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Technology And The XFL
There was all sorts of "hi-intrusion tech" on display during the prime-time Saturday unveiling of this weird league. The XFL is the brainchild of the World Wrestling Federation's Vince McMahon, in conjunction with NBC. This was supposed to be a return of macho values and purity to the game of professional football, increasingly slowed down, corrupted and homogenized by TV, luxury boxes and the NFL money machine.
No fair catches in the XFL, trumpeted all the promos, and no sissified, overpaid, limo-driving superstars either. XFL players get a few thousand bucks per game, with a small bonus for winning. As a result, we were told, they were all playing for the love of the game.
But in the two games I watched parts of -- New York vs. Las Vegas and Orlando vs. Chicago -- what was interesting was the use of tech devices to take viewers places they supposedly had never been and would love to go. Las Vegas' telecast required 27 cameras and 26 wireless mikes.
There were robotic cameras rolling over the field on special wires, and helmet-wearing munchkins carrying portable cameras all over the field. The players and their helmets were miked and equipped with portable cameras. Cameras went into the locker rooms before, during and after the game. They were on the sidelines in between every play. They caught grunts, complaints and curses. Especially the grunts. It's almost unbelievable how many different ways people can grunt. And one memorable inside-the-locker-room shot of the New York/New Jersey team caught a huge linebacker getting the top of his butt rubbed down.
According to USA Today, the XFL premier posted a surprising 10.3 overnight rating in 49 large TV markets. (Each overnight rating point equals 675,000 TV households. A national rating point equals 1.02 million homes). The first half hour of the Las Vegas - New York/New Jersey game drew a 17.7 rating, the highest for a Saturday night on the network since the Olympics in October. NBC said it expected to do especially well with the XFL's target audience -- males between the ages of 12 and 24. After Las Vegas, the highest-rated XFL market was Birmingham, Alabama, with a 12.5, followed by Memphis, with an ll.4.
Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura provided surreal in-the-booth commentary before roaring off on his motorcyle, raking the NFL and pointing out loudly and repeatedly that the XFL was "free" and boasting that it was "intrusive." WWF broadcaster Jim Ross described the Chicago-Orlando game as a "slobberknocker." On the XFL, he crowed, viewers could hear anything, go anywhere, and players could curse, bellow and be vulgar without fear of penalty or fines. This was, he suggested, a return to the glory days of American sports culture -- just what we need -- and new technology was going to pull it off, he pledged.
It's hard to get behind the idea that you could invade the collective privacy of football teams and coaches in prime-time television. But this was a case of technology supplanting the event itself, and overwhelming its participants. All-seeing tech devices are, after all, only as good as the things they capture and represent. There were giant digital TV screens and shots of wiggling cheerleaders with enormous breasts. Fans captured from every conceivable angle (their comments were actually more interesting than the players). XFL workers fired T-shirts into the crowd out of bazooka-like launchers, and elaborate fireworks exploded whenever somebody -- anybody -- scored.
Truth is, we saw too much. The athletes and coaches had mikes stuffed in their faces continuously, but hardly any of them had much to say except "wassup," and "yo," and "we're gonna go get 'em." Several embraced the bizarre and growing NFL practice of thanking God for touchdowns (does he really get into that?) If the player's comments were numbing, the coaches's speeches were even less inspiring -- "they're not beating us, we're beating ourselves." The range of camera angles was exciting but dizzying and confusing.
Simple, wider and more distant shots would actually have captured the action much better, perhaps even preserving the illusion that there was good football being played. It seemed that from the perspective of their helmets, the players have the worst view of anybody. As it was, we got incessant, insider shots of nothing in particular, usually other helmets. And we learned Saturday that the intimate utterances of most football players in most circumstances -- huddle, catch, tackle, injury, score -- are usually not worth hearing.
Just because we can use new technology to go places doesn't mean we want to.
- Helmet cams (first tried, with poor results in, iirc, 1991, then brought back in 2000 with better results)
- Miked coaches (been on since I started watching in 1997... I think it goes back to 1995 or 96)
- Cameras in locker room (put in in 2000)
- The umpire cams were first tested in NFLE last season
- Some players were miked last season, as well (at least one per team per game)
Of course, 3 of 8 XFL coaches were NFL Europe coaches last year (Al Luginbill (LA, Amsterdam), Jim Criner (Las Vegas, Scotland), and Galen Hall (Orlando, Rhein)) and a majority of the players have played in Europe (the Las Vegas backup tight-end is even a German: Werner Hippler)Just because we can use new technology to read Jon Katz articles doesn't mean we want to.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. - "Big Al" Einstein
...I was at the San Francisco / LA XFL game on Sunday. I've been going to home 49ers games since 1978 (when they were 2-14 on the season!). I love football, and while I can't claim to be a world-class expert, I know a fair amount about it.
So let me briefly defend the play during the first XFL games.
