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XFL Revival?

I liked Jerry Granville. I think he was the one responsible for starting the push for the trenches to get beefed up......as usual, another coach steps in and reaps the rewards of another's efforts.
 
The XFL's eight teams opened training camp this week and will kick off their 10-week regular season Feb. 8. Most of the on-the-field product will look familiar to fans, but a two-year project to innovate some aspects of the game led to a number of significant changes. They include:
  • A kickoff designed to discourage touchbacks and increase the likelihood of a return: The ball will be kicked off from the 30-yard line, but the coverage and blocking teams will line up at the receiving team's 35- and 30-yard lines, respectively. Only the kicker and returner can move until the ball is caught, or three seconds after it hits the ground. A touchback will be spotted at the 35-yard line. Kicks out of bounds will go to the 45-yard line.
  • Players can't leave the line of scrimmage on punts until after the kick. Any kicks that go into the end zone or out of bounds will be marked at the 35-yard line or wherever the ball went out of bounds, whichever is better for the receiving team. The idea is to discourage fair catches and "coffin corner" kicks, while providing more incentive to go for it on fourth down.
  • Three options after scoring a touchdown: a 1-point play from the 2-yard line, a 2-point play from the 3-yard line or a 3-point play from the 10-yard line. There is no option to kick an extra point.
  • A shootout-style overtime: Each team will get five single-play possessions from the 5-yard line. If the game is still tied at that point, the rotating possessions will continue until there is a winner. The XFL hopes that overtimes will be rare, in part because of the multiple options for points after touchdowns.
  • A rule that allows two forward passes on one play, providing the first doesn't go past the line of scrimmage. The purpose is to encourage creative trick plays without the risk of losing possession of a lateral or backward pass, which is a live ball if it hits the ground.
  • A requirement for only one foot to be in bounds for possession. XFL director of football operations Sam Schwartzstein said the change is easier to officiate quickly. It also is better for player safety, Schwartzstein said, because players take more unbraced falls while trying to place both feet in bounds.
  • A total of nine officials on the field, one of whom will be dedicated solely to spotting the ball to minimize downtime between plays. XFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said most XFL officials have experience at the Division I college level. Blandino, the former NFL officiating chief, has been consulting with the XFL for more than a year. He performed a similar function for the Alliance of American Football (AAF) last spring.
  • A video official who can intervene on significant non-reviewable plays when involving player safety, or on any calls inside of five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. There will also be booth-initiated reviews of traditionally reviewable plays using Hawk-Eye technology that ingests video directly from the broadcast truck.
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www.espn.com

XFL makes its own rules, with focus on speed

The XFL, which kicks off its season on Feb. 8, announced a number of rule changes to the conventional football approach, with a focus on increasing pace of play and adding excitement.
www.espn.com
 
I really like the options for scoring after a TD. Honestly, I really want to see how that plays out.

Three options after scoring a touchdown: a 1-point play from the 2-yard line, a 2-point play from the 3-yard line or a 3-point play from the 10-yard line. There is no option to kick an extra point.
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XFL To Hold Four Pre-Season Games At The End Of January Camp

https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-four-pre-season-games-end-january-camp/



XFL Preseason Games Breakdown;
Monday, January 20th


DC Defenders vs. Seattle Dragons at 10 am.

Dallas Renegades vs. St. Louis BattleHawks at 3:30 pm.


Tuesday, January 21st

Los Angeles Wildcats vs. Houston Roughnecks at 10 am.

Tampa Bay Vipers vs. New York Guardians at 3:30 pm.

This game schedule mimics the first weekend of the XFL season February 8th and 9th. This could be a trial run for broadcast partners, referees and the teams themselves. One last time before the league goes live to the world.

Training camp closes out for teams around January 23rd. Teams will return home for their final practices before the season begins.

It is highly likely these games won’t air on TV or anywhere else. When the XFL was testing with The Spring League, those games did not air on B/R Live as they did in prior years. No need to let the cat out of the bag before week one.


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I can't w8 until this season starts! BTW - I'm ALL in on the Roughnecks now. It was a toss-up for me between Houston and the Seattle team because Chicago has no XFL team but because all of teh posters here have been so welcoming 2 me n my cousin @NOSMIRG I am going with HOUSTON for my #1 fav XFL team to fully back n Seattle is in second place.


Anyone else PUMPED 4 XFL???
 
Thorn said:
The Roughnecks helmets are starting to grow on me. :)
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Honestly, I like it a lot better than the Texans helmet. Maybe it's because I was an Oilers fan.

I'll probably end up supporting my local team though not liking the name or colors. I just don't think of snakes or "Vipers" for this area. They should have gone with Hammerheads, Sharks, or something else that this area is known for. All of the other pro teams here have done that, including the Lightning which I never knew before moving here that this is the lightning capital of the world. The lightning shows around here in the summer are spectacular.
 
Aaron Wilson:

"After retired Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson was a no-show for a scheduled tryout with the XFL in Houston in Monday, he shouldn't expect another opportunity from the start-up football league.

