Well this was an unexpected outcome. Before the season, I said the XFL would complete their season, unlike the AAF who folded after 8 weeks, because they wasn't trying to be a developmental league to the NFL like previous spring leagues. They wasn't a competitor, they were an alternative for people who liked football in general or wanted to watch something other than boring regular season NBA and NHL games. And for the most part, it was a good plan.
Around this time last year, I was watching various arena leagues like IFL, AFL, NAL and AAL as well as foreign leagues like GFL and FIDAF on YouTube. This year, I haven't watched a single game from those leagues on YouTube because I was busy watching the XFL on Fox and ABC. Hell, I just found out that the AFL folded...AGAIN(!!!) due to piss poor management. Talk about a fall from grace. From the highs of a video game and a broadcast deal with ABC to the lows of your team with a losing record winning the championship. It's criminal how badly the Arena Football League was ran this past decade and if I was a billionaire, I would buy it and restore it to its former glory.
Back to the XFL, they had some nice ideas while others didn't pan out the way they thought it would. I had no problem with home teams decide first possession of the game. The kickoff rule was different, but I would rather the NFL make kickoffs that go through the uprights 4 points as well as 60+ field goals. Miking the coaches, bench interviews of players after big plays, and filming locker rooms during halftime were cool things they brought from the OG XFL that I didn't mind either. And I also appreciate that they used the dump button instead of those annoying ass **BEEPS** to censor cursing.
Even with getting rid of coin flips, shorter halftime and other changes to make the game faster, it still lasted 3 hours just like a NFL game. And to be honest, the XFL is like the Group of 5 while the NFL is the Power 5 of professional football. You still enjoy it because it's football, but you see why they're not playing at the top level of the sport. Outside of St. Louis, it was a bad idea putting teams in NFL stadiums/markets. They would've done better sticking with former markets like San Diego and Oakland as well as passionate fans outside of NFL cities like Omaha, Orlando and San Antonio.
END OF SEASON TEAM REVIEW
HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS 5-0
Houston was clearly the best team in the XFL. Sure, they had some scares like against Dallas but they was able to overcome all obstacles and finish perfect. As for P.J. Walker, he might become this XFL's Tommy Maddox by getting signed to a NFL team, play a couple decent seasons and win a Super Bowl as a backup. Of course his future could turn out better or worse than the OG XFL MVP's career, but we won't know that until it happens now will we?
Houston was clearly the best team in the XFL. Sure, they had some scares like against Dallas but they was able to overcome all obstacles and finish perfect. As for P.J. Walker, he might become this XFL's Tommy Maddox by getting signed to a NFL team, play a couple decent seasons and win a Super Bowl as a backup. Of course his future could turn out better or worse than the OG XFL MVP's career, but we won't know that until it happens now will we?
DC DEFENDERS 3-2
As I said at the beginning, then I renounced my statement, then I renounced my renouncement, Cardale Jones is not to be trusted. He either plays really well or really awful; there's no middle ground with him. And it looked like DC had enough of his inconsistency as they benched him in favor of Tyree Jackson. For all we know, they could've went on a run for the championship, but it was not to be. Thanks Corona Virus.
St. Louis looked like a solid team with a even more solid fanbase that was still pissed the Rams left town. Then after a couple losses they looked like any other 3-2 team. It's a shame we won't find out if they could've turned it around and sneak into the playoffs or not.
NY GUARDIANS 3-2
New York is yet another team that benefited from changing QBs. This time, they benched former NFL starter Matt McGloin for former AAF starter Luis Perez. Considering McGloin threw the whole team under the bus when he wasn't playing that great either, it was time for a change. And change there was as they improved to a 3-2 record. Maybe after two years in two different spring leagues the NFL will give Perez a call, hmmm?
New York is yet another team that benefited from changing QBs. This time, they benched former NFL starter Matt McGloin for former AAF starter Luis Perez. Considering McGloin threw the whole team under the bus when he wasn't playing that great either, it was time for a change. And change there was as they improved to a 3-2 record. Maybe after two years in two different spring leagues the NFL will give Perez a call, hmmm?
DALLAS RENEGADES 2-3
Dallas did not turn out how I thought they would. I thought they was gonna be a runaway favorite and become the best team in the league thanks to college football coaching legend Bob Stoops. That did not happen. Instead they were a bad team that couldn't get in the endzone to save their life.
LA WILDCATS 2-3
Los Angeles on the other hand was a bad team that couldn't stop opponents from getting in the endzone to save their life. Even though it makes for entertaining television, getting into a shootout is an awful idea because it shows that while you can score with ease, your defense sucks ass. And all it takes to beat you is a couple 3-&-outs because your defense sure as hell ain't stopping anybody.
Los Angeles on the other hand was a bad team that couldn't stop opponents from getting in the endzone to save their life. Even though it makes for entertaining television, getting into a shootout is an awful idea because it shows that while you can score with ease, your defense sucks ass. And all it takes to beat you is a couple 3-&-outs because your defense sure as hell ain't stopping anybody.
SEATTLE DRAGONS 1-4
Seattle's only win came against a winless team. Granted it was Week 2 but this team didn't have much to show this season aside from a loud Seahawks fanbase and a near identical TD for/against count.
Seattle's only win came against a winless team. Granted it was Week 2 but this team didn't have much to show this season aside from a loud Seahawks fanbase and a near identical TD for/against count.
TAMPA BAY VIPERS 1-4
Tampa Bay was a mess from the beginning. If you're swapping out QBs as part of your game plan, that means both of your QBs suck and it's gonna be a long season. Fortunately for them, the QB situation worked itself out with Taylor Cornelius starting over Aaron Murray and Quinton Flowers. Unfortunately, the Corona Virus killed the season before we found out if it was a change for the better.
FINAL STANDINGS
Overall, I liked the XFL and I imagine the networks liked putting something other than paid programming, a sports special/golf/figure skating/gymnastics or a heavily edited movie on their channels during the NFL's offseason. I thought Vince McMahon would channel Mr. McMahon and play the games anyway in a empty arena like he's doing with Raw and Smackdown, but since he doesn't own a football stadium like he does a wrestling center, that wasn't the case. It would've been cool to see the XFL as the only sports league operating during this Corona Virus drama, but the politicians wasn't having that. So after 5 weeks, the XFL ends with the Houston Roughnecks as the only perfect team and by default, the league champion. They say they will be back next year, but as incompetent this country is with how little of a shit the for-profit healthcare industry give its citizens, we might still be dealing with this bullshit next year as well.
LAST WEEK 2-2
FINAL OVERALL 10-10
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