XFL is back

[vwfalcon]

I believe this has less to do with the politics some of you so badly seem to want it to be and more to do with the reaction from the 30 for 30 ESPN. That production was received well enough that Vince probably thought it was worth another shot if he was more conservative on the product and focused more on the football rather than the sideshow. If you truly believe this decision was made due in large part to the anthem protest, I don't know what to tell you. You don't sell $100M worth of stock in your main company over a political action. This has everything to do with wanting to fix a blemish on Vince's resume.

How dare we think that the man running the league who runs the wwe and who's wife is in Trump's cabinet would use this league as a tool to instigate the worst of us. It's not October 2016 any more. We have to get used to this.

So let me get this straight, you believe this is a politically motivated decision? You believe that this league is being used as a "weapon" of sorts to further a political agenda? I don't know what else to say. That's rather shallow thinking.

I believe that they are taking advantage of a large part of our population by preying on their lack of intellectual curiosity.

So they lack intellectual curiosity by not appreciating the means of the protest as opposed to the cause of the protest? I'm curious, does the NBA's rule requiring players, coaches, and staff to stand during the national anthem mean they lack intellectual curiosity as well?
Claiming the league is formed preying on that audience is ignorant.

[Globetrotter]

I believe this has less to do with the politics some of you so badly seem to want it to be and more to do with the reaction from the 30 for 30 ESPN. That production was received well enough that Vince probably thought it was worth another shot if he was more conservative on the product and focused more on the football rather than the sideshow. If you truly believe this decision was made due in large part to the anthem protest, I don't know what to tell you. You don't sell $100M worth of stock in your main company over a political action. This has everything to do with wanting to fix a blemish on Vince's resume.

How dare we think that the man running the league who runs the wwe and who's wife is in Trump's cabinet would use this league as a tool to instigate the worst of us. It's not October 2016 any more. We have to get used to this.

So let me get this straight, you believe this is a politically motivated decision? You believe that this league is being used as a "weapon" of sorts to further a political agenda? I don't know what else to say. That's rather shallow thinking.

I believe that they are taking advantage of a large part of our population by preying on their lack of intellectual curiosity.

So they lack intellectual curiosity by not appreciating the means of the protest as opposed to the cause of the protest? I'm curious, does the NBA's rule requiring players, coaches, and staff to stand during the national anthem mean they lack intellectual curiosity as well?
Claiming the league is formed preying on that audience is ignorant.

They know pretty well that about 33% of our country are illogical nincompoops afraid of boogeyman and clutching to actual harmful things to protect them from things that they are exceptionally unlikely to ever come in contact with. If you don't think the head of the WWE knows how to prey on that I think that's pretty ignorant.

[Flipper]

The NFL is fucked...for a variety of reasons. The anthem thing is a component. The numerous off field assaults...esp on women is a component. The cynical way they do business where everything is a calculation based on $$$ and nothing...not even TD celebrations...is truly human and organic is a component. The concussion syndromes and CTE...that's a component as well. Playoff ratings are off something 15% over the past two years...some of that is from people streaming games...some of it is due to a lack of fantasy football in the playoffs. The largest part of it is the alienation from the league itself...and to some extent the game.

McMahon sees an opportunity to recapture people's interest in the game of football...i give it a less than 5% chance of working past three years...but, who knows?

[Rollo83]

Personally, I don't need any more football in my life. Especially from a guy that's made his bones on fake wrestling. I already have enough suspicions about the NFL. XFL please go away...again.

[Schadenfreude]

So let me get this straight, you believe this is a politically motivated decision?

I definitely think this is a factor in McMahon's thinking. Once this thing gets going, I'd be quite surprised if the XFL wasn't laying on the nationalism even thicker than the NFL does. And if any of their (nonunion) players ever fail to stand for the pledge, it will be "Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired. He's fired!" (The president's words.)

As far as where they should put teams: America sure could use a good minor football league. I'd love to see them go to the usual cities: Birmingham, Orlando, Sacramento (or, I suppose, Oakland now), maybe Columbus. That wouldn't help with a big TV contract, but ... these are cities that could sure fill some stadiums for football worth watching.

I suspect the new XFL won't last any longer than the old one did, though.

[Globetrotter]

No one is going to these games.

The only way people will watch the games is if it is for prospects for the NFL and/or they have a very fun system for fantasy football.

[Beaker]

Globe - I'm not sure this forum is a good place to make politically charged comments, suggesting that a large chunk of our population are illogical nincompoops who lack intellectual curiosity and labelling them as "the worst of us". I'm sure the folks you are referring to don't appreciate that any more than people on the other side of the spectrum would appreciate it if they were to be referred to as illogical nincompoops who lack intellectual curiosity and being labeled as "the worst of us".

Aside from that, I agree that this rebooted XFL is destined to be a failure. I know I'll be devoting just as much time to it as I devote to the NFL, which is none at all.

[gmartin]

I actually will watch these games. It's football. Maybe not the best athletes but still football..

[MarkL]

I stand by my comment. Open up the game to college style wide spread offenses. It will be exciting, attractive to casual fans, and there is no lack of celebrated college QBs who never made it in the NFL. Hell, you could probably make an entire league worth of QBs with recent Baylor and Texas Tech QBs.