I Watched an XFL Game & Here's What Happened...

If you're a follower of this blog page then you will remember I was challenged in a YouTube comment to watch an entire XFL game to see what all the hype is about.  So I did and here's what happened.

Spoiler:  I watched an XFL game.

I set my PVR so that I could watch last Saturday's match up between Houston and Tampa Bay.  It was on at 4PM Saskatchewan time on abc (no relation).  

That evening I settled in to put my feet up and watch the game.  My expectations were high.

I guess I chose the most CFL XFL game I could have.  At first mass confusion ensued.  It was like I was watching the Montreal Alouettes versus the Oregon Ducks.  The Houston Roughnecks were the team in red, white and blue.  The Tampa Bay Vipers were in green and white.  To add to my confusion (and I did know this but had forgotten) Marc Trestman is the Head Coach of the Vipers meaning he's coaching the green team.  Jaime Elizondo is the Offensive Coordinator while Jerry Glanville is the Defensive Coordinator.  So on the Vipers we have an ex Alouettes Head Coach, and ex Redblacks coach and an ex TiCats coach.  That's not all though because on the opposite sideline stood June Jones ex Ticats coach as Head Coach of the Roughnecks and there were a few ex CFL players in the lineup such as kicker Sergio Castillo.

Needless to say I was hooked because of all the CFL relatability.  The TV shots even looked similar to a CFL game.  The XFL does have some gimmicky rules but then it has to doesn't it because it needs something to be able to hold our attention and compete with the NFL which according to some is the best football in the world.  

I found myself cheering for the green team.  I mean that's only natural right.

My cheering for a great catch brought my husband back into the room for a replay.

I really really (did I say really?) liked the camera's in the booth during the reviews and they said every call was automatically reviewed.  WOW.  This seems like it's a huge effort to always make the right call and it's revolutionary to be able to hear and see the review happen and the referees discuss it.  This aspect is fantastic.  I didn't find it slowed the game down at all.

The thing was that initially I liked what I was watching but the excitement was short lived.  After half time I got bored.  The Vipers were losing and apparently aren't a very good team because they haven't won a game yet.  My attention drifted to online conversations and I channel surfed. 

What I didn't like was the television commentators refused to discuss anything CFL related at all.  Apparently in the bio's of Trestman, Jones and Glanville there's a blank space where their CFL time existed.  What's up with that?  How can you be trying to inform viewers about something but leave out key information like where these men have been working the last few years?

I didn't watch the following game.

Please don't take this commentary as I want the XFL to fail.  That's not the case.  I want to like it but the truth is that I don't have a connection to the teams outside of these two which I happened to watch in Week 3.  I would be likely to watch these two teams again.  I would be likely to watch a game if I happened upon it on tv.  I can't say that I'd honestly go out of my way to make sure I watched every game in a week.

What I do know is that attendance is declining over the 3 weeks and so is television viewership.  I also know that is to be expected with anything new.  It will be interesting to continue to follow the numbers.  If the decline continues, regardless of the money Vince McMahon can inject into the XFL, we know what will happen.

As I've said before - if you like it then by all means support the XFL and watch all the games.  Who am I to say you shouldn't?  I was asked to watch a game and I fulfilled that promise.  I was asked because I wrote a blog and posted a video discussing whether the new league is a threat to the CFL.  I remain that it isn't.  Please feel free to check out The CFL vs XFL: Should We Feel Threatened?

Don't take my word for it.  Check out the games yourselves and form your own opinions. Here is the TV schedule for the rest of the XFL season.