The "Other" Leagues: The XFL

This site, after all, is not meant for only NFL analysis. Other football leagues have and do exist, and although many of them are not known as much as the NFL, they still have some history in their own right. Today we'll take a look at one of the most intriguing yet short lived leagues to ever grace the gridiron: the XFL.

The XFL was founded in 2000 by Vince McMahon of WWE fame, and lasted for only one season in 2001. The XFL did not stand for "Xtreme Football League" as there was already a developing league at the time with rights to the name. The XFL was no ordinary football league, as it was designed to combine elements of professional wrestling and professional football. The league had many differing practices from the NFL, in that many were meant to get rid of most of the "protective" NFL rules. One of the most significant, and perhaps infamous, differing rules to the NFL was the "coin toss". A football would be placed 20 yards from a player representing each team, and the players would race to see who could gain possession of the football first (as seen in the picture). This practice led to the first XFL injury, in which Orlando Rage safety Hassan Shamsid-Deen missed the rest of the season (and the entire tenure of existence of the XFL). Other differing rules included the abolishment of "easy" extra point kicks, replaced by another offensive drive near the endzone (similar to college football triple overtime rules). Another heavily reworked rule was the "live punts" rule, which was originally meant to make punt returns more exciting by getting rid of fair catches, but instead made the game slower due to the complexities of the rule.

The XFL had 8 teams centered in Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York/New Jersey, Birmingham, San Francisco, and Memphis. The Los Angeles Xtreme defeated the San Francisco Demons 38-6 to win the first and only XFL Championship, dubbed the "Million Dollar Game". The league soon folded thereafter, due to poor television ratings and general belief that most games were rigged. The XFL did, however, leave more than one lasting legacy. Famous XFL players who also played in the NFL include receiver Mike Furrey, quarterback (and Million Dollar Game MVP) Tommy Maddox, and running back Rod "He Hate Me" Smart (his nickname stems from the fact that the XFL allowed players to write whatever they wanted on their jersey nameplates, and Rod Smart had chosen the phrase as a personal saying; in two instances defensive players on opposing teams poked fun at this by having phrases such as "I Hate He" on their own jersey nameplates). Maddox and Smart would go on to play in a Super Bowl, with Maddox being one of 5 XFL players to win a Super Bowl ring (as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL). The XFL also helped to popularize the sky cam, which has become a vital part of nationally televised NFL and college football games. Today the XFL is generally mocked for its incredible mediocrity, but its presence in popular culture still lives on.