XFL: The Third Time Is the Charm
The road to kick off the 2023 XFL season on February 18, 2023, has been a sharp, curvy and steep climb. There are probably many who believe the XFL is just another new attempt to fill the lull of a football-less spring but in fact the history of the XFL extends much deeper. The vision of the XFL began with the king of the professional wrestling, Vince McMahon back in 1999. This was at the peak of professional wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He wanted to create an exciting football league with a “no holds barred” approach to the game. At last, the XFL was born.
Chapter One:
In 2001, Vince McMahon CEO of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and NBC partnered up to make the XFL vision a reality. The two media goliaths invested $100 million dollars to create the inaugural XFL. The two spent millions in advertisement promoting the new age football league offering a new experience. Along with its hype came changes to the rules, presentation and uniforms. The added rule changes including no point after touchdown kicks (PATs), overtime with no first down from the 20-yard line and allowing bump and run pass coverage until the quarterback throws ball. Another big change was the allowance of nicknames on the players’ jersey. The most notable being “He Hate Me” worn by XFL star Rod Smart. The initial week of the XFL inaugural season blew ratings out of the water but unfortunately fizzled out week after week. This ultimately led to a loss of $35 million for the league after one season. The XFL did not return for a second season. Some of the more notable players from the short-lived league includes running back Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, Super Bowl Champion quarter back Tommy Maddox and cornerback Kelly Herndon. One of the biggest contributions the XFL made was the introduction of the sky cam, which changed the game and remains a staple during football broadcasts.
Chapter Two:
In 2018, Vince McMahon CEO of the now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wanted a new shot to reboot the XFL. McMahon was tired of the controversies and slow play in the NFL so he committed to investing $500 million to relaunch the XFL. McMahon hired Oliver Luck, former Big 12 commissioner, and NCAA Playoff Committee Chairman to be the Commissioner and CEO for the XFL. The league gained interest with the signing of Landry Jones as its first player and Bob Stoops as its first coach. Prior to the kick off week, the league had garnered big sponsorships with Gatorade and Anheuser-Busch. The success was short lived as on March 12, 2020 the league cancelled the season due to COVID 19. On April 10, 2020 all the employees were terminated and on April 13, 2020 the league filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Chapter Three:
On August 3, 2020 an investment group headed by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, his business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia and Cardinale’s Fund purchased the rights to the XFL and its assets hours before auction. The Rock an ex-football player, wrestler and public figure famous for his many outlets of media decided to take his ties to the sport of football and own his own league. Mirroring his character Spencer Strasmore from Ballers who was always looking for a seat at the table, in the biggest way possible by owning his own league. On October 1, 2020, the initial announcement slated for the league to kick off in Spring 2022, but negotiations with the Canadian Football League (CFL) collaboration pushed the date, and the negotiations fell to the wayside. On December 2, 2021, the announcement of the revised start date of February 18, 2023 was announced.
With the third attempt to create a successful football league, there have been additional changes to its structure. The first being the inaction of the Hub at the ballpark at Arlington, now called Choctaw Field. The Hub at Choctaw Field is now the home base for the XFL. It is the playing stage for player housing, practice, work out facilities and athletic training facilities. For a startup league, one would believe this is a smart idea as it cuts down on real estate expenditures and housing costs for the players. Also, it allows ease to communicate league news, media and social media presence all from one location, which is of high importance today. Even though there is The Hub in Arlington, the games will take place in the cities of the home teams like normal.
The teams consist of 5 of the original relaunched league teams that includes: the DC Defenders, St. Louis BattleHawks, Arlington (Dallas) Renegades, Houston Roughnecks and the Seattle Sea Dragons. The XFL has introduced three new teams to round out a league of eight teams: the Vegas Vipers, Orlando Guardians and the Desert Dweller Sports Network favorite San Antonio Brahmas. The teams are separated into North and South divisions. In upcoming coverage we will dive deep into the rosters and you may be surprised with some of the talent being showcased in this league.
Finally, another difference that is extremely beneficial to the XFL is its partnership with the NFL. The NFL will be using the XFL to test out potential rule changes, which we will dive into more closer to the start of the season. In addition, the XFL will serve as a developmental ground for equipment, officials and coaches. This is a great opportunity for XFL success this time around.
We at Desert Dweller Sports Network are looking forward to the upcoming season and will be your main source for XFL coverage. We hope you join us along the way to test the theory of the Third Time Is a Charm.