ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote a very long and detailed article on the demise of the XFL called ‘How the XFL came crashing down, and what its collapse means for the future of spring football.’ In the piece, he dropped a couple of interesting notes about the XFL.
First, the number of potential buyers interested in the XFL has increased. We reported a few weeks ago that the number of interested parties was at 20. Now that has moved up to over 30 according to Seifert.
“According to sources familiar with the process, more than 30 vetted parties have signed nondisclosure agreements with Houlihan Lokey, the brokerage firm hired to handle the sale, that allow them to examine the XFL’s internal financial reports.”
This is great news for the league. All they need is two or three good strong candidates out of the thirty to potentially get the league back on track.
“strong indications that it will be sold and relaunched under new ownership within a year or two.”
Before the league shut down, the XFL was looking to upgrade its talent at quarterback by trying to sign some bigger name guys including Maimi Dolphins QB Josh Rosen.
“In 2021, Galko said, the league planned to pursue younger and higher-profile NFL quarterbacks who had been lost in the shuffle. “We wanted to go to a Josh Rosen, for example,” Galko said, “and say, ‘Hey, we know you have talent. You got screwed by circumstances in two different spots. You’re going to get cut by the Dolphins. Don’t go be a backup for the Seattle Seahawks. Come show teams how many players you are better than.’ Quarterbacks need to play or else their value is going to be greatly diminished. Who knows what would have happened, but that was our plan.” In addition to Rosen, other quarterbacks on the XFL’s wish list were Robert Griffin and Paxton Lynch.”
The article is a great read for XFL fans with lots of quotes from team presidents and office personnel. You can listen to Seifert talk about the league and article below.
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Mark Perry, a devoted sports journalist and founder of XFL News Hub, has been a key figure in XFL coverage since its 2018 revival. Launching XFL News Hub soon after the league's return announcement, Mark has established the platform as a primary source for comprehensive XFL updates. Renowned for his in-depth knowledge and commitment to sports journalism, Mark actively engages the XFL community, welcoming interactions at mark.perry@xflnewshub.com.
1 Comment
1 Comment
Dude
June 16, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Yep…you need the original USFL model before spending got crazy. 90% of your roster are NFL 4th string or practice squad guys. Then 5% are stud skill position college players or overlooked ones with potential that fans want to see, and 5% are NFL backups or 2nd chance guys that are household names.
The mix of average players mixed with some very good players or amazing college rookies creates the same illusion of gameplay competition as average NFL players facing elite NFL players. That gap allows for some big plays and more exciting football. If everyone is just average 4th string NFL players…you get close but kind of ugly games like we saw with most XFL games.
Dude
June 16, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Yep…you need the original USFL model before spending got crazy. 90% of your roster are NFL 4th string or practice squad guys. Then 5% are stud skill position college players or overlooked ones with potential that fans want to see, and 5% are NFL backups or 2nd chance guys that are household names.
The mix of average players mixed with some very good players or amazing college rookies creates the same illusion of gameplay competition as average NFL players facing elite NFL players. That gap allows for some big plays and more exciting football. If everyone is just average 4th string NFL players…you get close but kind of ugly games like we saw with most XFL games.