Tommy Maddox won the XFL's first and only title. Now the league is planning a reboot with a team in Houston. Scott Halleran/Allsport
It began nearly a year ago with WWE founder and chairman Vince McMahon announcing the return of a gimmick-free XFL. It continued when rumors swirled as XFL executives toured Houston’s BBVA Compass stadium and TDECU Stadium back in September. It was then all but confirmed past weekend when news leaked that Houston will, in fact, be among one of the eight founding members of the revived league. A press conference from the XFL scheduled for Wednesday seems to be a formality as most expect that the time will be used to confirm what everyone already knows:
Houston is getting some (more) football.
So let’s do a quick tally. Houston already boasts franchises in MLB, NBA, NFL, MLS, and Minor League Baseball. On top of all of that, the Bayou City’s Sabercats finished their inaugural season of Major League Rugby just this past year. Collegiately, Houston is home to the Cougars, the Owls, and the TSU Tigers. And if you want to take a deep dive, Houston is the home of the Outlaws, one of the original Overwatch League teams. The bottom line is, Houston is already well represented in the sports world.
Can Houston support yet another sport, when options already swaddle sports fans year round? It’s possible, but not guaranteed.
Before we jump in, let’s backtrack just a step or two and add context. The XFL itself is a reboot of a failed attempt at a second football league that debuted back in 2001. The cheerleaders were flashy, the players could use nicknames on their jerseys, and - like the WWE from whence its founder made his fortune - it was all style and very little substance.
The new XFL returns with the promise of legitimacy. The league’s first move in that direction was the hiring of former Houston Oilers quarterback Oliver Luck as the league’s commissioner. This time around McMahon will not only be be financing the entire league out of his own pocket, he will also uniquely be in charge of every team in the league.
Early concepts of the XFL have suggested that pace of play will be increased, resulting in a faster game with a target duration of roughly 2 hours. And one of the smartest early moves has been the two year launch window they’ve set themselves, as they hope to be ready to play in the spring of 2020. This allows the league to vet cities properly, establish their business and execute with a strong foundation versus the one year roll out they attempted the first time.
All of this looks great from a business perspective, but in order for it to succeed, Houstonians are going to need to buy in. I believe that, as long as the price is right, and the schedule doesn’t conflict with any previously established seasons, that won’t be a problem at all.
With the news that XFL execs were scoping out venues like TDECU and BBVA, it’s not too far of a reach to assume that the new football league won’t be commanding a premium to come watch their product. For perspective, the cheapest seat available to watch the Texans stomp the Cleveland Browns this past weekend was $81, and that’s before parking. Both of the prospective XFL home stadiums are centrally located and accessible by Metrorail. If the price point matches that of a Dynamo game or a midweek Rockets contest, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that parents would be more willing to take the family to an XFL game at a cheaper price and in a more intimate setting over the investment that an NFL Sunday has become.
Another reason that the XFL should work in Houston is that it’s simply more football, and Houston LOVES football. As long as it’s marketed appropriately and remains self-aware that the Texans rule the roost, there’s no reason why a franchise can’t succeed here. Football fans typically begin complaining about the length of the offseason about 5 minutes after the Super Bowl concludes, and the XFL seems like a perfect remedy to the problem. Instead of competing head to head against the NFL, the XFL plans to play its 10-game season in the spring, affording fans the allure of almost year-round football. That’s a prospect that should at least bring viewers to the table.
Ultimately I believe that the XFL made a sound business decision in awarding Houston one of its inaugural franchises. The Dynamo and Sabercats have proven that Houston will root for you if the conditions are right. This is a football town, and as long at the XFL takes itself seriously this time, I expect an entertaining and successful relationship with Houston fans.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.