A Reincarnation Of The XFL?

Last Saturday, there was a report at CBSSports.com saying that Vince McMahon was considering resurrecting the XFL.  Actually, what the report said was that there were rumors that this idea was under consideration and that Vince McMahon was not denying those rumors.  You can read that report here.

There is a segment of US society that thinks the game of football is becoming “wussified” with all the rules about how players can be hit/tackled, and the ground cannot cause a fumble – but can negate a pass reception.  That segment of the population might welcome a return of the XFL and its “caveman rules”.

There is a segment of society that thinks the “#MeeToo” movement has gotten out of hand and that the scales have tipped against men in leadership/supervisory positions.  That segment of the population might welcome a return of the XFL where players and cheerleaders were encouraged to date one another, and the cheerleaders were encouraged to maximize their level of “eye-candiness”.

There is a segment of society that thinks pro ‘rasslin is real.  Vince McMahon knows that segment of society well and has been providing it with exhibitions that satisfy its tastes for at least 30 years.  Here is the question I want answered:

• If the XFL makes a return, will they bring back Jesse “The Body” Ventura as one of the game announcers?

Here how Brad Rock reacted to news of these rumors in the Deseret News:

“Rumors say Vince McMahon is considering resurrecting the XFL.

“Because, you know, there has to be some other high-end entertainment to compete with ‘Battle of the Network Stars’.”

A recent announcement from the NFL is not a rumor; it is a fact.  The NFL will schedule another game in Mexico City next year as well as 4 games in London.  I can understand why teams that do not draw well at home – Chargers, Bengals, Titans, Bucs – might agree to giving up a home game to get the benefit of the draw from an overseas game.  I cannot figure out why any team would willingly make one of their 8 road trips have London or Mexico City as the destination.  So, maybe the NFL needs to incentivize this

Teams can “volunteer” to have one of their home games at a venue outside the US.  Those “volunteer teams” get to choose the date of their overseas excursion.

• If the NFL does not get 5 “volunteers”, then the team with the worst record from last year will host one of the remaining games – and if they need 2 “directed assignments” then it will be the teams with the two worst records from last year and so on.
• As for the visitors, the league will look at the scheduled opponents for all 5 teams and put the team with the worst record from last year as the visiting team in an overseas game – – with the proviso that no team can be sent there twice in a season.

Teams tank to get better positioning in the upcoming draft.  Maybe there needs to be a sort of “negative incentive” to tanking…?

The NFL has sent teams abroad that draw well at home – and on the road – here in the US.  That deprives hone-grown fans the opportunity to see those teams here and that makes no marketing sense to me at all.  If the league wants to showcase those popular teams, have them play Exhibition Games overseas – since the NFL is hellbent to keep 4 Exhibition Games on the schedule.

There are 33 players on the MLB Hall of Fame ballot for 2018.  Obviously, I do not have a vote, but here is how I would vote – in alphabetical order – if I did:

1. Vlad Guerrero:  Second year on the ballot; lifetime batting average of .318 and lifetime OPS of .931.
2. Trevor Hoffman:  Third year on the ballot; 601 lifetime saves.
3. Chipper Jones:  First year on the ballot; lifetime batting average of .303 and lifetime OPS of .930.
4. Edgar Martinez: Ninth year on the ballot; lifetime batting average of .312 and lifetime OPS of .933.
5. Jim Thome:  First year on the ballot; 612 career home runs and a lifetime OPS of .956.

That’s it; that’s my list…

Wagering has opened on the FIFA World Cup to be held next year.  At the opening the three favorites are:

• Germany at 9 to 2
• Brazil at 5 to 1
• France at 11 to 2.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can get 1000 to 1 odds on Panama or Saudi Arabia to win the World Cup.  Just remember, it was not so long ago that Leicester City won the English Premier League and the opening odds on that happening were 500 to 1.

Finally, since I started off today with an item tied to Vince McMahon, let me close with this comment from Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald regarding WWE:

“The WWE is coming to Lincoln on Feb. 3. It’ll likely feature good guys being defeated by villains. Didn’t we see enough of that with Mike Riley teams losing to Urban Meyer?”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………