Here we are towards the end of February already and one thing has already upset a large group of people. The NFL season is over for another year. So what to do for died in the wool football fans? Fear not, there is still plenty of football to be enjoyed as the XFL just kicked off it’s 2023 season  with some great excitement in the opening games.

Now, before you go off the rails let me say first of all, this is NOT the old Vince McMahon brand of the XFL where he tried to make it like the WWE with shoulder pads. No, this is the new, much more about football, XFL headed up by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who bought the league a few years back. It would have gotten underway sooner, but the COVID pandemic put a stop to that in 2020, so now here we are and finally the XFL got off the ground.

The one thing Johnson and his group did that was very smart, was to not start with 12,14, 16 teams and in all the major markets. Instead they opted for just eight teams in this first season with only, DC, Houston, Seattle and Las Vegas the only NFL cities with an XFL team. Another big move they made was to make it more fan friendly along with some new rules that we will get into a little further down. Frankly, for me, the NFL better pay attention because some of these new rules the XFL has put in place have become instant hits with football fans.

As for the teams they are located in Arlington, Texas, Houston, Las Vegas, DC, Orlando, San Antonio and Seattle. There are two four team divisions, North and South and they play a total of 40 games in the 10 game season. Then there are two playoff games and the championship game. All of the games will be televised worldwide by ABC and ESPN. The season will end with the championship game played on Saturday May 13 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Okay, I know some died in the wool NFL fans won’t watch and consider this “minor league” football, but after watching all, or most of the four series played this past weekend, there is a lot to like about this league and how Johnson and his group are making it work. It is also a last chance for a number of players to show that they have what it takes to get a shot in the NFL and considering that most of the coaches in this league have NFL and top college experience, you are going to get the best that these players can give and hopefully with surprising results for some players getting that last chance.

Now as for the rules that the XFL has that the NFL doesn’t and should at some point. First of all is the kick off. To cut down on possible injuries the teams lineup five yards apart from each other and cannot move until the receiver receives the kick off. This will allow for a lot more yards gained on run backs. However, in this first weekend, that did not seem to be the case, but it is still an excellent rule. Then there is the extra point after a touchdown, and this I really, really like. No kicking the extra point after a TD. Instead, the team has three options, a run or pass play from the two yard line for one point, from the five yard line for two points or from the ten yard line for three points. That new rule made for some exciting scoring opportunities over the week end. Then there is the “fourth-and-15” play that St. Louis used Sunday to victorious effect. Basically, instead of an onside kick, a team that’s just scored has the option of taking the ball at its own 25. If it reaches the 40, the offensive drive continues; if not, it turns the ball over wherever the play ended. There are a couple of other good new rules that have been implemented all in a way of making XFL football truly a fan’s game. Then there is one other move they made that as a fan sitting at home watching really gets you involved. You can actually hear the coaches sending in the plays on defense and offense as the game goes on and that is a fun thing to see how different scenarios come about. There is even more I could get into , but you have a good idea of what to expect and it might be better than expected.

As for the attendance in week one, naturally it wasn’t NFL size crowds. The XFL was hoping for a first week average of 10,000 per game and surpassed that with San Antonio having the biggest crowd of just over 25,000 and DC having the smallest at 11,000, but they also play in a stadium that only holds 12,500, while all the other stadiums range anywhere from 30,000 to 65,000. Now in week two there will be four more home openers in Seattle, St. Louis, Las Vegas and Orlando and it will be very interesting to see what thye numbers will be for those home openers.

So how do I grade week one of the new XFL? First of all, congrats to Dwayne Johnson and his group for getting it right with this more legitimate version of fan friendly football. The team uniforms range from very sharp to very dull, but I absolutely LOVE those Seattle helmets, so the uniforms get a “B”. The new rules implemented in the game get an “A”. The style of play that is happening on the field varied, but overall for all the games I give it a “B minus”, the defenses seemed to be a lot better than the offenses for the most part. The TV presentation overall gets a “B minus”. Some great camera angles, good in booth reporting, a future star analyst in Sam Asho (CBS and Fox are watching you). The sideline reporters were terrible throughout and that brought my rating down. My overall experience after watching all or most of the four games was a “B” and I will definitely be checking the XFL out when the games are on.

If you are a football fan, give it a shot, as we said in the title, it’s not great, but it’s not so bad. There is a lot to enjoy with these XFL games and the new rules they implemented does make it a more exciting brand of football. Also remember if you want to keep your football fix going until the NFL starts summer camp, have no fear because the USFL starts up in April.

So, between the XFL, the upcoming USFL, my Rays and Lightning, my baseball fantasy league and also keeping an eye on the USF women’s basketball team, I am going to be one very busy sports junkie in the coming days, weeks and months. Fortunately Carole is also a very knowledgable sports fan of football, baseball and hockey so it does make everything more compatible with us.

Have a great week folks and may your favorite team win.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN