Down But Not Out: Guardians, XFL season cancelled

By Allen Austin

The worldwide pandemic known as the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, came into the sports world, and left devastating destruction. Like a virus, it came in slowly, and eventually took down all that was in its path. Before the XFL season got canned, the most glaring examples became NCAA March Madness, and the NBA season being postponed indefinitely. While the sports world is quite informed on that and the rest of the challenges presented by COVID-19, I’m going to focus on my team, my beat, the New York Guardians and the XFL.

Seattle was an early hotbed for the virus, and Washington state remains the worst place to be to avoid Coronavirus in the USA. Everyone wondered how this would affect the March 15th matchup between the hometown Dragons, and the LA Wildcats. The plan first called for the game to be played in front of no fans, with the broadcast going on as scheduled on FS1. That plan changed rapidly, with the entire season being cancelled. The speed at which this all transpired was such that the report of the game being played in front of no fans, and the cancellation of the season were on the same day.

As a Guardians employee, I didn’t receive the cancelled season email until the next day, the day of horror, Friday the 13th. I was thanked for my contributions as a Game Day staff member. It was sad. Now I’m not looking for sympathy as to losing this side gig in the field I wish to have a career in. Sad because it meant the temporary end to something so many people worked so hard for.

Through no fault of their own, the XFL was once again done.

As for the Guardians, they had finally seemed to find a groove, after a couple of rough outings. Back to back wins against Dallas and LA had the Guardians primed to compete with the Battlehawks and DC for one of the two available playoff spots out of the East.

Players that I was lucky enough to cover, like Darius Victor, saw football leave their lives again, after fighting so hard to get the sport they love so much offer them an opportunity once more.

Luis Perez was the third quarterback used by New York on the season, but his solid play and leadership vaulted him into the starting role for the foreseeable future.

In one abbreviated season, Coach Kevin Gilbride saw his squad go from seemingly lost to potentially playoff bound.

Front office and team staff, who have been putting a plan in motion to have the league take off, and seemingly execute it very well, have everything topple down because of a virus. Heartbreaking.

So where to? What’s next for the New York Guardians and the XFL?

“Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games. However, all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit toward future games. The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years.” The XFL official statement.

The good news is that it seems as of now that the XFL will be back in 2021, as long as the virus and it’s tour of disaster don’t continue on past then. The players are paid. The season ticket holders refunded. All well and good.

One thing is clear. Vince McMahon had it right this time around. The rule changes, the teams. All of it clicked. I have no doubt that this version of the XFL would’ve been seen as a terrific success had it had its full run in 2020.

As for the Guardians, unless some of their players get signed away by the NFL, the city will have some household names to look forward to watching play again.

The XFL is not dead, and neither are the New York Guardians. Nice try, coronavirus.

See you next season.