When the reboot of the XFL was announced in 2018 I was ecstatic when the league awarded Tampa Bay with one of its inaugural franchise. At the time “XFL Tampa Bay” would later be announced as the Tampa Bay Vipers, bringing spring football to the Bay Area for the first time since the Tampa Bay Bandits played in the USFL in the early eighties. The two year build up was worth it for me as an inaugural season ticket holder I could not wait for February 2020 to come soon enough. After five weeks of playing the Vipers went 1-4 but showing signs of turning around with 3 Home games still remaining. Unfortunately the Fang Gang will never get to see the rest of the season lived out. Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak the season and it appears the league it’s self has been canceled.
No official termination of the League has been announced but last week the XFL laid off its employees except a few in the main office, with no plans of returning in 2021. As a diehard fan the news couldn’t have been worse. The supporters group Fang Gang apart of the Vipers Life Group was just on the cusp of becoming not only the official supporters group of the Vipers but also the first official supporters group in league history, showing the league had a growing fan base.
At this point the suspension of the league makes sense due to the uncertainty of when sports can be played again. If the NFL season is indeed pushed back it would have definitely compromised the XFL 2021 Season making it pointless to make plans for it. This past week would have been the final regular season week of play meaning the league payed all its employees until the final week like they said they would. Vince McMahon who owns the league under Alpha Entertainment is already facing financial issues due to Coronavirus’s effect on Wrestlemania and WWE.
I personally feel the League will resume operations and play again, it just might not be until 2022. I will continue to always be a Vipers fan and member of the Fang Gang and Vipers Life. Our power as fans can keep the team alive and well showing the higher ups that the love for the league and Spring Football can still be financially profitable once things go back to normal. But if it is the end I will always cherish my memories of being in the Snake Pit section 135 Row B yelling Slatt and swinging my snake around with the rest of the gang. Hopefully in the near future we can all fill Raymond James with hissing sounds once again. For the love of the Vipers.