10 Things We Learned From Week Two Of WWE's XFL
7. Coaching & Player Mics Have Been Tweaked
Last week, the commentary teams on ESPN and FOX had a tough time adjusting to all the mic'd up coaches, players and other sideline reporters. They were regularly interrupted mid-point, and that can't have been easy to deal with for those who are responsible for narrating the game.
It's a good thing the XFL tweaked their presentation and tightened some screws.
Overall, there was less chatter pre-snap in this second week. ABC made smart use of 'All Access' segments post-ad break to fill in any gaps, and the announcers made coaching banter part of their gig rather than abruptly shutting the hell up so fans at home could hear play-calling.
It'll take some time to get this bang on, but it was another step in the right direction. Better yet, this kind of thing isn't something the NFL can really steal. Coach communication cuts off with 15 seconds left on the play clock there.