MICHAEL KIRAL

You watched it, didn’t you? Come on, admit it. And there were some parts you enjoyed. No, not “Temptation Island” or “Survivor.” I’m talking about the XFL on NBC Saturday night. The ratings show that enough curiosity seekers tuned in to catch the league’s first ever game between the New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Las Vegas Outlaws. The game received an overnight rating of 10.3, about double what the league anticipated. There were a few interesting features shown in the opening games. The pregame dash to determine possession was certainly unique although there is something ironic about getting hurt before a team even plays its first game as happened to an Orlando player Saturday. The camera behind the line of scrimmage and the microphone in the locker room bring the game closer to the fan. The rule that a receiver can be in motion toward the line of scrimmage before the snap seems to be a good idea except that it’s a mystery to me why neither the Hitmen nor the Outlaws decided to utilize it. The overtime concept is a novel one. LSU fans certainly would have loved it against Tennessee and Mississippi State this year. But other parts of the league are a bit overbearing. The players introducing themselves in the huddle before the game was ridiculous. So was interviewing a player as soon as they got off the field. A player has just run for 90 yards and you want an intelligent answer from him? And how about thrusting a microphone in a coach’s face in the final 40 seconds of a close game like what happened to Orlando coach Galen Hall Saturday. That reporter is lucky he didn’t get that microphone shoved down his throat. Can you imagine doing that to Mike Ditka? The television production also has a few kinks to work out. Cheerleaders are a part of every football game. But do we need to see them after every play and make juvenile sexist comments about them? Getting a breakdown on the punting rules was nice the first time. Getting them every time a team went back to punt was insulting. And listening to Jesse Ventura and Matt Vasgersian do the broadcast, it was hard to remember this was the same network that used to have Vin Scully and Dick Enberg. Not that NBC had much to work with that first game. After a defense-dominated Super Bowl, I can imagine that was just what the network bigshots wanted – a 19-0 Las Vegas victory. At least NBC was able to switch over the much closer Orlando-Chicago contest. The quality of play was decent but not what local fans are used to with the Southeastern Conference and the Saints (OK, maybe it was up there with the old Saints.) Quarterback and offensive line play appeared to be the biggest weaknesses. Of course these days with quality quarterbacks as rare as quality pitchers in baseball, any signal caller able to complete half his passes will play for much more than the $55,000 the XFL offers. There is some talent on these teams, however. Quite a few have played in the NFL and a few will play there once again. Chicago’s John Avery, for one, had quite a game Saturday and should be playing on Sundays once again next fall. Actually, it would be in the best interest of both the NFL and the XFL if the two could work together. The XFL could serve as a developmental league for the NFL, giving it the credibility it desires while helping make the quality of play in the NFL better. But that is not likely to happen anytime soon. Failing that, the league’s best hope for survival is the continuation of the partnership between World Wrestling Federation founder Vince McMahon and NBC. The league cannot expect to have ratings like Saturday night’s every week. How far McMahon goes to promote the league and how far NBC is willing to allow him to go will determine if the XFL is here to stay or if it will go the way of the WFL and USFL.