The 42-year-old former Cincinnati Bengals standout was supposed to work out as a kicker, but changed his mind. Johnson once made an extra point and kicked off for the Bengals during a preseason game."
 
Checking the finalized roster on the Roughnecks, and true to June Jone's run-n-shoot offensive style, there are no TEs on the roster. Chris Miller, the ex-Atlanta Falcon's QB, is the OC for June Jones. June Jones was the OC for Atlanta when Miller was the QB, so they have connections.
 
Hookem Horns said:
Honestly, I like it a lot better than the Texans helmet. Maybe it's because I was an Oilers fan.

I'll probably end up supporting my local team though not liking the name or colors. I just don't think of snakes or "Vipers" for this area. They should have gone with Hammerheads, Sharks, or something else that this area is known for. All of the other pro teams here have done that, including the Lightning which I never knew before moving here that this is the lightning capital of the world. The lightning shows around here in the summer are spectacular.
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I'm still laughing and shaking my head over the poster who wanted know why the Roughnecks were using a cell tower for their logo.
Pretty certain he / she was serious.

:coffee:
 
MeatBear77 said:
I can't w8 until this season starts! BTW - I'm ALL in on the Roughnecks now. It was a toss-up for me between Houston and the Seattle team because Chicago has no XFL team but because all of teh posters here have been so welcoming 2 me n my cousin @NOSMIRG I am going with HOUSTON for my #1 fav XFL team to fully back n Seattle is in second place.


Anyone else PUMPED 4 XFL???
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Hell yea!
 
Thank you guys for the Houston Roughnecks thread here at Texanstalk. Go Roughnecks!. Bring a championship to the city of Houston. That would be of great timing fir shir. The tickets are reasonable even at the 50 like $130 and less. Their broadcast games is on local tv here in San antonio except for 3(FS1). They play Dallas twice. It's much better than the previous failed Mcmahon football project which mixed WWE in it too. I'm excited and may go to a game if I'm in Houston.
 
TexanBorn51 said:
Thank you guys for the Houston Roughnecks thread here at Texanstalk. Go Roughnecks!. Bring a championship to the city of Houston. That would be of great timing fir shir. The tickets are reasonable even at the 50 like $130 and less. Their broadcast games is on local tv here in San antonio except for 3(FS1). They play Dallas twice. It's much better than the previous failed Mcmahon football project which mixed WWE in it too. I'm excited and may go to a game if I'm in Houston.
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How was wwe mixed in it?
 
I didn't watch the first xfl league and not into WWE. But from I understand jim mcmahon took the field with his own WWE character then The Rock later then the other famous WWE wrestlers took the field acting as if in a wrestling ring. In other words it was labeled as a WWE event with more violent wrestling type antics and attitude football imho He learned after one year and millions lost this time none of it
 
Also had read that the simple coin toss was like it was thrown to middle field and they would scramble for it . Lots of injuries occurred lol just from that. Can you imagine?
 
I think Oliver Luck will run a clean operation with the XFL. I don't expect any of the foolishness from the original XFL to seep into this version. At least from what I'm seeing that's what I expect. We'll know in about a week and a half.

Speaking of which, I haven't gotten a streaming service yet for the games that aren't nationally broadcast. Youtube TV is a tad cheaper than Fubo, so I'm looking at that. Unless the XFL and the Roughnecks are just unmitigated disasters, I'm sure I'll get a streaming service for the few months the season is active.
 
Thorn said:
I think Oliver Luck will run a clean operation with the XFL. I don't expect any of the foolishness from the original XFL to seep into this version. At least from what I'm seeing that's what I expect. We'll know in about a week and a half.

Speaking of which, I haven't gotten a streaming service yet for the games that aren't nationally broadcast. Youtube TV is a tad cheaper than Fubo, so I'm looking at that. Unless the XFL and the Roughnecks are just unmitigated disasters, I'm sure I'll get a streaming service for the few months the season is active.
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I totally agree. Yea I'm set for local tv broadcast except for 3 games. I may do slingtv
 
The few preseason team rankings for the XFL seem to have Dallas at the top and Houston somewhere in the middle. I wouldn't give any of them a lot of weight this being a new league, new teams, new coaching staffs and all that. There's no telling who'll be any good and who will be just horrible. LOL
 
I don't think Case Keenum will get another starting opportunity in the NFL as he will be relegated to QB2 or QBI (Insurance / Clipboard Meister) going forward.

CK has always stated that money was fine but playing the game was the motivating factor. It would be pretty cool if he was willing to step down from the NFL and come back to Houston and play a season in the June Jones spread offense. It would be interesting to see how he would fare in an offense that is perfect for his skill-set and do it at a level that would be slightly higher than top college programs.
 
Thorn said:
I really like the options for scoring after a TD. Honestly, I really want to see how that plays out.
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That's better than the extra point kicking rule we have now where a lot are being missed since it was moved back. I hate it so bad. I'd rather there not be extra point at all though personally. These plays just ask for more injuries the way I see it, but there is the extra strategy involved so I get that point as well. I just don't like both teams TD's having different value to it. It doesn't seem fair. But this is better than the current NFL model.
 
