accessed by clicking on the date under "Last Updated."

What is the "News Box" I've seen you talking about?

Click on the masthead Outsider's Guide logo atop any page, and a pop-up window will emerge. This window includes a listing of the most recent news articles, and has a scoreboard for games in progress. Because the window refreshes every two minutes, you can surf away from the Outsider's Guide and still see any updates here. All links are opened in a new window, so that your current surfing spot is not lost. (hot tip: try clicking on the Outsider's Guide logo in the pop-up)

The existence of the News Box isn't all that evident at first, though -- what other links are you hiding?

Every page is explicitly linked somewhere on this site, even the News Box. However, there are a lot of links that are designed to be "discovered" by our visitors (for example, a person could go from a game summary to a team page via the "Team Pages" link, but the logos in the black box at left offer a direct route). It would spoil the fun if I told you where they all were, but I'll give you a hint -- headings and subheadings are a good starting point.

Do you cover smaller-profile stories, such as minor trades and injury updates?

Yes, we have the News and Notes column for precisely that purpose, as well as for rumors swirling around the league. There is a link to the News and Notes page on the home page.

Why do some pages have the old page design?

Primarily because it would take too long to change them. Only new articles (4 July 2000 and later), the stat archive pages, and the pages that are edited regularly have the new design -- older news articles will keep the old design.

Will you be covering Major League Lacrosse, the summer field lacrosse league?

No. This site's focus is on the National Lacrosse League, and, from time to time, the summer box leagues when news there is relevant to the NLL. I have neither the time nor the interest to cover MLL in sufficient depth, nor would it be appropriate on a web site devoted to indoor lacrosse.

Will you be covering NL2, the proposed developmental league?

Yes, since NL2 is directly relevant to the NLL. The manner and extent of NL2 coverage has not been decided, and probably won't be for quite some time.

Will you be covering the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships?

Yes, since there's a direct relation to NLL. The World Box Games will be played under NLL rules, with almost entirely NLL players (at least on the North American teams).

Why am I unable to post on the message board?

Due to difficulties with some users in the past, all registrations for the primary message board (the one which the Outsider's Guide shares with WingsZone) are reviewed by the administrators and manually activated. Until then (almost always within 24 hours), your account is suspended and you can not post to the message board.

If I see an article about NLL or a player, should I send it to you?

Certainly. Remember, though, that I'll see most NLL news that's out there by the end of the day that it appears, so you may want to wait a day or two to see if I get to it myself. When you refer an article to me, send me the address of the article so I can read it myself, or copy-and-paste the entire article (including headline and byline) into the body of the email. DO NOT send the article as an attachment! I do not accept attachments from unfamiliar addresses, and will delete such messages without reading them. I will credit anyone who submits an article for submission, so if you want the honor, tell me with what name you'd like to be acknowledged.

I would like to write for the Outsider's Guide -- will you accept my work?

Game reporters, columnists, and interviewers are all welcome to join the site's growing staff of contributors, but please email me first to see how you can fit in, and to familiarize you with the requirements (for game reporters) and official writing style of the Outsider's Guide (yes, believe it or not, we have an official style).

What do I need to do if I'm a game reporter?

Game reporters will attend the game, and within a day or so, write up a six-to-eight-paragraph summary of the game. The article is to be written objectively (although this rule can be bent for the final paragraph, if you'd like to get into commentary). Also, a copy of the official game stats are expected -- you may want to contact the home team ahead of time, to find out how and where the stats are distributed. Preferably, these stats are typed out and spaced in the format used in the boxscore section of a game summary article; however, faxes or scans are acceptable with prior notification. Submitted stats should contain a listing of all scorers, with goal and assist totals, total shots by each team, and a listing of all goalies that played. Additional stats -- power-play success rate, loose ball leaders, etcetera -- are welcome but not required. If you'd like to be extra helpful, I'll supply a template for laying out the article into a Outsider's Guide-ready HTML format.

For what teams are game reporters needed?

Currently, we need reporters throughout the Western Division (all six teams). However, offers to cover any team are accepted and kept under consideration in case they are needed.

I'm doing research on [fill-in-the-blank], for a school assignment. Can you help me out?

I'll try. The Outsider's Guide has a keyword search feature; a link to it is provided at left. Also, check out the links page -- we have one of the Internet's most-extensive lists of links to NLL sites. If you have a question about what you find, feel free to email me.

I saw an article on the site long ago, but I can't find it now.

Try the search engine (see previous question).

"Dear NLL, I would like information on [choose one] A) acquiring a franchise, B) getting a contract with one of the teams, C) purchasing tickets to my local team, etc..."

First of all, this site is not directly affiliated with the National Lacrosse League. The only connection we have is via ArenaMedia's netcasts, which NLL sponsors and for which I am a consultant. I'm flattered that some of you believe the Outsider's Guide is the NLL's official site, but if you have business to conduct with the league, you need to talk to them, not to me. The league's official web site is at www.nll.com.

How can I get my site listed on your links page?

Just send me an email with your site's address, and I'll go check it out. If it's designed well and updated fairly regularly, I'll give you a link. A return link would be appreciated.

I'm coming to the Outsider's Guide via a link in frames. How can I view the site outside of frames?

First of all, don't get mad at me (as some have). I don't control what other webmasters do. Start by trying this link, and continue by telling the webmaster of whatever site you followed the link from to change the link so that it opens a new browser window for this site. Another solution is to simply type the Outsider's Guide's address into the address field on your browser. We are located at http://www.lacrosse-network.com/outsidersguide/.