As a sports fan, you're always on the lookout for the next big thing - a new league, something that gets the blood pumping,and the beer flowing, sometimes who knows you may want to buy some gear to support your favorite team. That's why when the XFL, the latest re-attempt at a professional football league (USFL will have it own rants come in the future I'm sure), announced new jersey designs and concepts for the upcoming season, you were intrigued. But as you scrolled through the options, one specific jersey caught your eye, and not for the right reasons. That's right, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the league's owner, is selling and promoting jerseys with his name on them, priced at nearly $200. And you can't help but think, is this the sports leagues equivalent of asking for spare change on a street corner?
The idea of having jerseys with the league owner's name on them is simply baffling. It's not like Dwayne Johnson is a legendary football player or has any direct involvement in the XFL teams' on-field performance. Sure, he may do a walk out in some spandex tight clothes and bring some attention to the league as a celebrity owner doing cringy things, but that doesn't mean his name should be plastered on jerseys. It's not just about the price tag, which is wild to begin with. It's about the lack of respect for the athletes who are putting in their blood, sweat, and tears on the field, trying to make a living and carve out a career in professional adjacent football. After all why should we be surprised at this latest marketing fail at one of the laziest cash-grabs I think I have ever seen. Should this really be a surprise though after a look at the history of the xfl and there past?
The XFL's History of Ups and Downs:
The league was originally launched in 2001 as a joint venture between WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and NBC, with the aim of providing an edgier and more exciting brand of football. However, the XFL's inaugural season was met by numerous issues, including low-quality players, lack of marketing and buzz around the league, and controversial gimmicks such as "cheerleader cams" and players' nicknames on jerseys instead of their last names. Despite the initial hype and anticipation, the XFL quickly lost viewership and was eventually shut down after just one season.
Fast forward to 2020, when the XFL made a comeback under new ownership, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, along with partners Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital, purchasing the league. The relaunched XFL aimed to learn from the mistakes of the past and create a more sustainable and successful football league. As you can tell they did not try very hard to learn from these past mistakes. The XFL's new ownership promised changes and improvements, including a revamped rulebook, enhanced player safety measures, and a focus on quality football on the field. The league's relaunch in 2020 generated significant buzz and garnered attention from football fans who were curious to see if the XFL could succeed where it had previously failed.
There is nothing more that I would love to see than these other leagues such as the XFL & USFL succeed in their own rights but you need to build a brand worth people getting excited for, worth spending their money on, and worth caring for. Please workshop future projects more.
Sincerely, sports fans.
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