XFL

[stringypoo]

Lol, v9733xa is right, this ain’t college football or NFL.  Deserves its own thread, especially given we’ve still got a good two months of it left.  Admittedly, I still rather it was NFL season, but XFL is a nice way to extend current football action!  

Go Roughnecks!

[stringypoo]

Just finished watching week 2, DC Defenders vs New York Guardians. Watching this game, I quickly realized these team names are not great in that I kinda confused teams when being called by names. In my mind, a guardian is a type of defender, so their synonymous names is tricky as hell when they face off for now. Lol

New York surprised the hell out of me. They were awesome in week 1. Can’t believe how badly they blew it this time though. I also lost interest in the team because I hated their quarterback this time. Matt McGloin and that quarterback for LA’s team are the ones I can’t stand. They fuck up a lot and then question the coach’s playmaking and challenge it. But the footage shows all. He just sucked. I hate quarterbacks like that.

Although Roughnecks are my team, these DC Defenders are also on my like list. Cardale Jones is a cool headed quarterback, doing great work out there. Some beautiful passes in that game! Tomorrow I’ll watch the week 2 game with the Vipers. Should be an interesting one.

[theblackpage]

Thanks for this thread! Can anyone sum up some what the difference is between NFL and this? I know I can look it up but I guess this makes me understand it easier.

[stringypoo]

Feb 24, 2020 7:54:48 GMT -5 theblackpage said:

Thanks for this thread! Can anyone sum up some what the difference is between NFL and this? I know I can look it up but I guess this makes me understand it easier.

Well, sometimes the game commentators/callers talk about the XFL and NFL comparatively, and one of the sentiments that they tend to hold is that the XFL is kinda like the second chance for a lot of talented players who missed their opportunity to get drafted into the NFL.  Another player scenario they often paint is the fact that many XFL players were in the NFL, but often got stopped following an injury, or they were just never placed onto the starting roster, always in practice squads but never on the field.  So I kinda think of it as professional football limbo. Lol!  But it’s clear that there is some real skill and talent on these teams.  

As far as actual differences, here’s a short list of things I can think of.  
1.  The kickoff must be touched by the receiver on the other side of the field before other players on the field can move, a change which encourages the kick return more and potentially lessens the chances of injuries during returns. 
2.  The football is reportedly slightly smaller than the NFL football, which is easier to catch and throw, but trickier for punting. 
3.  Punting on 4th down is discouraged more in this league as a touchback results in a placement of the ball at the 40 yard line on the opposite side of the field. 
4.  After the 2 minute warning, players don’t need to get out of bounds to stop the play clock. All in bounds plays finish in a result of stopped playclock after the 2 minute warning. 
5.  Shorter playclock on every snap, 25 or 35 seconds, I forget...but it allows the game to be played faster than nfl games.  
6.  Both teams have two time outs for each half. 
7. Everything is much more transparent with regards to referee calls and play challenges.  You hear most of what every official says, and you get to watch the guys in the booth who analyze and make the final call on plays.  This encourages way more fair calls.  Every play is reviewable with transparency. 
8.  A lot more engagement with players and coaches during the game. Sometimes just funny interviews with players mid-game. 
9.  Smaller rosters to give more players more chances with the ball, playing into a promotional style of play to get these guys more attention. 
10.  Many of the on field players have headsets inside their helmets, and they hear coach’s calls.  NFL uses this to an extent, but they turn off headset communication 10 seconds before the snap. I’m XFL, communication with coach through headset doesn’t turn off.  Although also it should be noted that not all players get the headset. 
11.  After a touchdown, there is no extra point kick.  Instead, it’s a 3 level conversion attempt. One point from the 2 yard line, 2 points from the 5 yard line, and 3 points from the 10.  

Yeah, there’s probably more to add, but this is fresh off the top of my head.  

[theblackpage]

Thanks stringypoo for the list!

The rules they are having are good imo and they should add some to the NFL to make games more interesting. I'll look into some matches when I get home. I can probably find a few on youtube right?

[v9733xa]

Right, to be fair, lots of the rules in the XFL are downright excellent. I would adopt nearly all of them in the NFL. Kind of like how minor leagues (usually the independent ones) in baseball try interesting rules -- the first to do replay, the first to try automatic balls/strikes -- this might lead to actual changes in football. For that reason i am all about the XFL.

Still, most of the players aren't that good. It's practice squad rejects, undrafted nobodies, and guys past their prime. But there are worse ways to waste your time, i guess.

[stringypoo]

Feb 24, 2020 13:21:08 GMT -5 theblackpage said:

Thanks stringypoo for the list!

The rules they are having are good imo and they should add some to the NFL to make games more interesting. I'll look into some matches when I get home. I can probably find a few on youtube right?

I’ve been watching full games on the Chinese YouTube site, called Youku. See if this runs smoothly for you. If it does, let me know if you’d like me to post each game here.  Also, there are highlight reels in YouTube.  

m.youku.com/video/id_XNDU0MDk5MTk0MA==.html?spm=a2h0k.8191393.bodydiv.5!2~5!6~A&from=s7.8-1.2&source=

Edit:  I clicked on this link after sending and it did not immediately take me to the game because it wanted to open in Youku’s app.  If you want to try out the link and see if the game plays smoothly for you (Youku doesn’t load quickly from US from my experience, for example), try opening this link in another tab and it should open. 

Like i said, I’ll post all game links from Youku if people are interested. 

[Calvinball]

I've been busy the past two weeks but I intend to start watching this weekend. From all the hype I'm wondering if a not NFL football league can finally survive in this country.

