Can The XFL Succeed Along Side The NFL?
We finished the Super Bowl for the NFL and one week later the XFL starts league play. Is it too soon?
19 years ago the XFL tried to carve a place for itself and failed. I think the reason it failed is it tried to battle the NFL. This time around it realizes that it should just play opposite the NFL. The League is run by WWE CEO Vince McMahon, who said from the get-go that things would be different. Also, Oliver Luck is the Commissioner. (You might recognize that name, it's former Colt QB Andrew Luck's Dad.
Mr. Luck said that this time around it's more of a polished organization. They took the time to get the right talent and set up the broadcast and business aspect better. I think it's Vince McMahon's doing. I've seen what a great set up WWE has. It's accessible, and I'm seeing that in the interviews and the officiating.
You will notice a few differences. Some of them, the NFL had talked about trying. There are no extra points. Teams must get the ball in the end zone from different positions that will get them 1, 2, or 3 extra points. Teams can have multiple forward passes, unlike the NFL that have a rule that you have to pass backward, which is considered a lateral. In the NFL the person making a catch must have two feet in bounds, in the XFL they only need one. Also, the NFL has 45 seconds to make a play, the XFL has only 25, so the pace of the game will go faster and also there won't be so many take a knee plays.
After so many failed attempts to have another league, this one seems to be sound and has learned from the other leagues.