Is the NFL slowly becoming the XFL (1 Viewer)

[KellysHeroes]

or atleast modern version of the XFL. Camera are now forced into locker rooms during training camps, players change their names, PAT probably going away in a couple of years, players are mic'ed up during games, reporters interview players right after games even before they can collect their thoughts, and etc. Goodell is the Vince McMahon of football.

 

[MattFancy]

The XFL was just ahead of it's time. If it came back now, I'd bet it would do better.

 

[Timmay]

No one is as big of a boss as Vince McMahon.

 

[KellysHeroes]

No one is as big of a boss as Vince McMahon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaxRo9vNRo

 

[Braktastic]

I'm scared that I had this exact same thought yesterday after reading the PAT thread.

 

[False Start]

I liked the XFL, it added a different life to how football can be played. But if I recall, the XFL failed for many reasons, the fact it wasn't like the NFL is one. The NFL should be careful that they do not turn into something fans do not want.

 

[Chaka]

The XFL failed because it delivered a bad product on the field.

 

[John 14:6]

I thought the XFL was more violent, like "no fair catch" and the race/fight instead of a coin flip. The NFL, on the other hand, is trying to become more tame.

 

[Joe Summer]

Little known fact: Broncos linebacker Paris Lenon played in the XFL.

http://cdn.spundge.com/stories/12016/embedded/

 

[Dentist]

i enjoyed the XFL

"he hate me" and lawrence phillips were awesome

 

[False Start]

I thought the XFL was more violent, like "no fair catch" and the race/fight instead of a coin flip. The NFL, on the other hand, is trying to become more tame.

Th scrambles are what I loved about. Just seems like so much of the XFL is how the NFL should be played.

 

[ghostguy123]

I would agree the XFL was good, but people weren't ready for it. If it came out now, it would do well.

The NFL will never be like the xfl because the level of play is too high. But they do need to be careful with rule changes.

 

[eNdblu]

or atleast modern version of the XFL. Camera are now forced into locker rooms during training camps, players change their names, PAT probably going away in a couple of years, players are mic'ed up during games, reporters interview players right after games even before they can collect their thoughts, and etc. Goodell is the Vince McMahon of football.

The XFL was just ahead of it's time. If it came back now, I'd bet it would do better.

Agreed.

You can also "thank" the explosion of Social Media and the amount of overload of information that we all consume these days for all of these additional things and added access to the players. Society these days seems to demand instant / all access to everything. The NFL is trying to provide and is jumping onto that wagon.

 

[johnadams]

For the record, I enjoyed the XFL, but more the novelty of it.

McMahon put entertainment above all else though he actually tried to have a competitive league. He got much of the entertainment right, but failed at the competitive element. As the NFL edges further away from sport and more into entertainment/business, it only makes sense that the NFL tries to adapt some of the XFL schtick. The biggest change I've seen in the last decade isn't even on the field. It's how individual players have become their own brands thanks to advertising and self promotion. Unfortunately, this trend really siphons some of the fun I have in watching truly competitive sports to the point where the NBA has made a mockery of my favorite sport and, while still way behind the NBA, the NFL is starting to get on my nerves. I blame JIM McMahon.

 

[KellysHeroes]

Little known fact: Broncos linebacker Paris Lenon played in the XFL. http://cdn.spundge.com/stories/12016/embedded/

last player left in the NFL

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

race/fight instead of a coin flip

Separated shoulder on the very first one in league history. Who could have seen that coming?

 

[KellysHeroes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioh3dXJnzws

 

[KellysHeroes]

The XFL failed because it delivered a bad product on the field.

The part of that problem was because they played for peanuts.. QB / $5000 a game = $50,000 a yr... how did they expect to entice anybody with a slim chance to make a NFL (even practice level) roster to play. The 1st couple of yrs was meant to be a meat slicer until they built up a product.

 

[Chaka]

The XFL failed because it delivered a bad product on the field.

The part of that problem was because they played for peanuts.. QB / $5000 a game = $50,000 a yr... how did they expect to entice anybody with a slim chance to make a NFL (even practice level) roster to play. The 1st couple of yrs was meant to be a meat slicer until they built up a product.

Okay, they delivered a bad product on the field AND they had a terrible business model.

 

[ghostguy123]

The XFL failed because it delivered a bad product on the field.

The part of that problem was because they played for peanuts.. QB / $5000 a game = $50,000 a yr... how did they expect to entice anybody with a slim chance to make a NFL (even practice level) roster to play. The 1st couple of yrs was meant to be a meat slicer until they built up a product.

Okay, they delivered a bad product on the field AND they had a terrible business model.

The business model was probably the part that didnt work. They put it together far too fast. The product suffered because it is the ultimate team sport, and there wasnt nearly enough preparation.

Give those same teams one more year and it would have looked totally different.

 

[rockaction]

or atleast modern version of the XFL. Camera are now forced into locker rooms during training camps, players change their names, PAT probably going away in a couple of years, players are mic'ed up during games, reporters interview players right after games even before they can collect their thoughts, and etc. Goodell is the Vince McMahon of football.

I respect the notion of your post, but IMO, it's so far away from the NFL, it's not even funny.

Mandatory special teams returns with no fair catch? Goddell would never, ever touch that in today's liability climate. That's one start. No head hits? What would McMahon say? McMahon billed the XFL as a more masculine version of the NFL. No way that works today.

 

[Todem]

I gotta tell ya......i was actually pleased the refs "have let them play" thus far in the playoffs. I have seen far harder hitting on defense and whining sissy WR's being forced to fight for the ball in the post season.

