Went to see the first XFL game yesterday. It was a fun experience, and I have high hopes for the league. It was my first time going to Audi Field, which is the new MLS stadium in the District of Columbia. My first thought was how easy it was to go to the game. Having them play within the district, instead of a field like FedEx, makes a huge difference.

Getting into the stadium did not take too long, and was relatively simple. However, the vending lines were pretty terrible; they did not seem prepared for the amount of people. Waiting in a Heineken beer line only to be told they were out of Heineken, was pretty annoying. The smaller stadium in general, however, was a nice way to watch football. You felt much closer to the game (which you were). There were a little over 17 thousand people there, so it was a good crowd. The fans in general seemed very into the game. Everyone in my section cheered and actively tried to figure out the new rules, and speculate how they might impact the game. That is one of the largest reasons I think this league may succeed. It felt like football. From a purely sport perspective, there was a solid product on the field that you could cheer for and genuinely want to watch win.

Most of the issues I experienced with the game were more logistical issues that I think they will need to sort out. Some of the problems included the clock on the scoreboard getting lost; they didn’t always seem to know how much time remained in the quarter. They had a high school dance performance at the two minute warning that seemed to delay the game, and then nothing happened at half time as far as entertainment. In general, it seemed like some of the side antics (fan entertainment portions) ran a little long. I expected the game to feel shorter than an NFL game, but it really didn’t. The game overall was an enjoyable experience, and I hope they are able to have a successful first season. Having a minor league to the NFL would be largely beneficial in my opinion, and could make the offseason more enjoyable. It was cold yesterday, but being outside watching football on a Saturday is just a good time.