Yes, it was sloppy. Yes, much of it was high school caliber. But I think it's a mistake to rush to judgement here.
What I saw was football play about on par with the second half of an early exhibition game in the NFL. You've got 45 guys who just met each other three months ago. They have no experience playing together. Coaches don't know who's really going to play, and who just wants to be there. Nobody's figured out how to use the rule changes to their advantage (though LA's surprise 3rd down punt was pretty clever, given the live ball rule).
Football is an incredibly complex and demanding sport. I personally don'r expect the XFL to ever deliver NFL-quality football. I could imagine it producing NFL-europe caliber play if it can keep going for a couple of years... and that would be good enough for me.
I largely blame the XFL itself for the way everyone's rushing to condemn the quality of football. By focusing on showmanship rather than the game, they imply that they've got the game all figured out. Or that they don't care about it. I don't think either one is true (at least, I hope Dick Butkis wouldn't sell out that badly!)
So look at it as entertainment. Don't expect great football in the first year, probably. But don't be down on it based on the first game in the first season; a good game of football is a lot harder than it looks!
Cheers
-b
If I wanted a sig I would have filled in that stupid box.
Now parents have something new to blame when their kids go on a destructive rampage (Instead of their poor parenting skills)
I may be wrong, but I'm never uncertain.
I played ball in high school, so it's not as if I don't understand football. But... from what I saw, I just saw a regular football game being played by some folks who weren't as organized as the NFL players. (notice I didn't say skilled, as some of them were clearly very good players)
I somehow could not help but get annoyed when the players had to wait for the cameramen to get out of their way before getting to the line of scrimmage... That is REALLY uncalled for -- especially when it causes a delay of game. More cameras are nice... just.. stay out of the way, please...
On the other hand, I do like the idea of them allowing all of the players to introduce themselves. Getting to know the players -- that is usually a desire of most fans, if not all.
All the XFL is is trying to take what Vince McManhan learned from years of WWF wrestling television and that is making the spectacle more exciting than the sport. We all know that the moves that are put on the mat in WWF are scripted and mostly stunts (still dangerous, but definitely not skill), but what draws people to keep watching it is the trash talk, the babes, and the "thrill" of what goes on outside the ring. And that was perfectly duplicated in what I watched of that XFL preview - you had trash talk (hearing the scrimage talk over the mikes), the babes, and all those extra shots of locker rooms, etc etc. And even a causal watching of football knows that what was played was worse than most high school teams. Heck, the stadium looked like a large-scale high school or small-town college stadium.
And while I'm sure no one is going to admit it, I do believe that there is scripting going on for some of the games and the confrontations between players. Most of these people are no-names, so how did the broadcasters know which people to focus on in the opening bits? And then was it a big surprise that these same people were the focus of some scuffles on the field after key plays? I wouldn't go as far to say that every play is scripted, nor the winner of the particular game, but some players have probably been told to liven things up to push the 'plot' forware. It's written very much like the WWF once you look under the surface.
In other words, XFL isn't a sport. It's simply the WWF translated into a different realm.
If you do want to talk technology in sports broadcasts, let's talk about the Super Bowl, with the matrix-like images (which do work well), the masking of the 1st down line in real time, and the broadcasting ability to manipulate that many cameras and personal and produce a quality broadcast.
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
"I can see my house from here!" - ST:
Actually, I saw the Las Vegas game, and I think you're missing the most interesting folks they had miked -- the refs.
Normally, the refs trot off to consult each other on a play, and you have no idea what it is that they're going back and forth on. It was really neat to hear them discuss their different angles on a particular play and try to reach a quick, but fair decision. You don't get that in the NFL.
I don't see a future for the XFL (though I could be wrong). I think what's more important is how the innovations in the XFL will affect play in the NFL.
If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
Several embraced the bizarre and growing NFL practice of thanking God for touchdowns (does he really get into that?)
What's up with this Katz? Part of these players' religious beliefs include being thankful to their diety for perceived blessings. If they consider a successful play a blessing and they choose to thank their diety, so be it.
Cheap and intolerant shot, Katz.
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"We're sorry, but the website you're trying to reach has been disconnected."
10. League champions no longer empty Gatorade cooler onto coach, now they just whack him with a steel folding chair.
9. New play in playbook: Wide receiver distracts referee while manager (coach) comes off of sidelines to tackle defensive lineman from behind.
8. Playoff games require entire field to be covered within a steel cage.
7. During timeouts and at halftime, the TV scene will break from the game to cover the in-fighting that goes on in the locker room.
6. Key players will have a scoreboard video intro scored with a rock song as they enter onto the field. Prior to the snap, players may use a wireless microphone for talking trash about the other team over the stadium loudspeakers.
5. After a safety is made, defensive lineman climbs on top of field goal post. (Crowd cheers). Then does a dive onto the already injured offensive player.
4. Broadcaster's sideline table frequently collapses from players landing on top of it. Spanish annoucers table is fair game too.