JB said:
Burrough was great, and the flak jackets too... but Pastorini? Had a great deep ball but not much else

Other than Earl
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In retrospect, he's probably fairly ordinary. Which doesn't matter to my historically good feelings about that era. What I felt for the Oilers, I don't feel for the Texans right now.
 
Luv Ya Blue! Tyler Rose. Matthews Munchak bethea billie white shoes Brazille Childress those were some days. Saw senior earl campbell at UT at Rice stadium. He literally was carrying 2-4 tacklers for long yardage before going down. Amazing.
 
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Memories of the Run and Shoot will return!

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XFL’s Roughnecks promise wide-open offense
Feb. 6, 2020 Updated: Feb. 6, 2020 8:54 p.m.

Ready, break!

The relaunch of the XFL, the latest professional football spring league, becomes official Saturday as the Roughnecks’ inaugural season kicks off with their first game against the Los Angeles Wildcats at TDECU Stadium.
Roughnecks director of player personnel Randy Mueller watched intently from the sideline this week as coach June Jones directed a roster dotted with former NFL players.

They include former New York Giants starting running back Andre Williams, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting with Boston College in 2013, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback P.J. Walker, former Carolina Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy, and five former Texans: cornerback and “Hard Knocks” hero Charles James, wide receiver Sammie Coates, nose tackle Walter Palmore and linebackers LaTroy Lewis and Drew Lewis.

XFL 2.0 is expected to have a much different look and shelf life than the gimmick-laden and ill-fated original XFL — remember the “He Hate Me” jersey of running back Rod Smart? — which lasted for only one season in 2001.

That start-up league, a joint venture between the WWF’s Vince McMahon and NBC’s Dick Ebersol, lost $35 million and drew heavy criticism for relying too heavily on pro wrestling entertainment tactics. McMahon called the league a “colossal failure,” but this rendition looks much better-equipped for success.

The XFL is again financed by McMahon, who is expected to spend at least $500 million in the league’s first three seasons. A broadcasting contract with Fox Sports and ABC/ESPN gives the league strong national television partners.

The product on the field from the Roughnecks, DC Defenders, New York Guardians, St. Louis BattleHawks, Tampa Bay Vipers, Dallas Renegades, Seattle Dragons and Los Angeles Wildcats has been a major emphasis.

“I think it’s the best players who aren’t in the NFL,” said Mueller, a former Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints general manager. “I think the product will be good. I think the coaches and players will make that happen.

“I’ve loved the team-building process. I’ve been really surprised at the quality of players. We can build it to coach Jones’ philosophy. Time will tell if we’re on the right track, but I think we are.”

Players’ skill wasn’t the issue with the Alliance of American Football, which ceased operations in the middle of its first season in 2019 for lack of a sound business plan. Several former AAF players made NFL rosters this past season. They included ex-San Antonio Commanders wide receiver Greg Ward, a former University of Houston quarterback standout, with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I don’t think the quality of play had anything to do with what happened to the AAF,” said Mueller, a former AAF general manager with the Salt Lake Stallions.

Because of the extensive football background of the players, the Roughnecks are confident in the collective talent they’ve assembled.

“We have proven players like Andre Williams,” Mueller said. “There are a few guys I would term as sleepers. Having been through the AAF in Salt Lake, we were challenged throwing and catching. I don’t think we’ll have that problem here. We’ve got a good group of receivers. It should be exciting in June’s run-and-shoot offense. It’s like going from the dock of the bay to jumping on the Autobahn.”

The Roughnecks are determined to put a high-octane product on the field. Formerly a head coach with the Atlanta Falcons, Hawaii and SMU and an assistant with the Houston Oilers and USFL’s Houston Gamblers, Jones believes in a fast-paced, aggressive approach.

THE REST OF THE STORY
 
Los Angeles Wildcats at Houston Roughnecks
Line: Roughnecks -5.5
TV: Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (Fox)
Key injury notes
LA: QB Josh Johnson: DNP Wednesday (thigh)
LA: WR Tre McBride: Limited Participant Wednesday (thigh)
Houston: RB Nick Holley (knee) and RB James Butler (ankle) both listed on report, but were full participants Wednesday

The big thing to watch in advance of the Saturday night game is Josh Johnson's status. The former NFLer relies on his mobility, so a thigh injury could limit his Fantasy productiveness even if he is able to suit up. He appears legitimately questionable, though, and if he misses it could equate to a slow start for the Wildcats' offense on the road.

Houston appears to be at full strength. The team released a depth chart that included four starting wide receivers, which makes some sense given it is coached by spread/air raid aficionado June Jones and has no tight ends on the roster. Holley is listed as a running back but was among the four starting wide receivers on the initial depth chart, alongside Sammie Coates, Kahlil Lewis and Cam Phillips. Andre Williams was listed as the starting running back with De'Angelo Henderson as the No. 2.
 
I definitely like the speed so far. It just has a different field than the NFL or College. Roughnecks similar to Texans in that they seem to hurt themselves worse than the opponent. But it's only halfway through the first quarter.
 
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