The XFL might have modified the game of football, but the XFL succeeeded in providing fans with the most enjoyable football atmosphere possible. Sure, the league offered many new perspectives on the way the game of football is seen on television, including multiple camera angles never seen before, but experiencing the XFL live is a remarkable experience.
Driving into an XFL atmosphere like Pac Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Demons, is like walking into a whole new world. Excitement bounds with the aroma of tailgaters barbecuing their favorite food having a good time with family. A diverse crowd of all ages comes adorned in masks, face paint, and team apparel, blanketing the environment. Music glistens in crisp air, everything from country to rap booming from fan radios. Beyond the parking lot is another realm of enjoyment.
Boisterous fireworks light the horizon over McCovey Cove as players race to the field as if they are ancient Roman gladiators preparing for battle, and thus war begins. Players are introduced to enormous roars from the crowd, who are just feet away from the athletes.
Players take to the field and start games that are packed with action and excitement. In this, the inaugural season, the XFL produced a triple overtime game and over a dozen fourth quarter come-from-behind victories. At season’s end, nearly every team was equal, with no one team dominating, showcasing the competition of the new league. If it weren’t for the red and black spirals of the XFL football, one could assume they were watching the 49ers or Raiders play.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, it should have been a humongous boost when the Demons advanced to the XFL championship, amidst a struggling sports area in which almost every major team has reached rock bottom.
According to the Demons Web Site, San Francisco was one of the leading markets in the XFL.
XFL players aren’t paid their mega-million dollar salaries like many of their NFL counterparts, but they play the game with a passion unseen in the NFL today. Players like Tommy Maddox, Jeff Brohm, Rashan Salaam and John Avery revitalized their careers through their hard work in the XFL.
According to a USA Today staff article printed last week, 80 to 90 XFL players have and/or will be signed to NFL contracts.
The media portrayed the XFL as a league of misfits, created by a misfit (WWF CEO Vince McMahon). But rest assured, the exciting memories the XFL brought to over 30,000 (approximate average attendance) fans at Pac Bell Park will not be forgotten.
