BLAKE BUBAK
bubakbt@lopers.unk.edu
It doesn’t seem that football is leaving anytime soon. Thanks to the reintroduction of the XFL, fans are able to enjoy weekly action with a game that features its own unique rules.
While it provides an opportunity for fans to enjoy weekly entertainment, it serves as a platform to differentiate themselves from the NFL.
“I thought they did a good job of kind of shortening the game, a faster pace of play, shorter half time and I think it makes it fan friendly so you don’t have to plan a whole afternoon to watch one game,” said Drew Thatcher, UNK quarterback coach and previous coach of Jordan Ta’amu, XFL quarterback for the St. Louis BattleHawks.
The XFL that was started by Vince McMahon, WWE founder and chairman, and NBC back in 2001 fell following the conclusion of the first season. It placed more of an emphasis on sex and violence similar to its WWE counterpart. As the expectations grew during the season, the amount of viewers did not follow suit. After the season ended, the XFL was closing shop and they had incurred a loss of more than $50 million.
Following the season kickoff earlier this month, it seems that the expectations have changed and the vision is much clearer.
“We aren’t going to have much of what the XFL had, including the cheerleaders, who aren’t really part of the game anymore. The audience wants entertainment with football, and that’s what we are going to give them,” said McMahon in an online story published by ESPN on Jan. 25, 2018.
There have been new rules and policies that have been implemented. Featuring eight teams and a season that runs through April, the XFL provides a fresh opportunity for players. McMahon has mentioned that the XFL does not welcome players with a criminal record as well as does not serve as a platform for current social issues. With a faster pace of play, live action football and in-game interviews, fans are curious about the potential success this time around.
As the league progresses, time will only tell the fate of the XFL moving forward.
“I think the benefit of why it might take off is because it’s not during the NFL season, so more people who kind of like me love to watch football are going to watch that,” said Zack Sorich, a UNK Construction Management student.
