The XFL

[CM Steel]

Back in 2000 WWE chairman Vince McMahon had an idea to create an alternate football league to the NFL. That being the XFL. It kicked-off (pun intended) the following year on NBC and the then-UPN networks. The league started off with only 8 teams much like the start of the WNBA did. But the XFL only lasted for one season with the L.A. Xtreme winning the XFL championship game for the first & last time. Rest in Peace XFL!

But what could have been of the XFL if it would have been around for a little bit if not longer? Who was your favorite player? What was your favorite team?? And what was the best XFL game??? You can't go wrong with a Rod "He hate me" Smart, he was bomb! And me personally I'm a Bay Area boy so I had to roll with the San Francisco Demons. And it was cool to see them make it to the championship game against the Xtreme.

Should have it's critic's gave the XFL more of a chance to shine like these other so-called leagues in this country?

 

[Honkey_Kong]

Back in 2000 WWE chairman Vince McMahon had an idea to create an alternate football league to the NFL. That being the XFL. It kicked-off (pun intended) the following year on NBC and the then-UPN networks. The league started off with only 8 teams much like the start of the WNBA did. But the XFL only lasted for one season with the L.A. Xtreme winning the XFL championship game for the first & last time. Rest in Peace XFL!

But what could have been of the XFL if it would have been around for a little bit if not longer? Who was your favorite player? What was your favorite team?? And what was the best XFL game??? You can't go wrong with a Rod "He hate me" Smart, he was bomb! And me personally I'm a Bay Area boy so I had to roll with the San Francisco Demons. And it was cool to see them make it to the championship game against the Xtreme.

Should have it's critic's gave the XFL more of a chance to shine like these other so-called leagues in this country?

I was an LA Xtreme fan, so you know I jumped on the Tommy Maddox bandwagon.

I kind of wished the XFL stuck around, it made for some fun games. A lot of the guys were clearly not cut out for the NFL, but those guys played with everything they had.

And that being said, like 36 or 37 guys ended up playing in the NFL. So it goes to show you that the NFL should've stepped in and helped Vince subsidize and market the league.

The crowds got thin towards the end of the season at the games. And let me tell you, the people that remained were not the type of people you wanted at games. I remember seeing quite a few fights in the stands.

But I think most of the failure of the league was due to it's association with wrestling. Those guys didn't get a fair shake from the sports media and if ESPN gave it the attention they gave even women's tennis, it would've had a better chance at succeeding.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

In a perfect world, the NFL would have partnered up with the WWE after the inaugural season and made worked together to turn the XFL into a minor league for the NFL. I know that went against what Vince wanted the XFL to be, but if this type of arraignment could have been reached that would have seen Vince and his team profit off of their creation I think they would have went for it. The league could have remained 8 teams with each division in the NFL being assigned a team. The 8 XFL teams would then be made up mostly of late round draft picks and undrafted free agents that NFL teams have whom don't make the roster. This along with vets trying to make one last run could easily fill out the 8 rosters. The NFL could then use this league as a test for any and all proposed rule changes they might consider. It would be particularly useful now where player safety is at an all time high. The NFL could try out many different things with the XFL to see how it works before doing it in the NFL.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Too big too fast. That's my opinion of the XFL. Hooking up with NBC should have been a long term goal and they got it from the start. That move led to too much hype and too big of expectations. Football is a complicated sport that takes time to make presentable. XFL was never given that time since McMahon didn't have the patience (or maybe money).

They also didn't fulfill their promise to be an alternative to the NFL (adding a reality aspect), they ended up being just a watered down version.

 

[Lowdown]

I rolled with the Xtreme. I still got my Xtreme hats to this day. But I enjoyed the XFL on its short run. Thing is, it wasn't really a direct alternative to the NFL; it was more and alternative to arena football. Saturday and Sunday games, small markets like Memphis and Vegas, etc. I do wish it lasted longer than it did. Ratings and revenue aside, I agree that its demise was due to it being the creation of Vince McMahon and associated with wrestling. He had guys like Stone Cold and Undertaker trying to hype it in vignettes and such, and it could've been a turn off to NFL fans.

 

[Headman]

The level of play just wasn't there. There were a few guys like Rod Smart and Tommy Maddox who were obviously NFL quality, but most of these guys were Arena league players who couldn't cut it in the CFL. I think the best thing to come out of the XFL was Smart's nick name "He Hate Me".

 

[braveh]

I remember NBC lost all their sports rights deals around that time so they were ready to back the new league and they had a lot of good football players so it could have worked but they made two major mistakes. I know for sure a bunch of people who stop watching sports after the Super Bowl, and when NBA season ends.


Two major mistakes that killed the league IMO
1. Not running a pre-season. It was awful to watch teams that played together for first time (from what I understand they had little to no time to practice together)

2. Associating themselves with wrestling. Vince doesn't belong on a serious sports broadcast, wrestling commentators don't belong there, crash-tv segments don't belong there. That was so stupid how those broadcasts were put together. NBC should've known better.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I was all about the XFL, and still am. It absolutely boggles the mind that a spring league can't be fucking successful, and that the NFL doesn't support it a little, by broadcasting games and whatnot. There are decent coaching staffs in place, and it wouldnt hurt for NFL teams to even conscript guys down there, like the Europe league did. Ive heard of an idea kinda like the regional requirements of the CFL, wereas players who played at the college level near the team are automatically on said team.....This works well for areas with no pro team (IE the Birmingham Bolts would have a bunch of non NFL former Crimson Tide, Auburn, and UAB players, etc etc)

The biggest mistake was associating itself so much with wrestling. A ton of people instantly dismissed it right off of that.

Otherwise, it ust wasnt given time to grow, and survive. It had MUCH bigger fanfare, ratings and attendance than the USFL currenty has, and that league has existed for years. The Arena league has been propped up over and over again, and that league isnt even NFL equivalent. It makes no sense that a real, concentrated effort cant be made by a tv company and investors to make a second football league work, when the NFL is so wildly popular and makes such a ridiculous amount of money.

 

[shadyfozzie]

Didn't the XFL have some innovations that are used now in the NFL?? Like the camera angles (from behind the QB and the Skyline cam)? I could be wrong, but I thought the XFL originated those.

Also, the ball was pretty bad ass, with the Red X on it.

I also liked how a punt after x amount of yards made it a live ball, so you couldn't just put and let it roll, you HAD to recover the punt. And didn't they allow a guy to run up to the line (like in arena football?)

Oh, and the 'coin toss' was pretty innovative.

Were there any other rule changes that differed from NFL??

 

[Slash-LN]

I liked it when it happened.
Sure some of it was over the top and there were dumb moments like when they mentioned that the NFL doesn't allow players and cheerleaders to date but the XFL encouraged it. Why is that even relevant? It just tried too hard.
It wasn't around long enough for me to be invested in any certain team.
Too much of a big deal was made about the Million Dollar Game. I understand it was a marketing thing but it kind of fell flat.
I had the replica XFL ball which was cool. That was the only merchandise I ever bought.
It was cool to see Rashan Salam playing again. I tried to follow Rod Smart and Tommy Maddox when they went to the NFL but I lost track of Smart. Last I knew he was a return guy for the Eagles. Maddox only lasted a few seasons.