The XFL is back. The rebirth of the league occurred over the weekend, and since then it has become a major talking point. Even though the NFL season is over, with the XFL, it feels like football never left.
The first game of the season between the D.C. Defenders and Seattle Dragons, aired by ABC, drew 3.3 million viewers. The Defenders would end up winning the game, 31-19 where, former Ohio State Buckeye, Cardale Jones threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Jones would go on to receive “M-V-P” chants in week one.
The second game of the day featured was between the Houston Roughnecks and the L.A. Wildcats. The end result would be 37-17 where the Roughnecks dominated in all phases of the game. The player of the game was undoubtedly P.J. Walker, who would go on to throw for 272 yards and four touchdowns. After this performance by Walker and the Roughnecks’ offense, the defensive coordinator from the Wildcats, Pepper Johnson, was fired two days later. These teams business and will do anything to win.
For the first game on Sunday, the New York Guardians absolutely dominated the Tampa Bay Vipers where the game would end with a scoreline of 23 to 3 favoring the Guardians. The Vipers had a bad start on offense where starting quarterback, Aaron Murray, did not have performance to be proud of in which he threw for 231 yards, zero touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
And for the final game of the weekend, the St.Louis Blackhawks defeated the Dallas Renegades 15 to 9. In the lowest score game of the weekend, both teams did not show much offensively where the quarterback play was not best.
So what’s to say of how the first week went for the XFL?
It was a success. A league that has different rules than the NFL that allows teams to have as many scoring opportunities. It should be attractive to football fans that love watching offensive football going out there and scoring a lot of points. By having distinct kickoff rules, and extra point opportunities, as long with a much shorter snap clock; it can bring some revolutionary rules to football that can be implemented at all levels of play.
One of the main questions that many could ask is: if the league will last? That’s a fair question to ask. However, on the upside for the XFL, it has it’s game airing on networks like ESPN, ABC, FOX, and FOX Sports. The XFL is mainly founded by WWE owner Vince McMahon, where it has the luxury to have some money spent by the higher ups in order for the league to prosper and get going.
Now with the first week recapped and a league restarted, who knows for how long or how successful the XFL can be, it will take some time to see, but it definitely got to a good start.
Ronaldo Sports Blog 