# The XFL Sucked . . but boy, some good ideas! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600 "2001-09-10T01:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/1 "2001-09-10T01:51:31Z")
-Team having to score another TD off the 2 yard line to get the extra 1-2 points- how many moments of my life were wasted having to watch a team kick the cheesy extra point today? -The scramble for the ball- 10 times more entertaining than the Commode in Chief flipping a coin. Why NOT make the teams earn the right to possession? -Overtime. The Eagles and ther Falcons lost on Field Goals. The XFL’s “can you top this” strategy for settling ties was SO much more exciting! -Sidelines interviews. I would have LOVED to get the gut reaction from the Rams receiver after tossing the ball off the kickoff and costing his team 10 yeards. “Why are you such a dumbass???” The XFL, no doubt, sucked major amounts of ass. But, rules such as the above and even the extra points conversion rules added for the playoffs would have made for an even more exciting week 1!!! ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/2 "2001-09-10T02:07:58Z")
And then there were their relaxed rules pertaining to roughness. If the XFL hadn’t gone belly up, there,s a significant chance that they might have caused me to become interested in football. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/3 "2001-09-10T02:19:14Z")
Why the XFL tanked… -Too much hype that the XFL couldn’t live up to. -A lousy time slot. They should have started slowly and built up from there. Vince McMahon is a genius when it comes to wrestling, but all of his other ventures flop miserably. And yes, the XFL had some good ideas… but it wasn’t enough to keep it up. Also, they should have learned to only interview players who knew how to work the camera. Too many of the close-ups were bland and stale. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/4 "2001-09-10T02:46:01Z")
You’re not the only one to notice, **Vinnie**. Have a gander at this; [boring football](http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/columnists/peterson/stories/gary_20010907.htm) The XFL did get a lot of people thinking. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/5 "2001-09-10T04:24:14Z")
Another thing I liked in the XFL coverage was they had TV cameras down **on the field** with the players covering the plays. It gave us some pretty neat camera angles, and would be invaluable for the “instant replay review” coach’s challenges the NFL allows (which, ironically, the XFL did **not** allow). “But wait!” I hear you cry. “Surely, having all those cameramen down there on the field during a play would disrupt the players! They’re not part of the game!” True – but need I remind you that the Officials aren’t part of the game either, and **they’re** on the field during plays! So there! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/6 "2001-09-10T06:03:15Z")
I saw the odd time in XFL games (actually I only saw one and bits of a couple others) where the on-field cameraman interfered with play. Whenever a guy broke free for a long run, the cameraman would trail directly behind him, which meant he couldn’t be caught from behind by a defender. The officials understand the game well enough to know how to stay out of the way, but I don’t think the camera guys did. I thought the scramble rule was dumb - it has very little to do with the outcome of the game, so why would any coach risk getting a good player injured? If the NFL had a rule like that I think you would see third-stringers taking the scramble. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/7 "2001-09-10T07:20:09Z")
> [@](#): > > If the NFL had a rule like that I think you would see third-stringers taking the scramble. You forget that _everyone_ in the XFL was a third (or fourth, or fifth) string. All the _good_ players were - surprise! - in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/8 "2001-09-10T08:04:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > If the NFL had a rule like that I think you would see third-stringers taking the scramble. > > You forget that _everyone_ in the XFL was a third (or fourth, or fifth) string. All the _good_ players were - surprise! - in the NFL. \*\* touche 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/9 "2001-09-10T14:42:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*I thought the scramble rule was dumb - it has very little to do with the outcome of the game, so why would any coach risk getting a good player injured? If the NFL had a rule like that I think you would see third-stringers taking the scramble. \*\* That would be fine! I mean, finally, a way for benchwarmers to shine. “OJ Williams, who has not played a down all season, is a folk hero of starts here in Jacksonville, as he is going for his 16th consecutive scramble this week!!” By the way, speaking of on field cameras, is the ump cam new, or was that around before the XFL? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/10 "2001-09-10T14:55:23Z")
The ump cam was around last season at least, so it preceded the XFL. Of course, my football memories may be slightly skewed after the unjustified fine play of the Panthers yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![More\_Cowbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@More\_Cowbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/More_Cowbell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/11 "2001-09-10T16:01:59Z")
I think a big reason why the XFL tanked was because all the effort was put into marketing and not into team development. If you heard any interviews with ex-NFL players before the season, training camp was a joke, as was playbooks and coaching. For example, I forget which TE it was, but when asked about training camp he laughed and said he didn’t know, hadn’t been there yet. This was a starting TE two weeks before the season started. They got it started too quickly. They needed a season of preperation before launching it full scale. The games didn’t live up to the hype. And they also could have refined some of the excellent innovations they came up with, such as the camera work and the sideline interviews. By the end of the season things started to look more professional, but by then it was too late, everyone lost interest. As for the coin toss, I wouldn’t mind seeing some kind of competition for possession. Perhaps the QB’s throwing threw holes in targets, first one to miss loses. That way you don’t have the injury factor. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/12 "2001-09-10T16:28:43Z")
