XFL 3.0 Is Off And Running …

I got to see a few minutes of two XFL games over the weekend and I did see a couple of recognizable players on the field.  The two games I tuned into were close ones so if I had had the time, I would have stayed to see more game action even though the level of play was “spotty”.  I did a little digging this morning into teams and rosters and have this observation:

• Even though you may say to yourself, “Who’s he?” when  you look at the players on the roster, you will easily recognize many coaches in the XFL.  Obviously, most XFL players hope to use the league as a means to “graduate” into the NFL; those players have coaches who know what it takes to play top-quality football.

I did not do an exhaustive search, but here are some of the XFL coaches:

• Terrell Buckley
• Jim Haslett
• Wade Phillips
• Bob Stoops
• Hines Ward
• Rod Woodson

I will need to adapt my thinking about game strategy for XFL games because of a significant rule difference in that league as compared to college or NFL football.  In college or the NFL, a 17-point lead is a 3-posession game for the training team; in the XFL, there is an option for a 3-point conversion meaning that a 17-point lead can be overcome in 2 possessions not three.  [Aside:  A 3-point conversion attempt is a single play from the 10-yardline.]  It’s not something that is going to happen frequently, but it might alter some in-game strategy decisions.

I have no idea if this third incarnation of the XFL will succeed or even if it will survive to play again in 2024.  However, 2023 is going to be an interesting test of the American appetite for football because just as the XFL exits the scene in late April, the USFL will kick off its resurrection season and carry on to some playoffs that will bring their brand of football into early July.  Here are the events that will confront both leagues as they seek to capture a fanbase during their active seasons:

• XFL 3.0:  Opens in the shadow of the Super Bowl; MLB Spring Training;  NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments; NFL free-agency rumors and signings; March Madness; MLB Opening Day; The Masters.
• USFL 2.0:  The NFL Draft; Triple Crown races, NBA Playoffs; Stanley Cup Playoffs; the CFL regular season.

And then, after the USFL bows out for 2023, there will be about 3 weeks of “downtime” before the NFL teams report to training camp.  I don’t know how all of this will shake out but I will be surprised if this “football menu” is sustainable in terms of fan interest.

Moving on …  The Las Vegas Raiders released QB, Derek Carr last week making him a free agent.  There has been a lot of vocal praise for that move among Raiders’ fanboys on social media and it may turn out to be a move that benefits the team somewhere down the road.  But let me add a cautionary note here:

• Three key players in the Raiders’ braintrust are Mark Davis, Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels.
• Ten months ago, that triumvirate gave Derek Carr a contract extension AND they included a no-trade clause in that contract extension.
• That no-trade clause – along with the timing of bonus payments to Carr – allowed Carr to decide on his own if he wanted to be traded or released.  He chose to be released and to become a free agent meaning the Raiders will only get a compensatory draft pick in exchange for a starting QB in the NFL
• Those same three people are going to “fix” the Raiders’ “QB problem” …

I will not even remotely suggest that Derek Carr is great QB but I will also not pay any attention to any disgruntled Raiders’ fanboy who asserts that Carr is not competent to play QB in the NFL for anyone.  Derek Carr has been selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times in his career; if you want to see QB play that is clearly below the NFL level, please tune into some XFL games next weekend.  Just for giggles, I checked out the QB situations for the other 31 NFL teams this morning and asked myself a simple question:

• Is Derek Carr better than what those other guys have at the QB position this morning?

Here are the results of my “poll”:

• I think Derek Carr is better than whoever is the starter for 14 teams.
• I think Derek Carr is worse than whoever is the starter for 14 teams.
• I think Derek Carr and whoever is the starter for 4 teams would be a toss-up.

So, the bottom line is that Derek Carr is an average NFL QB and the Raiders’ braintrust managed the situation – – the one that they created – – such that they get bupkes in return for an asset.

Obviously, I have no insight as to where Derek Carr will be playing next season but reports say that he has already visited the Saints and has a visit with the Jets on tap for this week.  I think he would represent a significant upgrade at that position for either of those teams.

What do the Raiders do for a QB next season?  There is lots of speculation that the Raiders will try to acquire Aaron Rodgers – – once Rodgers emerges from his sensory deprivation chamber with newly acquired hallucinogenic insights into who he is and what he is on Earth to accomplish.  If the Raiders can pull that off without having to pay too high a price to the Packers in exchange for Rodgers, then the Raiders will come out of this turmoil in good shape.  But that outcome is nowhere near the status of a “lead pipe cinch” …

Finally, since Raiders’ fans will need to trust their team execs and owner to get things right this time, let me close with this thought from Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

“Oh yet we trust that somehow good

Will be the final goal of ill.”

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