3. Controversial rule: A tackle is not valid until the referee's "3 count".
2. All bets are off when the "special guest referees" get involved.
1. Highest gross revenue next year from a single Pay-Per-View event: TackleMania
Je t'aime Stéphanie
The other big argument against the XFL was that it wasn't "real" football. Anyone who WATCHED a game this weekend should have seen that it was indeed "real" football. Every possible outcome was represented this weekend: The blowout (Las Vegas v. NY/NJ), the high-scoring offensive battle (Orlando v. Chicago), and the last minute decision (LA v. San Francisco). No, they aren't NFL players, and it's not NFL quality, but to me, it's exactly what I want to watch: a bunch of ordinary guys having fun and getting paid for it. Not a bunch of millionaires and stuck-up announcers. The XFL is EXACTLY what it was supposed to be ... more football after the NFL season is over.
Lambast Ventura all you want, but I have to give him credit for knowing when to all a spade a spade. (Same goes for Jim Ross.) When the Hitmen's QB sat down rather than get sacked (and the defensive guy only touched him), Ventura was quick to tell him that you aren't going to play much if you come to the game with that mentality. Quarterbacks aren't protected, and if your offensive line isn't doing their job, you're going to get hit. A lot.
I enjoyed what I saw this weekend, and not just because I'm a wrestling fan. I liked it because it was different, it was energetic, and it was genuinely fun to watch. And I'll be damned if this "spectacle" isn't turning me into a football fan.
Most interestingly, they had a guy playing for, I think it was the Outlaws, who was in the ZFL because he was released from the NFL because he was making too much money. He offered to play for less, and they wouldn't let him, because of the salary caps and mimimums. So now he's in the XFL, because he loves to play. And that was the whole point.
I think Bill Maher said it best, with regards to Kurt Warner's interview attributing last year's Super Bowl victory to Jesus. Why is there this inconsistency? If Jesus is responsible for football wins, certainly he is also responsible for losses as well? (That is, if he can intercede to win games for faithful players, certainly his lack of intercession can cause faithful players to lose games?) More succinctly: Why don't these players blame Jesus when things don't go their way?
INTERVIEWER: Kurt, you could have won this game if your last pass would have been a couple of feet shorter; it would have been an easy completion and touchdown. What was the problem?
KURT: It was that fuckin' Jesus, that was the problem!
Of course, you could make the case that it is perhaps Satan that causes faithful players to lose games, but I'm betting that he's more of a soccer fan.
We're going down, in a spiral to the ground
"The most interesting thing about Saturday's games ... was thenew league's efforts to use technology..."
How sad is this? I mean, really, Jon. Did you *see* the players? Did you *see* the cheerleaders? The most interesting thing about the XFL is the babes on the field and on the sidelines, not the helmetcam.
OTOH, the most interesting thing about the Las Vegas game may have been how the XFL managed to get 45 guys under 30 in a group, and only 3 were named Jason.
I mean, part of the XFL's whole pitch was to recapture the glory days of the NFL. Well, part of that glory is that you *didn't* have cameras everywhere. You were only concerned about the game. I'm sure that the emotions on the field are interesting, but that's a task best left to NFL films, and best enjoyed long after the game is over.
There is a lot of crossover between football and wrestling, and Vince wanted to capitalize on that opportunity. His timing couldn't have been worse, because the NFL is as good as it's ever been right now. In spite of that, you can't deny the ratings, and you can't deny Vince's marketing genius.
Still, I'd personally enjoy the XFL more if they focused more on the game itself - of course the talent won't be on par with the NFL, but there's a lot of it on the XFL roster that isn't immediately apparent. I watch games in the comfort of my own home so I don't *have* to sit right behind the drunk middle-aged guy painted red and purple and screaming his head off. Don't try to put him in my living room and call it "interactive."
I can't be the only one who that that XFL stood for eXtensible Football Language.
So here in the XFL, we have a bunch of guys playing for relatively cheap. How long before these guys want to have a bigger cut of the pie, especially if the XFL takes off? Or will they continue to do it for the love of the game, while the owners get rich and fat off their efforts? (if it succeeds at all?)
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
I'll admit I wanted to see what the XFL was like, so Saturday night I watched the NY Hitmen play the Las Vegas whoever. Anyway, I realized only a few minutes into the game that the whole reason for Vince McMahon to do this was for the gambling interests in Las Vegas. The announcers said flat out what the line was, and how many points were given. And just think about it, the first game, possibly the biggest game of the season for this new league, was IN LAS VEGAS.
Vince knows what people want to see. He has perfected his art in the WWF. Now, all the cult followers of the WWF are going to do what they could never do with wrestling: bet on the outcome.
On a side note, I wasn't very impressed by the resolution of the cameras. And I don't even have a DTV set. In fact the majority of the shots were so grainy that I couldn't follow the ball most of the time until the receiver had it.