[stringypoo]

Feb 24, 2020 21:27:03 GMT -5 Calvinball said:

I've been busy the past two weeks but I intend to start watching this weekend. From all the hype I'm wondering if a not NFL football league can finally survive in this country.

I think given it extends the football watching season beyond the NFL season, and it has definitely had a bit of hype surrounding it, I think it can definitely survive.

What I’m not feeling too certain about is the likelihood of the NFL adopting changes from XFL’s take on the sport. It’s not that I think the changes XFL made aren’t good, but rather NFL is such a longtime established league, and I kinda feel like they wouldn’t want to borrow from a startup lesser-than league. I can imagine it might give the NFL some things to consider for their own changes though. Either way, I think XFL has a chance to survive for a while.

[stringypoo]

I watched week 2, Dallas Renegades vs LA Wildcats today. Started it in the morning, finished the game in the late evening. Crazy game! Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon showed up on the sidelines midgame and got in a fun interview session. Gurley was there to cheer on his ex-teammate, LA Wildcats wide receiver Nelson Spruce (ex Rams) who I believe has the most receiving yards in the XFL currently.

The game was horribly slow offensively. That 4th quarter got super intense real quick offensively though.

Both teams started their main quarterbacks this game, neither of which were able to play in week 1, so it was a game about these two teams finding their rhythm with their main quarterbacks, which is probably why it took so long for things to heat up.

Landry Jones for Dallas Renegades. Man, he ate dirt first half. He sucked. But the funny and kinda nice part about it is that those interviewers kept asking him about what’s going wrong for the offense throughout the game, and he kept saying he just needed to play better, and that this was some of the worst football he’s played ever. The dude was so honest, and his attitude was just awesome, given the circumstances. It’s hard for me to not like a quarterback like that. I don’t mind that he doesn’t seem as awesome as PJ Walker in Houston, I like this guy Landry Jones!

The Wildcats quarterback looked pretty alright as well, but time will tell if he is what they needed. They ran the ball a lot.

So yeah, week 2, Dallas vs LA, interestingly slow first half full of missed opportunities, and a suspenseful second half. Houston Roughnecks are my team, but I can also support the Dallas Renegades. And it’s hard not to like DC Defenders.

[stringypoo]

Woo, anyone else saw week 3, Dallas Renegades vs Seattle Dragons? That was a close one for a long time. Although neither team looks NFL worthy to me, it was a fun game to watch, especially being that I had a team of interest in the matchup with the Renegades. Again, I think Landry Jones isn’t the biggest hotshot in the league, but he’s probably my favorite quarterback in the league for his attitude and coolness as a playmaker. He’s the kind of guy you just want to grab a beer with and talk football. Hahaha

Nail biter of a game. Damn those Dragons! Lol! They looked awful on week one, but their defense got quite decent on week 2 and this game as well. Their quarterback completed most of his passes, albeit most were short passes. I know his name is Brandon Silvers, but I always refer to him as Long John Silvers. Haha

Donald Parham was the star of the Renegades, tallest guy on the team, a tight end scoring a few touchdowns. Really funny to watch him run because he is so tall he looks slow but he’s actually outpacing the little guys chasing him. Haha

[stringypoo]

Finished Week 3 LA Wildcats vs DC Defenders. This was the most surprising result I’ve seen in the league so far. The much anticipated DC win didn’t happen, and LA got their first victory. Not gonna lie, I dislike the Wildcats but they played awesomely. I believe it is also the third week in a row they started a new quarterback? This time was Josh Johnson, who has apparently played for 13 NFL teams already. Crazy.

Yeah, it was a shitshow on DC’s end, sadly. Cardale Jones barely got a pass in. 39 to 9 are terrible numbers at the end of a game. I’ll check out the New York Guardians vs. St. Louis Battlehawks tomorrow.

Although the wildcats played super well on week 3, their defense made me hate them even more, because their defense lineup was outright mean to the other team on the field. They were taunting them like mad, and I heard a lot of swearing on the field as a few fights were just barely broken up. I don’t have a lot of respect for players who can’t play the game with a sense of respect for their opponents. I keep coming back to Landry Jones, but it’s awesome to see him nearly get sacked but then he shows respect to the defender who almost sacked him and ruined his play with a pat on the helmet or a handshake. That’s good sportsmanship. And as much as I used to think fights on the field were fun, I guess I have outgrown that thought.

[stringypoo]

Anybody else still watching XFL?
As into football I am, I can’t resist. I’ve just started watching week 4, LA Wildcats vs New York Guardians. Two teams with lousy starts (minus that big win Guardians had over Vipers on week 1), now we will see which team is more effective. I have a feeling LA will win this one, but I’ll see by the evening I’m sure. Josh Johnson on quarterback seems like the answer for LA.

[stringypoo]

I just finished watching week 4, Houston Roughnecks vs Dallas Renegades. That was, for me, the highlight game of the season so far. I like both teams. I expected the Roughnecks to blow the Renegades away, but that wasn’t quite what happened. Neither team played quite like they had in previous weeks. Both teams are pass heavy offenses, but both tried running the ball more than usual. It worked way better for Dallas than for Houston. Artis-Payne is a solid runningback that the Renegades need to keep relying on.

The main star of the show I anticipated watching a lot of, PJ Walker, didn’t get much time on the field. The Roughnecks defense got five turnovers, the last one happening within the two minute warning in the 4th quarter being an unbelievable effort by the defense! So yeah, the Roughnecks offense wasn’t on the field much during this game. Not gonna spoil the results for those of you who plan to watch, but it was a great game for the XFL so far.

[tao]

I just wanna say that I am thoroughly enjoying reading your recaps here. Keep it up!