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This last weekend would normally be the end of football for several months, with the Super Bowl in the rear-view mirror. That is not the case in 2020, as the XFL began the inaugural season of its second iteration over the last few days.
The league has some interesting features, however, ones that in many cases are superior to how the NFL handles things. It’s clear that those in charge of the XFL have taken the complaints that football fans have made over the past several years to heart and are trying to push forth a league that is fan-friendly over all else; time will tell whether it will hold up.
Meanwhile, the Packers continue working towards free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, with the next big event being the NFL Combine in two weeks. As the news out of Green Bay stays quiet for the next few days, we’re getting some featured pieces on specific players, with a great piece on backup QB Tim Boyle coming in this weekend. Boyle seems like he could be an ideal fit as along-term backup; he’s understanding of his status and role, and seems to be embracing it fully.
Wisconsin connections on XFL rosters (including F-bomb guy) | JSOnline.com
The XFL got underway this weekend, with wins by Hosuton, New York, DC, and St. Louis. But one of the "highlights" was former Packers offensive lineman Dillon Day dropping an F-bomb on live TV too quickly for the network's censors to mute it out. Still, the Packers have a ton of former players on XFL rosters, along with a few former coaches including Winston Moss.
6 XFL features the NFL could adopt, ranked from most to least likely - SBNation.com
Here are some of the more interesting changes that the XFL has compared to the NFL. This writer would love see more transparency in replay review, but that seems unlikely given the league's unwillingness to let fans see how the sausage is made to this point.
Tim Boyle growing into Packers’ No. 2 quarterback role | Packers.com
The Packers went with Boyle over DeShone Kizer last season, and thankfully he did not need to see any significant action. But Boyle's growing camaraderie with Aaron Rodgers and his teammates made this year a fun one for the second-year quarterback.
5 Packers who made PFF’s Top 101 players list in 2019 | Packers Wire
It's no surprise that names like Za'Darius Smith, Davante Adams, and Kenny Clark made this list. This year that group was joined by Aaron Jones and Aaron Rodgers.
Adored Browns mascot Swagger passes away at 6 - NFL.com
The Browns' first-ever live mascot, bullmastiff Swagger passed away at 6 years old on Friday, the team announced. Swagger had been with the team since 2014 and was a very good boy. Swagger's son, Swagger Jr. aka SJ, has taken over the mascot duties as of midseason last year.
Kings Hill church launches Sunday afternoon services so revellers can recover from Saturday nights out | Kentonline.com
This story was from last summer, but it has caught some traction recently. The church had received feedback from parishioners that "the night out the day before" was a big reason for the lack of attendance at Sunday morning services, so now hung-over members can attend a 4 PM service instead.