‘Born-and-raised LA’ Wildcats build foundation for future with players, fans
A hairless cat and what looks like a Tribble from “Star Trek” stand in the northeast corner of Dignity Health Sports Park.
They cheer at maximum volume, perhaps fueled by the beers they’re both holding. These creatures are actually humans — the costumes, their masks, are simply badges of honor with which they flaunt their team spirit. They have joined approximately 15 thousand other fans to witness the Los Angeles Wildcats’ 39-9 win over the DC Defenders Feb. 23, all part of a growing fan base who have embraced this new football team. Gabe Rudolph and Turner Hoening, the respective hairless cat and the Tribble, cheered when I asked to interview them.
“This is the real L.A.,” Rudolph shouted as Hoening beckoned at him to remove his mask. “This is a crazy fan base, and they needed someone to lead them,” Hoening said.
The original XFL, a football league created in 2001, lasted for just a single season. Yet its rebirth in 2020 has been a tentative success. Through four weeks of play, the league is drawing higher television ratings than some major college basketball or National Basketball Association (NBA) games. That awareness has in part extended to the Wildcats, who saw more than 10 thousand people flocking to Dignity Health Sports Park in weeks 2 and 3 to watch their new football team compete. While that might not sound like a resounding number, it’s impressive for a league that’s been rebuilt from scratch.
“This is a born-and-raised L.A. team, and you have this opportunity to come in from day one and help make it your own,” Karatz said. “We have created a really good platform where fans can come in and co-curate the experience that they want to have on game day, no matter whether you’re eight or 80 years old, or you’re a student or with a family.”
Brian Winkleman, as opposed to the die-hard Hoening or Rudolph, represents a different side of the Wildcats’ fandom. A native of Manhattan Beach, Winkleman watched the original XFL 19 years ago and enjoyed it despite the league’s eventual shutdown. Now, he’s found it’s a worthy supplement to the price point of the National Football League (NFL).
“When (the XFL) came back, I thought ‘this is the perfect chance.’ I always wanted to see a (Los Angeles Chargers) game here too, but I couldn’t afford it or didn’t want to pay 150 bucks to get crappy tickets,” Winkleman said. “To see football in a small stadium like this, it’s great.”
It all seemed perfect: a solid business plan, Los Angeles natives embracing the cheap prices and fans having their share of fun at games. Except for a simple fact: the Wildcats weren’t winning. They entered their Feb. 23 game with a record of zero wins and two losses.
“This is make-or-break day,” Winkleman said on Feb. 23. “This place is going to be a ghost town in a couple weeks if it doesn’t turn around.”
Like every other XFL team, the Wildcats’ roster is a collection of former fringe NFL players and college football standouts who never made it further than an NFL practice squad. While some might think they’re using the XFL as a showcase and a stepping stone to try and latch back on to the NFL, many members of the Wildcats believe their current league will develop into a viable entity of its own. Among them is defensive tackle Rodrick Henderson, known as “Ghost.”
“I’m thankful for the Wildcats, (head coach Winston) Moss and the staff for believing in me,” Henderson told The Panther after practice on Feb. 26. “The fans, the whole way the program is run, the whole XFL support staff, man, it’s great. It kind of feels like being in the NFL, and I see this thing going for a long time.”
Henderson’s nickname “Ghost” might sound ironic — at 355 pounds, he’s the heaviest player on the roster. Yet he earned the moniker when he was young due to his speed, and has only cemented it because of his work ethic that can be seen on his every burst across a line of scrimmage. That work ethic is shared by others on the team, like cornerback Harlan Miller, who taught his teammates the art of watching film, and running back Martez Carter, who head coach Winston Moss said prepared well for a larger role in the Feb. 23 game.
“These guys care about their jobs, about their profession,” Moss said in a press conference after the team’s win over the Defenders. “They care about each other.”
Despite that attitude, Moss said he’d challenged his team to play with more commitment prior to their game against the Defenders. And on that Sunday, they dominated from wire-to-wire, intercepting opposing quarterback Cardale Jones four times en route to a 39-9 victory. One of the game’s standouts was Carter, who accounted for three touchdowns in the victory, during one of which he flipped his way over a tackle and into the end zone.
At the end of the day, everything seemed to connect. Fans were drawn to the promise of a new team and cheap tickets. Wildcats players were taking the steps necessary to make sure they played to the best of their abilities to entertain their newfound audience.
“This league does a great job of getting the fans involved,” Carter said in a Feb. 23 postgame press conference. “Keeping them interested, that’s what makes me wake up every day and go hard.”
Left, Turning Hoening and right, Gabe Rudolph. The two fans have started their own podcast called the “Cat Chat” about the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats, whose Feb. 23 game they attended. Photo courtesy of Luca Evans