Manduck wrote: > [@](#): > > I thought the scramble rule was dumb - it has very little to do with the outcome of the game, Unless the game went into Overtime – at which point, whoever had won the scramble would get to decide whether to go first or second. > [@](#): > > so why would any coach risk getting a good player injured? Oh, come on. Every time there’s a fumble during normal play, the same kind of dog-pile grappling contest occurs. And with more people involved! And, from what I’ve seen on TV, these fumble plays are no more likely to result in injuries than a normal tackle. ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/13 "2001-09-10T21:13:21Z")
The football was just plain bad. Very vanilla and very boring. And those immediate-reaction interviews were terrible. Nobody ever said anything controversial, outrageous or even angry. It was just out-of-breath players that you couldn’t understand, talking sports cliches and acting generally irritated about having a microphone in their face. When I first heard of the XFL, I thought it would be a success. I thought it would be a “Rollerball”-style (remember that way-cool movie with James Caan?), drag-the-dead-and-injured-off-the-field, modern-day gladiator type thing. With all the outrageousness and characters of WWF. Specifically because that did not happen, it ended up being just less-than-mediocre football. I do like the non-kicked extra-point. It’s become too automatic. And I guess the mad dash for opening possession does add a little more excitement to the start of a game, and would pump the crowd up. ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/14 "2001-09-10T22:50:25Z")
How about a tug of war to determine possession at the start of the game? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/15 "2001-09-11T00:40:28Z")
Didn’t the WFL use the helmet cam on the QB? One of the off leagues did. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/16 "2001-09-11T00:50:51Z")
The World League of American Football of the early 90’s had helmet-cam. It’s now NFL Europe. The WFL (in the 70’s) was the brainchild of I forget who now but he was the same guy who came up with the World Hockey Association. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/17 "2001-09-11T01:11:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > [-Team having to score another TD off the 2 yard line to get the extra 1-2 points- how many moments of my life were wasted having to watch a team kick the cheesy extra point today? Well, that wasn’t really their idea. > [@](#): > > -Overtime. The Eagles and ther Falcons lost on Field Goals. The XFL’s “can you top this” strategy for settling ties was SO much more exciting! What was that strategy? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/18 "2001-09-11T01:15:21Z")
Milossarian wrote: > [@](#): > > And those immediate-reaction interviews were terrible. Nobody ever said anything controversial, outrageous or even angry. It was just out-of-breath players that you couldn’t understand, talking sports cliches and acting generally irritated about having a microphone in their face. Yeah, and the times where you got to “listen in” on the quarterback in the huddle, the over-the-air transmissions to the quarterback, and the head coach calling plays were likewise a big disappointment. I expected to hear big, dark football secrets that the NFL Doesn’t Want You To Know [TM]. I expected to hear angst and anger and frustrated cries. Instead, I heard things like, “Okay, eight hundred Sunday, end-around Zebra, on one. Break!” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/19 "2001-09-11T02:55:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie Virginslayer \* > **-Team having to score another TD off the 2 yard line to get the extra 1-2 points- how many moments of my life were wasted having to watch a team kick the cheesy extra point today?** **Vinnie,** you should have been watching the Friday night game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL. At 12:30 in the 4th quarter, Calgary was up, **32-21.** At 12:53, the Esks got a touchdown on a 17 yard pass. Because they needed every point they could get, they went for the two points - and didn’t get it. Score was now: **Calgary 32, Eskimos 27.** Edmonton managed to get the ball back, and at 14:15 in the 4th quarter, they got another touchdown, on a 65 yard pass. Score was now: **Edmonton 33, Calgary 32.** Now, bear in mind that in the CFL, if you miss a field goal but prevent the opposite side from running it out, you still score a point (a rouge). If Calgary managed to do that in the last 45 seconds, there’d be a tie. Apparently the Edmonton coach decided to gamble to get two points, which would prevent Calgary from tieing on a rouge. If the Esks missed, they’d still be up one point, with only 45 seconds left in the game. So, they go for the two-point convert. Esks QB passes; Calgary intercepts on the ## yard line - AND RUNS IT THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD FOR A DEFENSIVE CONVERSION - TWO POINTS!! Final score: **Calgary 34, Edmonton 32.** And in Calgary there was much rejoicing… (For a more detailed account, see: [Stamps win Battle of Alberta](http://cfl.ca/01Games/0907_cal_edm.html).) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600/20 "2001-09-11T02:57:16Z")
oh, piffle! that “## yard line” was supposed to be “goal line.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-xfl-sucked-but-boy-some-good-ideas/80600.md?page=2)