A newspaper article previewing the upcoming National Lacrosse League season may unintentionally reignite the fiery debate over the league's long-term goals.

A report in today's Albany Times-Union offers several insights into NLL commissioner Jim Jennings' vision of the future, including additions to the lengthy list of expansion possibilities, the future of small-market NLL teams, and a vastly-expanded schedule.

It is well-known by now that a Chicago group has committed to join NLL for the 2002 season and that Jennings is eager to grant Anaheim, California a franchise. Also, rumors of imminent expansion into western cities such as Sacramento, Portland, Edmonton, and Winnipeg continue to flourish, and the return of professional lacrosse to Boston remains one of Jennings' goals.

Now, Dallas, Atlanta, and Montreal also have appeared on the expansion radar. In Montreal's case (as well as Anaheim's), there already exists "strong interest" from potential investors.

The ambitious expansion is intended primarily to gain a national television contract. Currently, the only coast-to-coast, American television deal is with ESPN, to show the league's championship game.

With such extensive plans to add large-market cities, are smaller-market teams, such as Albany, safe? Jennings believes so, comparing the Attack to the NFL's poster child for small-town success, the Green Bay Packers.

"I like Albany," Jennings said. "I think it's a good market and it fits well into our marketing plans. I would hope it would be there a long time."

Attack owner Herb Chorbajian is optimistic about Jennings' vision.

"It'd be nice to have Chicago and Anaheim in this league, and as far as I'm concerned, we don't have to take a back seat to them as far as our facility goes," Chorbajian said. "If we can turn out a product that people want to come and see, it doesn't matter that we're in a small market, population-wise. That [Pepsi] arena can hold 14,000 to 15,000. I think it's the right size. We want to be Green Bay."

Chorbajian's optimism extends to scheduling, where he hopes for better luck than in the past. Last season, one game was snowed out and two others (a matinee and a St. Patrick's Day game) proved poor in terms of drawing acceptable crowds. "That's 50 percent of your schedule," said Chorbajian. "That's rough."

The three poor crowds of the 2000 season may not be so painful in years to come. Jennings says he'd like to gradually increase the schedule to forty games per season. How twenty home dates per season will be found in heavily-booked arenas remains undisclosed, although it likely will involve a combination of shared dates with major leagues, midweek games, and an earlier start to the season.