Maybe under new management, things will probably be a little different.
Plenty of people still remember the XFL, but a lot of people also remember that initially, it didn’t work out. It’s hard to believe that this league came out in 2001 to start with, with Vince McMahon, the same guy that was in charge of the WWE for so long, trying to bring a new football experience to the world. Needless to say, it didn’t work. But the league did return in 2020, only to be derailed by COVID-19 along with everything else as the people had to wait and see if it would return. Well, the wait appears to be over since in the coming year it sounds as though the XFL will be making its way back to the field again, with 8 teams filling out the roster at this time to kick things off. It’s still going to be a challenge to see if it can interest enough people and therefore stick around for a while, but at this time it feels as though an alternative to the NFL is going to be interesting enough to watch since it’s not new, but it is different, and it’s another sporting event that people will be able to watch.
There are going to be a few changes no doubt, and the rules aren’t going to be just like the NFL. Having so few teams will no doubt make the season a bit shorter, maybe, and will increase the size of the fanbase each team has, maybe. The thing about the XFL is that as much as many people want to see it come back, it’s still a giant question mark to see if it will happen in a way that will be sustainable. Fans have to be entertained, sponsors have to be satisfied, and the whole mess needs to come together in a way that’s going to make it work like a well-oiled machine. Maybe the third time is the charm, maybe it’s going to go off without a hitch this time, but it’s kind of doubtful that there won’t be any issues since even with a complete overhaul it’s very possible that the XFL is going to have a few hiccups along the way that won’t be particularly pleasant. The one belief I have when it comes to anything is to hope for the worst, but expect the worst. It’s not being paranoid, it’s being realistic, and this helps to keep one’s expectations at a level that’s bound to keep one ready for what could come, but also willing to accept the triumphs that come with each trial one faces.
Some folks might think that the XFL already has a leg up since Dwayne Johnson is involved. That could be a very big reason why some people will watch, but it has to be stated that he might be a part of this movement to bring the XFL back, but he won’t exactly be that big of a sight on the sidelines or anywhere else. Yes, he’s involved, and yes, he’s a driving force behind bringing it back, but the truth is that the XFL is going to rise or fall based on the fan reaction and how the athletes perform. One thing that makes the NFL what it happens to be is the performance of the athletes and how they draw the people in by putting everything on the field during every game. There’s a reason why a lot of people don’t care that much about preseason, and it’s because the games don’t count toward the team’s overall record, meaning that it’s a process of feeling out the team and finding out what works. The XFL has a lot more to prove since if it’s going to compete or even just coexist with the NFL, it will have to put up the kind of numbers that will make it clear that the league is worth the effort.
Let’s talk a little more about this.
Dwayne Johnson is a co-owner of the league, which sounds hopeful.
The man once known as The Rock has had a stellar career since hitting his groove, and even a couple of lackluster movies haven’t slowed him down throughout the years. But this is a massive undertaking compared to anything else he’s done, and it’s not hard at all to think that while Dwayne has the charisma and the confidence to accomplish something like this, it’s still a bit step up. While he’s not solely responsible for the league, a lot of fans are going to be likely to look to him in expectation of what’s to come. Much like the fans of the NFL have looked to the headman in charge over the years, it’s bound to happen that Dwayne will be given a great deal of criticism as well as praise when things start up. If anyone is thinking that he is going to be a smooth ride simply because of who he is and what he’s done, then they haven’t been paying attention. Johnson is still going to be made to earn every bit of praise that he gets. But he’s the type of guy that knows how to make a success and knows how to deal with disappointment. Things should go fine under his guidance.
Vince McMahon had a dream to create a new football lead that didn’t pan out the way he wanted.
What is clear is that the original XFL excited people for all of a few moments before people started thinking of it as a joke. Some even believed that the XFL was kind of like arena football, meaning it was for those players who were good, but not good enough for the NFL. That’s kind of a cynical way to look at it, but really and truly it’s one of the ways that people were willing to justify the existence of this league. One problem with Vince’s plan was that he appeared to be waiting for a big deal and simply waited too long. That feels like the best explanation at this time, but it could be a serious lack of interest since the NFL has been around for way too long and is kind of tough to compete with. One can only hope that Dwayne Johnson isn’t going to play the same game that Vince did, if only because it’s been proven not to work.
COVID did a serious number on everything.
The fact that so many different sports took a serious hit made it easy to believe that something like the XFL, which was working well enough after being brought back, would suffer even worse. When the numbers weren’t up enough to make it last for a while, a pandemic was bound to deliver a knockout blow that might have instead been more of a stunner. Things were going along fairly well, but once again, a worldwide disease that had people scared to death was bound to be something that would derail just about anything. Hopefully, the time away won’t have done any serious damage though, otherwise, I’ve been keeping my Seattle Dragons hat for nothing more than sentiment.
Having an icon like Dwayne Johnson doesn’t hurt the chances of this league.
The fact that Dwayne is a huge star and that he’s played football and even starred in a couple of movies that had to do with football makes this even easier to follow and believe in since he knows something about the game. It’s nice to see when someone that has actually played the game takes charge in a sport since it does manage to give people confidence that they might care a little more about the athletes. That’s the thought at least since when it comes to the owners of a team or those who reside in the highest offices, it’s fair to state that a lot of fans easily get to thinking that those in the front office don’t always give a damn, so long as they’re still making their money. That’s not the case, or at least we hope it’s not.
Eight teams are going to be rounding out the league. Who are you rooting for?
The teams have been selected, made, and will be hitting the field this coming year, but as of yet, it’s hard to say what each team is going to look like in terms of talent since there might very well be plenty of names that people will recall from the NFL, guys that didn’t make the cut or were waived for whatever reason. One can easily guess that each team might have been scouting all the available names as much as possible in the hopes that they would find someone willing to join the crew. 2023 seems like a long way off, but at the very least, the hope is now that we’ll get to see the XFL hit another gear and extend itself for a while to come.
Maybe the third time is the charm, right?
There’s no guarantee that this is going to work since it’s the third time around. But it pays to be realistic, and there’s going to be a bit of an uphill battle to make everything pan out the way it should. But the hope is that the fans will end up returning and that they’ll stay loyal. If nothing else, it’s a chance to see greatness return and possibly evolve.
WTR? (WHy’s That Radass?)
Dwayne Johnson has been a great entertainer for a lot of years now, and he knows what the people want. Now it’s a big hope that he’ll be able to watch over the XFL and inspire the players and the coaches to even greater heights. It’s a tall order to fill, but it almost happened last time before COVID, there’s a good chance that it can happen again.
