Wide receiver Tyler Bones clutches the ball as he is swarmed by opposing players during a game against the Birmingham Stallions on March 30 at Choctaw Stadium. Bones' longest reception of the game was 15 yards.
For the second year in a row, a new football league debuted at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington. Last year's XFL champions, the Arlington Renegades, hosted the Birmingham Stallions in their first United Football League game.
The Renegades started the season in the UFL, a new league that combines the XFL and the American Football League to form one spring football league. They played the Stallions and Birmingham won 27-14.
Head coach Bob Stoops said the game ended on what he called “possession downs,” or third and fourth downs. With those plays, Birmingham was 9-14, while Arlington was 6-11.
Quarterback Luis Perez throws the ball during a game against the Birmingham Stallions on March 30 at Choctaw Stadium. Perez threw one touchdown.
“We just didn’t perform well enough overall,” Stoops said. “I think our tackling was really bad. And their tackling was better than ours. So those are just some of the important parts of the game.”
The Renegades led 11-3 late in the second half, but the Stallions scored a 39-yard touchdown on the final play of the second quarter. The score was tied at 11 after Birmingham completed a two-point conversion, and Arlington was unable to regain momentum.
“You can't change what happens with one play.” [in] Next half or next play,” Stoops said.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson smiles and speaks to the crowd during a game against the Birmingham Stallions at Choctaw Stadium on March 30. Johnson is co-owner of the Arlington Renegades.
Celebrities were also in attendance, including former quarterback Troy Aikman, Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Mayor Jim Ross said he was excited to be on site Saturday and emphasized the league's decision to call the city home, similar to the XFL last year.
“Once people get a taste of what we have to offer here in Arlington, they won't want to leave,” Ross said. “After this merger, they had the option of taking the league anywhere and having a base anywhere in the country. Given what we could do here in Arlington, they decided to keep it here. I did.”
Ross watched the Renegades battle at one of the city's four professional sports arenas: Choctaw Stadium, Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium, and College Park Center. The sports infrastructure is one of the reasons why Sports Business Journal ranked the city the No. 6 sports business city in the nation, according to a previous study. shorthorn report.
Punter Marquette King looks up during the national anthem before a game against the Birmingham Stallions at Choctaw Stadium on March 30. King's longest punt of the game was 62 yards.
He said he could make an important case for the city of Arlington to be ranked higher, but he appreciated the recognition and said there are reasons why people continue to choose to do business in Arlington.
“It comes down to who we are and what we represent and how well we can build those relationships, and that's what we do better than anyone else.” said Ross.
The game was the league's first after an eventful summer that saw two eight-team leagues become one eight-team league. Only four of his teams survived the cut: an XFL team and a USFL team. Birmingham head coach Skip Holtz said his first question when he heard about the merger was whether Birmingham would qualify.
Wide receiver Tyler Vaughns holds his head in frustration during a game against the Birmingham Stallions on March 30 at Choctaw Stadium. Bones had three receptions.
Holtz then shifted his focus. He hopes the league continues to expand, as he saw some coaches on the sidelines who had their jobs reduced this year, and hopes those coaches get another opportunity soon. He said there was.
“I think there's a lot of talent. There's more talent than eight teams that can support this league,” Holtz said.
Saturday's loss wasn't the start to the season the defending XFL champions had hoped for, but Stoops said he knows his team is better than what was on the field Saturday. .
Defensive back Jamal Carter runs with a smile during a game against the Birmingham Stallions on March 30 at Choctaw Stadium. Carter recorded five total tackles.
Arlington heads off for its next game against the St. Louis BattleHawks next Saturday at 7 p.m.
“It's been a long year,” he said. “Even though we want to win, this isn't a divisional game. We have a lot of things to fix and we have to improve for next week against a good team in St. Louis.”
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