Strippers/cheerleaders are the furthest thing from my mind. Although there was the Hitmen-Bolts game in 2001....... Never mind.johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:26 pmRegarding halftime, there won't be any stripper cheerleaders this time around, but if 2001 was any indication, the live look-ins at the locker rooms might very well make a comeback.MikeMitchell wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:18 pmI think that Luginbill or Russini could fill the field analyst role during the ABC games. Luginbill has a ton of personality and is smart. Former coach/player. So he will know what to ask if called into that role. He’s also good with X’s and O’s.GregParks wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:55 pm Yeah, the point of my post wasn't to mean it would be IMPOSSIBLE for the XFL to come out with new innovations; just that in 2001, the NFL was kind of ripe for the picking as far as not seeming to have embraced a different look for their broadcasts, which is where the XFL stepped in. I'm not sure I can say that here in 2019 as the NFL has done a nice job embracing new technology in terms of how to present the games.
I'm wondering if Fox will have a McAfee-equivalent on their broadcasts; that is, sort of a roving reporter on the sidelines, or if that will be ESPN/ABC exclusive. Similarly, I wonder if innovations in how the game is broadcast will be shared between Fox and ESPN/ABC, or if each network will bring its own flavor to the table with its own innovations. We see that a bit with the slight differences between NBC, ESPN, and others airing NFL games, but for the most part, it's the same.
That’s a good question about Fox. They also have two broadcasts every week. We know about Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt in the booth for Fox. No word yet on the second team. It stands to reason that the XFL is going to have a field analyst for every game.
The other question is whether the league has an in studio halftime show. Now with smaller leagues. You don’t have other games going on at the same time. So the focus is usually on the game at hand and previewing other upcoming games. These broadcasts have 3 hour windows. So I don’t see any pre game shows, at least not as leads in on ABC and Fox. Since every telecast is a doubleheader. I don’t see any extensive post game shows but a studio team can be a bridge to the next game if a game ends in that 2 hour and 40 minute window.
There's an unsubstantiated rumor that McMahon wanted to get rid of halftime altogether, which probably won't happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if the "less stall, more ball" approach shortens halftime substantially.
I think halftime will be brief. There will certainly be some form of analysis/access to the teams during this process. How much remains to be seen. I think halftime overall will be shortened a bit.
Those first games are going to be something else. Some of the concepts will work. Some won’t. It’s not until these things are in play that we and the league will know for sure.
A studio team would be great in terms of recapping the first half and setting the stage for the game that follows. In my world, the league has someone who breaks down the game visually and someone who focuses on the fantasy/gambling aspect.