Too bad we will subjected to 16 weeks of more dreck next season whole waiting for some sembilence of the game I used to love in the post season.

 

[Raiderfan32904]

To the OP's point. Is the question that the NFL is too invasive? Too personal? Are we shocked that we got too close for comfort or is this what the public craves?

It's sad, but the public does crave this XFL type show more now. I think more and more of it is all fake and choreographed than before, much like "viral" youtube vids, but that doesn't matter. People eat this dreck up. When it is sponteaneous like in the case of Richard Sherman, it feeds a whole new subset of the generation that glorifies the gangsta lifestyle. And it's not by chance, there's money in that demographic, if you include all the gangsta wannabees. the guys who wear the black shirts with the "You Mad Bro?" on the front. The NFL hasn't become the XFL. We became the XFL, and the NFL is just giving us what we want, or what the numbers say we want anyway.

XFL was ahead of its time. But it was bad football product. Pretty soon, the NFL as we knew it will be no more. We already gave the NFL too much latitude with what days/nights we would support football. Too much latitude allowing the game to inundate us with commercial break after commercial break so much that our only solace on Sunday is the RedZone channel. They drove a new product down our throats to escape from it. Now the NFL is getting us down on the field for candid moments at the end of games. And players are slipping into their XFL roles on cue, and the public eats it up as the ratings arrow pegs, and the NFL is quite happy about it. You've been played.

 

[Timmay]

XFL needed a fantasy football aspect to it, if that and Vegas had odds on the games. That alone would have kept the league around. It would of drew a viewing interest from fans.

 

[Fariq]

There were lines on XFL games.

 

[Timmay]

There were lines on XFL games.

Fans were probably scared away from the Vince McMahon factor/WWE made up/fixed.

 

[KellysHeroes]

or atleast modern version of the XFL. Camera are now forced into locker rooms during training camps, players change their names, PAT probably going away in a couple of years, players are mic'ed up during games, reporters interview players right after games even before they can collect their thoughts, and etc. Goodell is the Vince McMahon of football.

I respect the notion of your post, but IMO, it's so far away from the NFL, it's not even funny.

Mandatory special teams returns with no fair catch? Goddell would never, ever touch that in today's liability climate. That's one start. No head hits? What would McMahon say? McMahon billed the XFL as a more masculine version of the NFL. No way that works today.

yeah, the XFL were going to destroy those guy during its 1st couple of yrs until it built up its product. I suspected once the product settled in they would of increased wages to get better players and once they got better players they would of increased the rule set to increase safety. Look how much the WWE has changed in 10 yrs; they reduced their move set by a lot and have a concussion protocol.

 

[Chaka]

@ Richard Sherman promoting a "gangsta lifestyle".

 

[John 14:6]

XFL needed a fantasy football aspect to it, if that and Vegas had odds on the games. That alone would have kept the league around. It would of drew a viewing interest from fans.

I was in an XFL fantasy league. IIRC, Tommy Maddox was my QB...

 

[Dentist]

XFL needed a fantasy football aspect to it, if that and Vegas had odds on the games. That alone would have kept the league around. It would of drew a viewing interest from fans.

I was in an XFL fantasy league. IIRC, Tommy Maddox was my QB...

I ran an XFL fantasy league. The tommy Maddox guy ran away with it.

I went with John Avery in the first round - good numbers, but the rest of my team went badly.

 

[kutta]

XFL needed a fantasy football aspect to it, if that and Vegas had odds on the games. That alone would have kept the league around. It would of drew a viewing interest from fans.

I was in an XFL fantasy league. IIRC, Tommy Maddox was my QB...

I ran an XFL fantasy league. The tommy Maddox guy ran away with it.

I went with John Avery in the first round - good numbers, but the rest of my team went badly.

XFL fantasy was a blast.

 

[John 14:6]

XFL needed a fantasy football aspect to it, if that and Vegas had odds on the games. That alone would have kept the league around. It would of drew a viewing interest from fans.

I was in an XFL fantasy league. IIRC, Tommy Maddox was my QB...

I ran an XFL fantasy league. The tommy Maddox guy ran away with it.

I went with John Avery in the first round - good numbers, but the rest of my team went badly.

I'm pretty sure I won it too, but I think the rest of my starters were free agent acquisitions... Or I might be thinking of the arena league we did back when those games were on NBC...

 

[Grateful Parrot]

To the OP's point. Is the question that the NFL is too invasive? Too personal? Are we shocked that we got too close for comfort or is this what the public craves?

It's sad, but the public does crave this XFL type show more now. I think more and more of it is all fake and choreographed than before, much like "viral" youtube vids, but that doesn't matter. People eat this dreck up. When it is sponteaneous like in the case of Richard Sherman, it feeds a whole new subset of the generation that glorifies the gangsta lifestyle. And it's not by chance, there's money in that demographic, if you include all the gangsta wannabees. the guys who wear the black shirts with the "You Mad Bro?" on the front. The NFL hasn't become the XFL. We became the XFL, and the NFL is just giving us what we want, or what the numbers say we want anyway.

XFL was ahead of its time. But it was bad football product. Pretty soon, the NFL as we knew it will be no more. We already gave the NFL too much latitude with what days/nights we would support football. Too much latitude allowing the game to inundate us with commercial break after commercial break so much that our only solace on Sunday is the RedZone channel. They drove a new product down our throats to escape from it. Now the NFL is getting us down on the field for candid moments at the end of games. And players are slipping into their XFL roles on cue, and the public eats it up as the ratings arrow pegs, and the NFL is quite happy about it. You've been played.