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XFL: More good than bad

Now that the first week of XFL play is over, we can evaluate.

I saw a lot of good things, but I also saw some things that I would change. But that doesn't mean it's bad. It just means that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

BattleHawk uniforms get good grade.
Here's a rundown, from my perspective.

THE GOOD: Overall, I enjoyed it. The product was exciting. It had big plays. The league has innovation in both the playbook and the rule book. It has--for crying out loud--a three-point try after a touchdown if you choose to go for it. 

I like how they described the new league on the XFL website: "We’re evolving things just a bit. Less stall, more ball is how we describe it: a fast-paced game with fewer play stoppages." As a fan, I'm not going anywhere.  I'll stick with a league that has that kind of philosophy.

THE BAD - It does not have--and may never have--a level of fan interest anywhere close to that of the long-established NFL, but then, we knew that going in. The good thing about the XFL is that it doesn't appear it is trying to be the NFL, choosing instead to be it's own man. I mean, it's own league.  And you've got to respect that.

Another drawback is that we know that practically every player on the field would bolt to the NFL if he were given half of a chance. Virtually no one seems to be looking at the XFL as a place to play out an entire career.

But for some, the XFL is the ceiling, and that's not bad. There will always be plenty of XFL guys playing their hearts out, knowing that the NFL notices good performances.  For those who come to accept the fact that the larger league may never come calling, well, they just might stick with their team and their newfound camaraderie, and play with pride and excellence over the long haul.

And I'll tune in for that as well.

THE UGLY - Some of the uniforms--oh my--where do I begin?  Let's start at the top.  I say the DC Defenders have the best threads in the league. The red and white with some lighting bolt action gets an A for it's simplicity. The St. Louis BattleHawks get an A-minus, and the Houston Roughnecks get a B-plus.  I like what all three of those teams are sporting on the field.  Everyone else's colors are just so-so, or--in the case of of the Los Angeles Wildcats and the Seattle Dragons--literally hard for me to watch. Some color schemes don't go together. You may love what the Dragons and the Wildcats look like, because the matter is entirely subjective. What does not work for me just might for you.

THE QUESTIONABLE - Team mascots were selected wisely, for the most part.  I'm good with Defenders, Renegades, Guardians, and BattleHawks.  I'm okay with Vipers and Wildcats.  I'm not quite okay with Roughnecks (unless we're going in to a seedy establishment); nor am I okay with Dragons (because it's not The Lord of the Rings).  But lest you say I'm too harsh, I can live with any of the names.  I kind of half-way expected to have nicknames such as Smashers, Badgers, and Bruisers.  I would have been cool with that.

And finally, I question some of the geography.  I'm sure the league and the owners selected the sites for each franchise based upon the best information they had and the best opportunities available, but for me--a person on the outside looking in--I would think it would have been good to go in to an area that does not have NFL football.  Locating the BattleHawks in St. Louis, for instance, made very good sense to me.

But some other choices raise question marks. The Wildcats could have San Diego all to themselves, but they're in Los Angeles instead.  The Seattle Dragons could have been located in Portland, or maybe in Oakland. I would have put the Renegades in San Antonio instead of in Dallas; and I would have considered having the Vipers in Orlando instead of Tampa Bay.

But I'll give the XFL the benefit of the doubt when it comes to business decisions and geographic placement. They're off to a good start, and I'm looking forward to the weekend.
__________

David Wilson has written two books: Growing Up With Pro Football, and Learning Every Day. Ordering info is at: https://amazon.com/author/dwilsonnotes



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