Fans should look to XFL for genuine action on the field

  Brian Thompson Thompson doesn’t know if
he should root for the local LA Xtreme or his hometown San
Francisco Demons. Any advice or comments can be sent to [email protected]

Well, another Super Bowl has come and gone. And what an exciting
Super Bowl it was!

Normally, the Super Bowl is the culmination of five months of
exciting professional football. And besides getting to watch the
supposed two best teams go at it for a shiny silver trophy, we are
treated with what we are told are the funniest, most creative
television commercials, as well as the music industry’s
biggest and brightest stars at halftime.

This year was no exception!

Along the lines of football, the Giants barely put up a fight
and the Ravens produced yet another dull victory. The highlight of
the day was watching Giants’ quarterback Kerry Collins take
turns nominating various Raven defenders for game MVP honors with
his accurate passing arm.

As for the commercials, we had to endure yet another round of
those witty “Whaaasup!” ads from our friends at
Budweiser. Good to see such creativity in the field of
advertising.

And for our entertainment, we got about a minute and a half of
Britney Spears (and some other people singing and jumping around
who aren’t really important).

Never fear, for we no longer have to endure another winter
without football. This Sunday, our very own Los Angeles Xtreme
kicks off its season on the road against the vaunted San Francisco
Demons in the inaugural season of the XFL.

We all know about the XFL, right? It’s that football
league we laughed about once we heard that the man behind the World
Wrestling Federation was forming it. Before we knew it, we’d
be watching The Rock lay the smack down on Triple H at the line of
scrimmage instead of in the wrestling ring.

But this won’t be like America’s favorite male soap
opera. It’s real, unscripted football that just happens to
have its ranks filled with a bunch of scrubs and has-beens who
couldn’t cut it in the NFL … right?

There may be some truth to that. But the XFL is also a chance
for players who haven’t been given a fair shake in the NFL to
show they’ve got something. The next Kurt Warner now has a
big stage to showcase his talents.

But wait, you’re saying, this is the league that tries to
sell us on the fact that it has the “hottest”
cheerleaders! We’re supposed to watch football because we see
a bunch of scantily-clad women moving about a locker room (only to
be assured, “Don’t worry, we’ll teach them how to
cheer”)? Surely we aren’t going to let them trick us
like this and watch the league simply for the girls!

While admittedly the cheerleader ads are a great marketing ploy,
the fact remains that we are only going to watch the XFL for one
reason: good football.

While many of us were laughing about the concept of this minor
league endeavor, the brains at the XFL actually came up with a few
good ideas to draw our interest. And, dare I say, some ideas that
could make this league a heck of a lot more fun to watch than what
we were forced to sit through on Sunday.

The XFL promises to offer a viewing experience that is truly
unique.

Football is already known as the No. 1 television sport, and the
XFL hopes to take televised football to another level. They plan on
putting cameras and microphones everywhere ““ in the huddle,
in the locker room, in the middle of an argument between the
quarterback and his receiver. You’ll see and hear it all.
We’ll also be treated to some not-so run-of-the-mill
announcers. NBC’s top announcing team will include former
professional wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura as an
analyst.

The one drawback to all of this is that it may encourage fans to
stay home and enjoy the benefits of the TV coverage instead of
actually going to the games. But here in LA, the Xtreme hope to
draw people to the Coliseum with former UCLA and USC stars QB Tommy
Maddox and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. Plus, tickets range from
$20 to $35, a far cry from the $60+ that NFL tickets cost these
days.

Then there’s the obvious draw for the locals: it’s
the only pro football in town!

Still not convinced? The XFL has devised a number of rule
changes in an attempt to bring back “smashmouth
football.”

In what the league calls “the most exciting fourth down in
football,” fair catches will not permitted on punts. The
returner will be allowed a five-yard “halo” to catch
the ball. The kicking team will not be able to cross the line of
scrimmage until the ball is in the air, and any punt that goes more
than 25 yards can be recovered by either team.

Extra point kicks are abolished. The scoring team must run or
pass from two yards out to score a one-point conversion.

If a game goes to overtime, each team will have at least one
possession with a maximum of four downs starting at the
opponent’s 20-yard line. If the first team scores a touchdown
in fewer than four plays, the second team only gets that many plays
to score.

Also, defenders are allowed to bump-and-run receivers all the
way down the field, and receivers will only need to get one foot in
bounds on a completed pass.

These new rules, along with the added TV coverage, should make
for exciting football.

The XFL may have what it takes to survive. I know I’ll be
watching this weekend. If I’ll still be watching after this
weekend remains to be seen.