Maybe if Tampa Bay had a XFL Team?
(February 13, 2001)

After watching the first two weeks of the XFL, let me pass along my observations on this new football league. From the level of talent, to the television broadcasts, there certainly is plenty to talk about. For those of us in the Tampa Bay area, one question is who do you root for?

We knew this was not the National Football League. The best talent in the game is going to play in the NFL, if for no other reason than that is where the money is. Yes, the XFL is filled with NFL castoffs, some Arena leaguers and other never were's trying to make a name for themselves. Every XFL player probably has dreams of using this experience as a springboard to the NFL. It is also not really fair to downgrade the level of talent. After all, we knew that the biggest names in football would not abandon ship and join the upstart league. While the NFL will always have the best players, the XFL certainly can develop its own stars.

The league promised a revolutionary and immersive broadcast experience. Some of the first telecasts made far too much use of unusual camera angles and it gave the game a less familiar feel. It seems like later telecasts used more of the traditional broadcast angles. The overhead camera, strung on a wire across the field, did give some unique perspectives. That shot, when it was behind the play, showed holes opening up for running backs. Camera operators go out on the field and join the huddles, which more often than not provides just trash talking. During an interception return this weekend, the cameraman was running down the field with the players. He was closer to the guy returning the pick than any of the other team's players. It is only a matter of time before one of these camera operators will effect the outcome of the game. I do not know if the league has any specific rules for cameras on the field. I imagine it is somewhat like the referees, they are just part of the playing surface. Other so called "innovations" have yielded mixed results. Some of the player interviews during the game have added to the telecasts, others have been a waste of time. Going live to the locker rooms at half time, in what is promoted as "full access," has produced more boring moments than actual insights.

Despite the promise of honest reporting, the announcers have acted more like cheerleaders than broadcast journalists. Some of the announcers have been irritating and annoying. Artificial enthusiasm may be a requirement for wrestling shows, however, it is not appropriate for football telecasts. Minnesota governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura has done a respectable job, but Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler have been horrible. Lawler has spent more time gawking at the cheerleaders, than covering the game. Much already has been written about the tasteless promotions using the cheerleaders. When the cheerleaders get so much exposure, no pun intended, that may go back to the level of play question discussed earlier.

It is difficult to gauge the level of interest, and chances the XFL will survive, after just two weekends. Since it was the first games after all the hype, week one had some intrigue. It was expected that the numbers would fall for week two. Orlando opened with two home games and drew 36,000 for its first game and 25,000 for the second. The week two TV ratings were about half of what they were for week one. While this was not unexpected, it will be interesting to watch the numbers.

Do Tampa Bay fans have a rooting interest in the XFL? Maybe, if you moved down here from Chicago or New Jersey, you could support the old home town team. Some may call Orlando Florida's team, but most in this area have no affection for Mickey land. If Tampa Bay had a team, maybe we'd be all excited about this XFL thing. Tampa Bay doesn't, we're not.