Let’s try this again. After two previous incarnations—both lasting only a single season—the XFL will make its triumphant return this weekend, this time under the leadership of WWE alum Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. All eight teams will be in action starting with Saturday’s season opener between the Arlington Renegades and Vegas Vipers, which kicks off at 3 PM ET on ABC.
Though obviously of a lesser quality than what we just witnessed over 18 regular-season weeks and four rounds of the NFL playoffs, the XFL should still be of interest to diehard football fans, particularly those who feel a certain nostalgia for the likes of Josh Gordon (Seattle), Martavis Bryant (Vegas) and Eli Rogers (Orlando), among other known commodities.
Gordon, who led the league in receiving yards during his breakout 2013 (a feat made more impressive by the fact he was suspended for the first two games), may be the most well-known of this year’s XFL crop, but he’s far from the only one with NFL experience. In fact, the league is littered with familiar faces, including former Raiders standout Marquette King (Arlington), Falcons Pro Bowler Vic Beasley (Vegas), draft bust Paxton Lynch (Orlando), Alabama’s all-time passing yards leader A.J. McCarron (St. Louis) and Geronimo Allison of Green Bay Packers fame (Vegas).
The XFL is rife with players who never quite panned out, confined to the fringes of a league that didn’t need or want them. While the XFL can be a stepping stone to bigger and better things—just ask P.J. Walker, who parlayed his success with the Houston Roughnecks into a lucrative NFL career—it’s also a safe haven for embattled washups who might not have anywhere else to go, mired in relative obscurity as training-camp depth and practice-squad bodies fighting for whatever scraps they can get. Think of it as a second chance for misfits like Broncos castoff Cody Latimer, former Cowboys backup Ben DiNucci (Seattle) and journeyman running back Kalen Ballage (San Antonio), reinventing themselves after years of rejection and disappointment.
It's not just players, either. Headlined by Hines Ward (San Antonio), Wade Phillips (Houston), Rod Woodson (Vegas) and Jim Haslett (Seattle), the coaching staffs are a similar “Who’s Who” of talent, a proving ground for some of the sport’s biggest names, seeking to reestablish themselves after a lengthy hiatus. The XFL doesn’t promise good play or a comparable viewing experience to the NFL in any way, but it’s still football, which is always better than the alternative.
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