The XFL is getting close to kicking off the 2020 season and fans now know the nicknames for each team. On Wednesday, the league revealed the team names and logos and they are very interesting to say this least. The XFL is a new professional football league that will start right after the 2019 NFL season ends.
The XFL team names and logos pic.twitter.com/OvDky9aoR6
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 21, 2019
“The XFL is about football and fun, and our team identities are intended to signify just that,” said XFL President and COO, Jeffrey Pollack in a press release. “Now it’s up to our fans and players to help write the story. What happens on the field and in the community, in the years ahead, will determine the true spirit of each team.”
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The teams in the inaugural XFL are the Dallas Renegades, the Houston Roughnecks, the L.A. Wildcats the New York Guardians, the St. Louis Battle Hawks, the Seattle Dragons, the Tampa Bay Vipers and the D.C. Defenders. The press release also said “The XFL team identities were presented to fans today during a show that was streamed simultaneously across XFL.com, ESPN.com, FOXSports.com, and the league’s social channels. Eight short films were produced to share the origin story of each team name.”
As it was mentioned, the XFL is a new pro football league, but this won’t be the first rodeo. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon founded the league and they began playing in 2001. Like the 2020 edition of the XFL, the 2001 edition consisted of eight teams including the Los Angeles Extreme who ended up winning the league title. However, the league only lasted for one season due to profit loss and low TV ratings. There were a number of things the XFL did differently than the NFL such as an opening scramble for the ball instead of the coin toss and making the forward motion legal.
This time around, McMahon is the owner and he said there will be rule changes but they won’t be as extreme as they were in 2001. And to add validity to the league, the XFL brought in some top-notch coaches such as former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stopps and former Atlanta Falcons and University of Hawaii head coach June Jones.
The first XFL game will be on Feb. 8 on ABC. The season will end on April 26 with the championship game on ESPN.
