It's hard to imagine how the XFL's debut in Seattle could have gone any better. A bigger, more livelier crowd than anyone expected. Weather as warm and dry as you could reasonably hope for on a February afternoon in Puget Sound. And a thrilling 17-9 victory for the hometown Dragons over the visiting Tampa Bay Vipers that came down to the very last play. What more could you ask for?
OK, it might be a stretch to call the entire game "thrilling," though the outcome was in doubt until the final snap. Both coaches and both starting quarterbacks admitted the on-field product was often ugly, particularly in the first half, when the teams combined for 141 yards in total offense and 84 yards in penalties.