Checking Out The XFL...

Almost one year ago--to the day--I wrote a blog about a new American football league. The AAF, the Alliance for American Football League began playing in several cities, Salt Lake City being one of them. It had coaches, reporters, TV rights, and even some fans.

Two months later I wrote another blog post...about the end of the AAF.

Sad.

New year, new league...well, kind of new. We've seen the XFL before. Back in 2001 the XFL had one season. You can say that's not very long (and it isn't...), but it lasted longer than the AAF.

So, how will the XFL version 2.0 do?

Good question.

I watched a majority of both games on Saturday (they broadcast two games on Saturday and two on Sunday...). I didn't watch as much on Sunday, not because I was disinterested, but because I was doing other things. The games I did see impressed me. Sure, it's not the quality of the NFL, but let's just say, they didn't embarrass themselves too badly. They played with heart. You could tell these were guys wanting to keep doing the thing they loved, even after someone told them they were done.  Of course, I'm not an expert of the quality of a football team, but I've watched my share of games over the past fifty-four years. 

I don't know if I'll be a die-hard fan. Last year, we had a local team, the Salt Lake Stallions. This year, no local team...same as the NFL.

If the new XFL survives past its inaugural season and we see professional football after the Superbowl in 2021, the new XFL will have outlived its two predecessors. I hope it does. But just like in 2001 and 2019, time will tell.

Farewell Stallions...We Hardly Knew Ye

I was on the road, listening to a national sports radio show, when the host announced their next guest coming up right after a commercial break. He said something about how he hoped the next guest was doing better than anyone in the AAF.

Uh oh.

I probably heard the news later than some. After the commercials, the guest talked about how an entire sports league--an organization that existed the day, week, and month before--was suddenly no more.

Gone.

And it made me sad.

There's a reason there're aren't a lot of new sports leagues. It's because they're risky. You need to have millions and millions of dollars to even get the thing set up. Then, you have to be able to pay everyone until you're popular enough for the league to support itself. I don't travel in millionaire circles. I know a few, but it takes a billionaire (or several...) to be able to afford to lose that kind of money.

Turns out, that's what happened. The guest explained why it folded. Most went over my head, except when the expert said that the main person behind the league decided it wasn't something he wanted it to be so he decided to kill it. I watched our local team on TV, the Salt Lake Stallions (great name...), and even several of the other teams play their games. No, I didn't attend in person, but I hardly ever attend anything in person. I was a fan, however.

The Alliance of American Football League had another strike against it even before it started...history. Many remember attempts in the past, the XFL, and the USFL, even the Arena Football League. They came and they went. I think others thought as I did--the AAF may or may not catch on, but it ought to be around a couple of years to see if it succeeds. Turns out, it didn't even survive year one.

It's tough to think about the players, the coaches...those who were making a living and trying to make a better living with this league. It was a lifeline--literally in some cases. And now the line's been cut and those flailing in the water are flailing still. To them we mourn the most.

Farewell Stallions. You did our city, state, and fans all over the world proud. Our time with you ended far too soon. You did a good job. You did what was asked of you. You played hard, won with grace, lost with honor. I hope you will find an opportunity to run again.

Watching A Little Football After The Big Game...The AAF

I've had as many birthdays as there have been Super Bowl games. I'm not a sports historian, but as long as I've been alive, when it comes to football, the National Football League, or NFL, has been king, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. 

Since I'm no sports historian (though an internet search could get me the info I'm looking for...) I believe two leagues formed before I was born and created the NFL. Because we live in a capitalistic society, people have tried several times over the years to create a product to give fans of football something to watch when the NLF is not in season. The first "other" league I remember was the old United States Football League, or USFL. I remember it being ambitious, and they had a lot of money behind it. I even watched some of the games.

It didn't last.

There was Arena football--not quite the same, but it was football, and the XFL. They even tried a league in Europe. I remember watching a lot of those games. The talent wasn't bad, either. Now, the latest kid in the corral is the Alliance of American Football, or AAF. This time, there's a hometown team to root for, the AAF Salt Lake Stallions.

They've only played for two weeks. I watched the Stallions's first game. There's a lot of local university talent on the Stallions's roster. They did not win. I did not watch their second game. They did not win that one, either. And I'm not knowledgable enough about the game to gage just how good these players are, or are not. I do know, there were a lot of dropped passes...a lot of dropped passes.

I'm going to keep watching. It's fun to root for a local team, especially a professional team. I hope it works out. Based on past programs, they've got an uphill fight, but that's what sports and competition is all about, doing tough things. Good luck Stallions! Good luck AAF!

* All photo/video is used without permission from the NFL Network, The Atlanta Legends, or the San Diego Fleet.