Most Chicago Bears fans don’t have a sharp memory when it comes to the XFL. All they can recall is it was a football league implemented by WWE owner Vince McMahon back in the early 2000s. It lasted one season, suffered from terrible ratings and folded swiftly due to poor management. McMahon lost tens of millions of dollars over it.
By that point, experts felt the latest attempt to offer competition to the NFL was gone. It seems though McMahon had never truly given up on the idea. Almost two decades later the announcement came down that he planned to revive the league in 2020. There are certainly skeptics out there. At the same time, many are eager to see if a new league can find footing given recent frustrations with fans over the NFL.
The XFL will kick off in 2020. Which city do you think should host an XFL team? #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/DIZsLI5AF2
— XFL (@xfl2020) January 27, 2018
It’s likely that once the league is implemented Chicago is going to get one of the projected teams. The city controls one of the largest media markets in the country so that’s a given. Knowing this I decided to pose a simple question to Bears fans.
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Bears fans: How would you improve the XFL over what the NFL does now?
Truth be told I expected some genuine answer and in fairness, there were quite a few. However, things…didn’t start well. A lot of people were just plain means and even a little bit “controversial” we’ll say.
Chainsaws?
— Darkbaldur (@Darkbaldur) January 25, 2018
1. No Instant Replay. Ref's call stands.
2. No Coaches Challenge.
3. No Quarterback Contact garbage rule.
4. No "spot of the foul" garbage on PI
5. No dumbass bump rules.You know… just play football.
Oh!
6. Nothing resembling a Rooney Rule.
— The Mad Sailor 🇺🇸 🎖️🈴 (@Pacifica120s) January 25, 2018
Helmet to helmet hits
— Jack Kaminski (@Jkam_15) January 25, 2018
the losing team has to select someone from the their active roster to be executed
— Dilly Dilly (@R0cky_T0p) January 25, 2018
Yikes. Bit of a hostile crowd. Amidst that crowd though there were actually people with quite a few good ideas. Ones that might be fun if installed in the NFL to make it different and more interesting.
Like FG attempts from like 55 yards and beyond are like 4 points
— Comiskey Kyle (@WuSoxClan) January 26, 2018
No punting once you've made it passed the 50 yard line. And maybe, no field goals from inside the 10 yard line. Basically, force head coaches to be aggressive.
— Joe Yeoman (@joeyeoman) January 26, 2018
Eliminate XP. 2pt Conversions only. Could be interesting
— Vince The Pince (@TripNippleKing) January 26, 2018
Signing players out of high school. If I’m the xfl, I compete with the NCAA. Try to be a feeder/development league for the NFL.
— Quint_Essential (@QMHowell) January 25, 2018
Not bad. Overwhelmingly though most fans were in favor of one rule change in particular. It’s nothing huge but something that has garnered it’s fair share of criticism in the NFL the past few years.
A bat. Some gloves. A round ball. I guess I miss baseball a little. For football? A catch is a catch rule.
— Sarah Yoo (@sarahy00) January 26, 2018
Not over analyzing whether a ball was a catch or a drop.
— Isaac Suazo (@Isaac_Suazo_) January 25, 2018
Easy catch/drop resolutions
— Jarrett Cannon (@jarrettcannon) January 26, 2018
A clear cut definition of a catch, and the ability to actually tackle an opponent that’s flying through the air without laundry.
— Josh Cushman (@cush200) January 26, 2018
All it would take for me is a clear and consistent catch rule. I have no idea what is or is not a catch in the nfl anymore.
— T Justin Cole (@revdreeyore) January 25, 2018
The same overtime rules they have in college.
A catch is a catch with none of the BS.
All calls can be challenged even yellow flags.
Refs eyes in the sky can overrule flags thrown or call for flags to be thrown.— cant be good (@inosmellbs) January 25, 2018
It’s funny and more than a little ironic that so many Bears fans are upset with the catch rule these days. After all, it was their beloved team who first benefitted from the rule becoming muddled during the infamous “Calvin Johnson Game” back in 2010 when Detroit got robbed of a victory in Chicago thanks to it. Nonetheless, it’s clear that people would like to see a different flavor of football.
Maybe, just maybe the XFL can do it right this time.
