Vince McMahon, the founder, and chairman of the WWE announced he is reinvigorating the professional XFL football league.
The league Mr. McMahon started for one season in 200 with NBC’s help failed last time around. However, this time it is going to be different. The XFL football league will be more normal than before and from all accounts, they are looking to reinvent the game. The reinvention is trying to target more of what people want to see the way they want to see it. This is not going to be the typical NFL style of football.
The league has brought together what they call the “Re-imagining Committee”. A committee is a group of industry-relevant advisers with some big names. The committee is made up of Jim Caldwell, former Colts and Lions head coach, John Fox, former Panther, Broncos and Bears head coach, Doug Flutie former NFL QB, Donna Orender former president of the WNBA, John Kosner, a 20-year veteran of ESPN media and Kevin Guskiewicz who is ahead, neck and spine consultant. That is right, some of our old favorites from the NFL are conspiring to make this league a real and different game, not the trendy fad that the XFL was in 2001.
How Will XFL Football Look In 2020
There will be eight teams to start each with a 40-man roster. The season will last for 10 games beginning in January and the game will last for two hours as a goal.
Players with a criminal record are precluded from playing. Players will furthermore not receive any forum for any personal stances on social or economic issues. Games will be faster and with fewer interruptions. The new approach to football is being billed by some as a more American approach to football. This is because there will be no protests of the national anthem or the flag which is what some come from wealthy unappreciative players.
Who will be Excluded From XFL Football?
McMahon also said, “Players with a criminal record will not play in this league”. However, Mr. McMahon further stated, “We are evaluating a player based on many things, including the quality of human being they are, if you have any sort of criminal record or commit a crime you aren’t playing in this league.” We are not sure what the line in the sand will be for criminal records at this point but McMahon made this statement regarding it, “You want someone who does not have any criminality associated whatsoever with them. Even if you have a DUI you will not play in the XFL,” McMahon told reporters. “So that will probably eliminate some of them. Not all of them. If Tim Tebow wants to play, he can very well play.”
We will be interested to find out if the “be a good person” policy would exclude one of the first people to express interest in playing in the new league. Johnny Manziel, former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner was charged with a misdemeanor when he was alleged to have hit and threatened his ex-girlfriend. Manziel reached an agreement in that case and it was dismissed clearing him of the charge.
McMahon Is Funding The XFL Football League On His Own
Mr. McMahon is funding the league on his own but appears to be doing a great job of relying on professional consultation to get it right this time around. He has laid out $100 million which is believed to come from proceeds from WWE stock McMahon sold. McMahon said, “being the only owner of all of the teams will allow me to do whatever I want”. He also stated, “I can say, here are the rules, and as long as you are playing football in the stadium for us, you follow these rules.” McMahon recently stated, “I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one, a chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, you were the one who screwed this up, or you made this thing a success.”
The XFL Conservative Values And The Trump Administration
The announcement of the league came almost two years before the first game. Some say this may point to McMahon’s relationship with President Donald Trump. As a side, not Mr. McMahon’s wife, Linda just happens to be the head of the Small Business Administration. As we all know, the president has been a staunch critic of the NFL. He has taken a hard line toward players kneeling in protest of the national anthem. McMahon has made it clear that no one in this league will have a personal political forum. McMahon stated, “People don’t want social and political issues coming into play when they are trying to be entertained,” McMahon said. “We want someone who wants to take a knee to do their version of that on their personal time.”
The XFL Is Good News For Players Cut From The NFL
There are over a thousand players cut from the NFL every year. This new league will therefore actually create a lot of new jobs and not just for players. This new league is hiring and there are a ton of positions listed on their website. They are obviously trying to do things differently this time around, capitalizing on good talent to make the league a success.
McMahon believes XFL Football will succeed this time around because television ratings no longer dictate success. McMahon stated, “To me the landscape has changed in so many different ways, just look at technology and companies like Facebook and Amazon bidding for sports rights. Even if ratings go down, there’s no denying that live sports rights continue to be valuable and continue to deliver.”
McMahon plans to lure media partners in by offering something the NFL is stingy on which is more access and creative license. Mr. McMahon said, “I don’t think people want to see the same thing when they’re streaming as they see on television, that’s boring. I think fans want it shot in a totally different way, and I think there’s an immersive opportunity that’s more interactive to the game.”
Towns and Stadiums
Whatever the game and the league looks like, here is the list of cities and stadiums hosting games when the XFL kicks off in 2020. Assuming there will still be kickoffs in the new league.
Dallas Stadium: Globe Life Park in Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
Houston Stadium: TDECU Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Los Angeles Stadium: StubHub Center (Carson, California)
New York Stadium: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Seattle Stadium: CenturyLink Field (Seattle, Washington)
St. Louis Stadium: The Dome at America’s Center (St. Louis, Missouri)
Tampa Stadium: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Washington, D.C. Stadium: Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
About The Writer
Stacy is a writer and the owner of Searchorb Marketing and Media. Searchorb is not affiliated with the XFL, however we expect to follow all the news releases. Stay tuned and we will keep you posted about upcoming events and happenings regarding the new league.
