The New XFL Merges the WWE with the NFL—But Not in the Way You Think

The 2020 version of the XFL kicked off this past Saturday with a match between the Seattle Dragons (coached by former Redskins coach Jim Zorn) and the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field.

The Defenders would come away victorious by a 31-19 margin, but more important than the final score was the quality of the presentation.

For those who aren’t aware, this new XFL is itself a reincarnation of the failed 2001 league of the same name that had branded itself as basically “Professional wrestling, but as football!” It lasted only one season, but Vince McMahon (founder of both WWE and the XFL) decided to give it one more shot:

The new XFL was announced in 2018 and given two years to build rosters, teams, coaching staffs, and everything else from the ground up.

This “building period” seems to have helped the XFL immensely, because the product on the field Saturday (and again on Sunday) was actually entertaining this time around. No longer branding itself as a football-style WWE, the league has instead sought to portray itself as “real football”—not one that is more violent, but one that is more true to the “spirit” of the game that critics of the NFL say has been lost under that league’s behemoth rulebook.

The new XFL’s slogan is “For the love of football,” its rules are designed to speed up the pace of play (25 second game clock vs 40 in the NFL, only 2 timeouts per team per half, etc.) and refs were seemingly told to swallow their whistles unless something egregious occurred (and sometimes, not even then) — proving that in some ways, it’s not that different from the NFL at all.

Much will be written about the new rules (especially the extra point format after a touchdown) and the quality of the football (more on that later, but on average: probably a bit better than most recent Thursday Night Football games on the NFL, which is admittedly a low bar to clear). Where the XFL truly shined this weekend, however, was in its overall presentation.

For all the criticisms of Vince McMahon and his handling of the WWE (and there are many), the one thing he has always understood is this: It’s not about the fight, but the lead-up TO the fight that matters most to the viewer. The fight is the culmination of all the backstage trash-talk, the crescendo of whatever heel wrestler is insulting the arena’s crowd. Often, a fight’s most shocking moments happen outside the bounds of a ring: I’ll never forget watching Stone Cold Steve Austin being “run over” by a speeding car driven by a mysterious assailant during the 1999 Survivor Series. It’s the presentation of the fight—the storylines, the interpersonal feuds, the feeling that the viewer is right there as the action is unfolding--that gets the audience invested.

The 2020 XFL has adopted this philosophy, and the results are something we’ve hardly seen in a televised football game. Coaches have live microphones on so viewers can hear plays being called in real-time, and they are regularly interviewed live throughout the course of the game. The refs are similarly outfitted with live mics, allowing the audience to hear them discuss things like where to spot the ball or whether a catch was in-or-out of bounds. Players on the field are also interviewed on the sidelines moments after making big plays, as DC Defender Rahim Moore was after intercepting Seattle Dragons quarterback Brandon Silvers in the 2nd quarter; players, in turn, are able to give their “raw,” unfiltered thoughts about the play rather than some pre-canned answers delivered in a postgame press conference hours later.

This “behind-the-scenes” presentation style is in stark contrast to the NFL, where coaches regularly treat their playbooks as if they’re Top Secret documents smuggled in from the Pentagon. As a viewer, it grabbed my interest in a way an NFL broadcast never has; it allowed me a small glimpse into what players and coaches are like when they’re not in the sterilized environment of a media operations room. Whether or not this transparency remains as the season unfolds (especially as opposing coaches get more tape on competitors) is uncertain, but it worked very well on XFL 2.0’s opening week.

The quality of the football being played, of course, is what will sustain the league long-term if it hopes to have the longevity that eluded the XFL of Football Past. The XFL’s hired spokespeople know this and sought to sell each squad as full of “NFL-caliber talent”; prior to the DC-Seattle game, Steve Levy and Greg McElroy noted that “The 40th to 53rd guys you see on an NFL roster…that’s these guys [in the XFL].” Given that I never played in the NFL (you’ll be shocked to discover my imposing 5’9, 135 lb body was not a great fit for professional football), I’ll have to take their word for it. The takeaway, though, is this: While presentation matters a great deal, you can’t completely ignore the on-field product—just ask the Alliance of American Football.

On that front, the on-field product was again entertaining, though not always for the right reasons. Though there were plenty of big plays on offense (particularly for DC in the 2nd half), at one point I counted more dropped passes by Seattle receivers than catches. The running game for both teams was sporadic bordering on non-existent. Special teams plays regularly featured muffed punts and missed chip-shot field goals, to the point where I wondered if Cody Parkey was kicking for every XFL team this weekend.

Yet even the mistakes in play led to highly exciting moments, perhaps none more so than DC cornerback Elijah Campbell blocking a Seattle punt that was recovered for a touchdown by teammate Jonathan Celestin. Blocked punts are a rarity in the NFL, and though they are unlikely to happen every week in the XFL, it can’t be denied that it made for an exciting Week 1 debut for Campbell and Celestin—and by extension, the viewers at home and at Audi Field.

For some Redskins flavor - we mentioned Jim Zorn making his return to Washington, D.C. ten years after being fired by Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen.

Rashad Ross was with the Redskins for a few years, off and on the practice and active squad. Did you know that Ross returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2015, the first kick return for a score since 2010.

Simmie Cobbs also played for a bit in 2018 with the Redskins before being snatched up by the Saints late in the year.

The viewing experience of this new XFL felt different and fresh enough from the NFL that I’m excited to tune in for Week 2. One thing is for certain after the league’s debut weekend: Even if the football is so-so, the way in which you’ll be watching will be worth the few hours of your time. At least until XFL 3.0 comes around in 2040.

Jason Sticha is a freelance writer and US Navy Veteran, who currently lives in Chicago. Jason spent the last several years in the DC area with 106.7 The FAN and Entercom Radio. Please contact him at jasonsticha@Yahoo.com and hey Chicago - what do you say - give this man a good gig today!