Today I tell you that St. Louis has a massive FU to give and why. I chime in on the critics as well as the ratings, and I tell you why FOX Sports did the XFL dirty and why the XFL brand matters. In the second segment I give the results of my week four picks and tell you my week five picks. I close the show by congratulating Vermont Women's and Men's basketball and some thoughts on my trip to DC and Audi Field.

This week, I tell you that like the rats in Florida or the Octopus in Detroit, the lemons are here to stay in DC. I also explain why the scuffle at the end of the DC/St. Louis game is actually GOOD for the XFL. In the second segment, I give you the results of my week three picks and provide you my week four picks. I close the show by shouting out XFL News Hub, The Markast, Player 54 Podcast, and Springball BLVD. 

Today, I discuss the column I wrote on my blog about what the XFL actually is and why it's important. I speak directly to those critical of the league and challenge them to accept the XFL. In the second segment, I touch on the attendance, give the results of my week two picks and my picks for week three. 

The second week of the XFL came and went but not without a few good bookends. The Sea Dragons and the Battlehawks proved to be the weeks most competitive matchup while the Renegades and Roughnecks revitalization of the Texas Throwdown proved to be a moderate closer. With week two in the books, I want to give you my take on what the XFL actually is and why it’s important.

The XFL is a league of passion, grit, and hunger as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson likes to say. What I like to say? It’s not the NFL. That’s certainly not a dig but it is something both fans and non-fans of the league need to remember. In the age of social media, people tend to type their thoughts and click submit before really thinking them through. That’s been all too true about spring football. With the launch of XFL 3.0 and opening weekend numbers that didn’t match those of 2020, the boo birds were quick to come out on Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media.

“There’s too many turnovers.”

“This is mediocre football at best.”

“This is the equivalent of the NBA G-league.”

“There’s a reason why these players aren’t playing in the NFL.”

Those few quotes are just some of what I’ve seen put out there over the last week or so. In life, like in football, people tend to be competitive. Without even realizing it, the things we say and do tend to come off in a competitive manner. Many fans who support an NFL team tend to react to new forms of football in defense mode. Rather than be excited about more football, they see the flaws in the game and make comparisons to what they are accustomed to seeing. Because of that, they’re quick to tear it down without thinking about what it really is and what it really means.

The X in the XFL stands for the intersection of dreams and opportunities. Yes, the XFL is viewed as a developmental league but it also represents a second chance for many of its players. Perhaps those players were on the cusp of making an NFL roster but got cut, perhaps they’ve been out of the game for a period of time and they’re trying to get back in, perhaps they backed up a starter in the NFL for a number of years and want to actually play—this league means a lot to its players and it became very evident on Thursday night following the Battlehawks second straight fourth quarter comeback when quarterback, AJ McCarron said, “being a backup is a great gig and I love it, but I also love playing and I’m just so thankful to the XFL…”

I tweeted Sunday night, “I love the turnovers in the XFL. They’re frequent and provide a realness to the player 54 mentality. These guys are B players looking to be A. Expect mistakes. That’s what makes it fun. It’s not the NFL... and that’s what I like about it.”

The so called “sloppy” football that most people point to when in defense mode about the XFL is what makes it great. The XFL is a place for the B player to try to become the A player. That’s what it is and that’s why it’s important. The sloppiness that the critics point to is a direct result of the players in this league not being NFL players, it’s a direct result of this league not being the NFL. That’s what makes this league great. There is a realness to it, a visual to show how difficult the game actually is. Its player 54 out there, not player 53, certainly not players 1, 2, and 3—no, it’s player 54 and they’re going to make mistakes—many of them. Instead of tear it down, we should embrace it, and enjoy it for what it is.

Real football.

Five of the eight XFL games this season have been exciting and relatively close games. Most of all, they’ve been entertaining. I’m as big an NFL fan there is and I have to say, I’ve sat down and watched all eight games, attended one in person, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I’ll go as far to say, with the rule innovations and its pace, I’m much happier sitting through an XFL football game than an NFL football game. That’s not saying I don’t like the NFL, I do and that’s the point—I can support both but, as of this moment, the game pace, the rules, and the realness to the game keep me entertained.

Let's embrace it for what it actually is and why it's important.

Officially back with new takes for a season seven! The XFL is back and I give my opening take on AJ McCarron, the Battlehawks vs Sea Dragons and the DC Beer Snake! In the second segment I provide listeners my week two XFL picks and let you know what the correct picks will go to support moving forward.

Nate's Take returns for the first time in over a year to Podcast form only. I explain the details of the return and pick up where we left off discussing the runs in Shelburne, Vermont and Fryeburg, Maine.

Making the choice between throwing in the towel and running on a second IT band injury becomes the focus. Once the decision gets made, the question becomes how to reach peak performance through the pain. I'll talk about this and the result on today's episode.

The fourth of July is not only my favorite holiday but it was also the day I ran my longest race. It was the race I had been preparing for most of the season up to this point, the Bridgton 4-Miler! I felt good about it after such a great race at Basin Harbor but how would I do with the extra mile!? Find out in today's episode.

Reliving the excitement of Basin Harbor. Not only was it race day for me but it was a family weekend spent in Colchester. I felt good heading into race day, didn't have to drive far, was not ailing any injuries, and had no pain. This is the race that would define my 2021 campaign.

Colchester becomes the focus after a gutsy performance in Shelburne. I spent a lot of time strength training, cross training, and running hills to overcome the IT band issue on my right leg. In Colchester, I had the opportunity to run my first healthy race.