The Frenzy Five: Volume IV
The fourth installment of The Frenzy Five, this week’s five most talked about topics in the world of ALT Football! (Wk ending 11/13/21)
ONE
We start off with the news XFL fans have all been waiting to hear. The league officially announced the hiring of top executives for it’s 2023 season! Nine executives were named as part of the announcement for the league. Former Buffalo Bills President Russ Brandon was chosen to be the XFL’s new President of League and Football Operations. Brandon’s resume includes stints with the above mentioned Bills, Buffalo Sabres, as well as COO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment. Other hires include familiar faces in Doug Whaley, Jordan Schlachter, Janet Duch, Scott Harniman, and Cindy Wagner. Joining the six executives that are returning to the league are Rob Gerbe, Marc Ross, and Jay Rothman. The nine executives duties are as follows:
Russ Brandon, President, League and Football Operations
Rob Gerbe, Chief Financial Officer
Jordan Schlachter, Chief Business Officer
Janet Duch, Chief Marketing and Content Officer
Marc Ross, Executive Vice President, Football Operations
Doug Whaley, Senior Vice President, Player Personnel
Scott Harniman, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology
Jay Rothman, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Operations
Cindy Wagner, Senior Vice President, People Operations
SSFrenzy cannot wait to see what the XFL has in store for 2022. With another full year of planning and ramp-up ahead, one can only imagine what the XFL is cookin’. For the full announcement, or to keep up with the latest in XFL news, click here:
TWO
The National Arena League formally announced an expansion franchise known as the San Antonio Gunslingers to it’s league this past week. The league announced the news this past Thursday. Heads immediately turned when the new franchises’ name came to fruition. The Gunslingers were a franchise in the USFL in the mid 1980’s, and had been left off of a list of potential franchises for the USFL’s reboot sighted for 2022. We now may know the answer as to why that is. The NAL franchise is expected to announce more news in the coming months, including it’s official logo, team staff, and players. Gunslingers home games will culminate from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas. NAL’s Commissioner Chris Siegfried had this to say about the last exciting news via the league’s press release:
“We are excited to announce San Antonio as the newest members of the National Arena League… “Hector [Garcia] and his group have worked very hard to make this happen, and we look forward to seeing their team compete in the NAL in 2022 and beyond.”
For the full press release on the San Antonio Gunslingers joining the NAL, please click here:
THREE
Fan Controlled Football announced it’s full combine dates ahead of the 2022 season v2.0 this past week. As 2021 comes to a close, and with the FCF pegged for an April 2022 start date, the league has begun the process of gathering talent. With owner Ray Austin and Coach Shawn Liotta among those in attendance, many players impressed last year. The FCF will start the process very soon, with two combines set for December of this year. The other three will occur in early 2022. For prospects interested in attending on of five Fan Controlled Football’s upcoming combines, head to player.fcf.io/apply. For the latest on the FCF, click this:
FOUR
Former XFL Houston Roughnecks and current Carolina Panthers Quarterback P.J. Walker will get his first start of 2021 this Sunday. Starting QB Sam Darnold is out with a fractured scapula in right shoulder. Walker won his only start last season for the Panthers. With Darnold likely headed for short-term IR with a reasonable timeline of 4-6 weeks, the team signed former nine year Panthers-great Cam Newton to a deal. The team also brought in veteran QB Matt Barkley, signing him off the Tennessee Titans practice squad. In what looks to be PJ Walker’s only start of the 2021 season, many XFL fans will be rooting for him to kick ass and show why he belongs in the NFL.
FIVE
Former The Spring League and CFL kicker Lirim Hajrullahu has signed with the Dallas Cowboys active roster. With Kicker Greg Zuerlein on the reserve COVID-19 list, Dallas was in need of a kicker. Hajrullahu had a workout on Thursday with Dallas, nailing all twelve field goal attempts during practice. Hajrullahu has had stints in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His NFL stints include time spent with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. TSL fans might remember Hajrullahu with the Generals in both 2020 and 2021. He holds the TSL record for longest field goal made of 59 yards. The (6-2) Dallas Cowboys take on the (4-4) Atlanta Falcons this Sunday.