With Vince McMahon’s XFL 2020 set to return tomorrow (2/80, it’s brought back memories of the 2001 attempt that was more debacle than not. Will McMahon’s latest attempt work out? It’s possible.
There are a few differences from the first attempt like the lack of WWE wrestling support and gimmicks to promote it and others. Safety has been more of a priority than previously, but is it enough?
Designed like a video game
When looking through the rules, the emphasis on them doing what fans told them they liked and improving gameplay and speed was the main focus. By removing some of the aspects like removing extra points removes some safety factors the collegiate and NFL rules are in place for, as well as adding intrigue, but avoiding the high speed collisions on kickoffs is one of the ways to balance that.
It’s obvious the gameplay is intended to be similar to playing a video game. What’s interesting with this is it actually ties to the WWE and current professional wrestling style that’s based on the more exciting moves rather than the chess match quality fans have appreciated for decades.
The league is still centralized, meaning while there is a commissioner, McMahon is the ultimate boss. It’s the opposite of how professional sports are set up with a franchise system. In a way, it’s safer in that there are no worries about franchise owners running their teams badly and possibly causing the league to collapse.
Still, it’s good to see football continuing, so it’s worth giving it a chance.
McMahon plans to lose money
Various reports indicate that Vince McMahon will lose approximately $350 million over the first three years (he lost roughly $35 million when the first XFL folded), but he’s hoping to have a big TV contract after three years that’ll balance the budget.
Vince McMahon is set to lose a crazy amount of money when the XFL launches:https://t.co/LudAddPRMy
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) February 3, 2020
It’ll depend on the ratings and if the various station feel spring football is a viable option.
While it’s not McMahon’s intention to challenge the NFL out right, he will at some point. He wants to be the king of the mountain, and having lost out to the older and better tuned NFL twenty years ago, there’s no reason to think his ambition will be tempered.
Not only is the XFL’s return a second chance for players looking for a football career, it’s also a chance for coaches to pass on their years of knowledge they may not have been able to otherwise.
In time, the XFL may be a viable commodity for football fans. It could also be a minor league sort of thing for the NFL, but that’s years away.
Until then, why not sit back and enjoy Vince McMahon’s XFL 2020? It may not be the NFL, but it has potential.
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