The Battlehawks return to the Dome this Sunday for their first game since 2020. Team leaders say they've been itching to return.
"You know what, we're just excited to play in front of our home St. Louis fans for the first time this year," said Dave Boller, director of player personnel. The team opened up 400-level tickets on Friday — if those sell, the team could fill the entire stadium. "Anthony [Becht] I know wants a full house. He wants to blow the roof off the Dome."
Boller talked with KMOX's The Show about what it was like to recruit players for the XFL without the resources available to NFL teams.
"It is unique like you guys say — it's been humbling and though rewarding," he said. "I took a jump from college football after scouting for 20 years. And I think that helped me, being in college football for a few years and not being removed from the NFL. So I had a grasp for some of those pro kids that hadn't made it in, college kids coming out."
It'll be a big weekend for Downtown, with the game and St. Patrick's Day festivities. With concerns about crime on the rise, Explore St. Louis' Brian Hall says the city is prepared.
"I think it's perfectly safe if you practice city smarts, if you keep your wits about you and you're vigilant, as a spectator or a tourist in downtown St. Louis," Hall told KMOX's Kevin Killeen.
Boller said the community aspect of the game is important to the team, and that playing in St. Louis really makes a difference.
"I think everybody would prefer to be at home, you know, to support the community and to be where you play."
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