The second version of the XFL kicked off on Saturday, admittedly with less fanfare than the original version did 19 years ago.
League founder Vince McMahon wasn't there to boisterously announce that "This. Is. The. XFL!" nor was The Rock there to exclaim "If ya smell what the XFL is cooking!" Instead, on a chilly afternoon in the nation's capital, the D.C. Defenders hosted the Seattle Dragons in a matchup that possessed roughly the same amount of fanfare as a second-tier Big Ten contest in October.
But while this version of the XFL noticeably -- and purposefully -- possessed fewer bells and whistles than the one that lasted only one season nearly two decades ago, it didn't take long to see that this one might have more staying power. While no secondary professional football league -- and there have been a few -- has ever been considered a true success, it appears the XFL might have the best opportunity to extend the football season past the Super Bowl.
According to ESPN P.R., the league's debut game earned a 3.3 rating average. Here are five reasons why that may not just be beginner's luck:
Quarterback play
The Alliance of American Football didn't last long enough to name an official MVP. But if it did, it almost assuredly would have been Orlando Apollos quarterback Garrett Gilbert.
Gilbert -- who now serves as Baker Mayfield's primary backup in Cleveland -- was clearly the best quarterback in the AAF, which folded before the end of its first season in 2019. Truth be told -- and with all due respect to Gilbert -- that likely says more about the other signal-callers in the league than it did the former SMU signal-caller.
But while any secondary football league is going to have issues attracting big name quarterbacks away from the NFL, through one week, it appears to have done an admirable job. Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones is just five years removed from winning a national title at Ohio State and still possesses the cannon-like arm that gave Alabama fits in the Sugar Bowl, while Landry Jones (Dallas Renegades), Josh Johnson (Los Angeles Wildcats) -- neither of whom played this past weekend due to injury -- and Matt McGloin (New York Guardians) are, if nothing else, pro-caliber quarterbacks.
Factor in that June Jones' run-and-shoot offense helped quarterback P.J. Walker tally 272 yards and 4 touchdown passes in the Houston Roughnecks' win over the Wildcats and it'd be tough to argue that the league's quarterback play isn't at least promising. With players possessing the ability to leave for the NFL at season's end, that's something the league will have to actively maintain. But if nothing else, the signal-callers have gotten off to a strong start.
Rules changes
Like many leagues before it -- including the original XFL in 2001 -- the new XFL is experimenting with new rules.
Unlike others, however, these changes don't appear to just be changes for changes' sake.
Instead, most of the slight adjustments that were implemented over the weekend appear to have both improved gameplay and been met with praise. In particular, football fans seem to have taken to the league's new kickoff rules, in which the kicker kicks from the 30-yard line, with neither team allowed to move until the returner fields the ball.
The XFL also has rules that discourage teams from punting (if the ball goes out of bounds inside the 35-yard line or in the other team's end zone, it is a touchback, with the opponent taking over at its own 35-yard line) and to speed up gameplay (a 25-second play clock that begins once the ball is spotted). Other rules like the extra point attempts, in which teams can go for 1 point from the 2-yard line, 2 points from the 5-yard line or 3 points from the 10-yard line, appear to still be a work in progress. But at the very least, the league's willingness to listen to its customers appears to be one of its defining traits.
Gambling
If you were watching Saturday's debut game between the Defenders and Dragons, you likely noticed that the point spread and over-under for the game were both present on the screen, as was a segment regarding the betting favorites to win this season's XFL championship.
Like perhaps no other league before it, the XFL intends to lean into the gambling appeal of football with everything from point spreads to daily fantasy teams. Rather than running from it, the XFL will be willing to address the gambling aspects of its league, which for many, will be one of the biggest reasons to tune in.
In that respect, the XFL could be considered a pioneer, not only in football, but in American sports. And as the legalization of sports gambling spreads across the country, it could give the league a leg up as other leagues inevitably follow suit.
Funding
Due in large part to the financial failures of the AAF, many have been skeptical about the XFL's outlook and perhaps deservedly so. But it's worth noting that -- at least for now -- the league's plan is to be funded not just for this season, but at least the next three.
Last March, McMahon sold $272 million worth of his WWE stock to fund Alpha Entertainment, the vehicle in which he'll operate the XFL. That money should last the league for at least three seasons, after which a long-term television rights deal could make it profitable.
Speaking of television, the XFL already appears to be benefitting from the exposure that the backing of ESPN and Fox affords. During what is typically considered a dead period on the sports calendar, the XFL may find itself as one of the easiest sports to find.
A little bit of Luck
In August, Andrew Luck shocked the football world when he retired from the Indianapolis Colts.
His father, Oliver Luck, however, very much remains involved in professional football.
A former athletic director at West Virginia and NCAA president, Luck built an impressive career in sports administration before joining the XFL as the league's commissioner and chief executive officer in 2018. As a result, Luck has overtaken McMahon as the de facto face of the XFL -- an occurrence that likely wasn't an accident.
One of the pitfalls of the original XFL was the idea that it was professional wrestling's spin on football. That, however, doesn't appear to be the case this time around as the league's debut weekend was largely lauded by the diehards of the football world.