The XFL is still nearly a year away from its rebirth, but details of what it will look like are starting to trickle out.
League commissioner Oliver Luck was in the 106.7 The Fan studios with future XFL-DC coach Pep Hamilton and the Sports Junkies discussing what is out from its first iteration, and what fans can expect that's new:
OUT with the gimmicks: Some of the enduring memories of the original XFL were the wrestler-esque nicknames on the backs of the jerseys and the scrum to start the game. For branding and safety reasons, both of these elements will not be making the transition to the new XFL.
OUT with corporate sponsorship: From an economic standpoint this is really interesting. League owner and wrestling mogul Vince McMahon is self-funding the league without corporate sponsorship, at least for now. This gives McMahon complete creative control, although it also leaves him with all of the risk in his investment.
OUT with extra point kicks: While Luck did not elaborate, teams will not be using kickers to add points after scoring a touchdown under any scenario. Instead, the team will likely run another offensive play that has to end up in the end zone in order to add any extra points.
IN with one, two and three-point PATs: After touchdowns, the teams will have a chance to decide if they want to try for up to three extra points. Presumably, they will line up their offense at different distances from the end zone, and have to run a play that ends up in the end zone in order to add the points. Luck suggested that the three-point play will be very difficult, adding a higher risk in going for the big score. It was clear that even Hamilton was not aware of this extra wrinkle in the league rules.
IN with some league competition: There's no doubt that the XFL will compete with the new AAF, which has the advantage of getting off the ground a season earlier. The AAF also appears to have some NFL backing, using the league-owned Network to lightly promote the league's debut in the week after the Super Bowl, and leaning heavily on NFL Media employees as AAF talking heads. While the XFL does not want to compete with the NFL for viewers, they do seem interested in competing for talent, at least on the back end of the roster. Luck indicated that the XFL will look to attract household names at the quarterback positions, even if that means signing players from NFL practice squads.
What do you think of the new professional football leagues as they start to come into focus?
