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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
It was a pleasant sunny day for the XFL Vegas Vipers’ final home game of the season Saturday at Cashman Field, the former Triple-A baseball park in downtown Las Vegas that was converted into the home of the minor league football team.
Las Vegas has lots of sports teams and sports event options these days, including one of the eight teams in the latest version of the XFL.
The players in this league are following their dreams of playing in the NFL one day. They might be young players looking to catch the eye of an NFL club, or perhaps a veteran looking to re-claim a spot on an NFL team roster.
On Saturday, the Vipers won their second game of the season, defeating the XFL team from San Antonio, 26-12.
There’s an intense following of XFL teams by fans who like to track players, team logos and even the teams’ stadiums.
The Vipers have won two of their seven games and play at St. Louis next Saturday before playing at Houston and Seattle.
League co-owner/promoter Dwayne Johnson has changed the marketing of the league since the XFL was first born. Johnson is not trying to compete with the National Football League. He wants teams like the Vegas Vipers to be professional football teams where players can showcase their skills to impress scouts and coaches at the NFL.
In fact, the Vipers have a relationship with another minor league team in metro Las Vegas — the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League. Under the relationship, players can move between the two teams.
The Vipers also have a very high-profile coach — Hall-of-Famer and former NFL great Rod Woodson, a defensive backfield legend who has a very recognizable name among football fans.