XFL Excitment Or Excuse

XFL: Excitement or Excuse

Football is something as American as apple pie. It is thought of as gritty, physical, and all around fun just as most Americans like to be thought of. For decades the NFL has dominated the world of football. However, Vince McMahon, the founder of the WWF, has introduced a new and controversial professional football league called the XFL. Much of the controversy is about whether the XFL is a force to be reckoned with or just another of McMahon’s clever marketing ploys. Although the XFL’s survival has been questioned by many, it promises to be a league full of the smash-mouth, trash-talking, fan-oriented football every fan deserves.

First of all, the league will succeed because it has been geared towards the fans from the beginning. In contrast, the NFL only seems to care about its premadonna, million dollar superstars. Chuck Miller, a columnist for Football Digest, points out the perfect timing for the league. It starts up right after the Super Bowl and ends right before the basketball and hockey postseasons (58). The XFL has implemented many new rules to increase the excitement of the game. No fair catches, no kicking for PATs, and no “safety” rules to protect the quarterback are just a few of the rules changed in hopes of creating a faster more competitive game. Secondly, there are cameras and microphones everywhere, including on the benches, in the huddles, and all over the field. This will give the fans a new and different perspective than the average NFL game. The locker rooms at half time, a referee’s huddle, and even a player’s brutal taunts to the opposing team which are usually off limits to the average fan add to the thrill and emotion of an XFL game. Also, the price of an average XFL ticket is around a reasonable twenty-five dollars. These cheap tickets to a new and certainly exciting professional football league have many people believing this is truly fan-based entertainment.

Another reason the XFL will survive and prosper is its business savvy. Vice McMahon, who established himself as the owner and founder of the WWF, has proved to be a marketing genius. In a 50-50 partnership with NBC, who pumped in 50 million dollars and marketing muscle, Vince is targeting 13-24 year old males for his new football league.This target audience of 13-24 year old males just happens to be the same target audience of his WWF, which should make cross promotions a breeze (Efferon 31).