The first week of the 2023 XFL season is complete. There were several highlights for the opening week, including the finish between San Antonio and St. Louis. But the atmosphere inside DC Defenders’ home stadium, Audi Field, maybe the talk of the league.
The Defenders’ fans were jacked for Sunday night’s game against the Seattle Sea Dragons. The fans had plans of re-engaging with a tradition started during the 2020 version of the XFL, the beer snake.
However, stadium security had other plans, stopping the crowd of more than 12,000 from the traditional celebration.
That sparked outrage within the stadium and even on social media. Thus, the fans raucous crowd responded by throwing lemons on the field.
The visiting Sea Dragons matched the intensity of the fans in D.C. Sea Dragons defensive back intercepted Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. Then he proceeded to celebrate in the faces of the fans in the rowdy north end zone. He was met by flying lemons from the fans.
A Twitter account got created as the Defenders Lemon in the process.
The Defenders rallied to a 22-18 win. Despite efforts by stadium security, fans prevailed and ultimately got the beer snake going.
While no one wants to encourage objects to get thrown onto the field, Defenders fans are becoming part of the essence of the XFL. If anything, it’s a positive that gives onlookers something to talk about related to the league. It’s a win-win.
Keep in mind the DC Defenders have yet to lose a game in the XFL. They started the 2020 season with a 3-0 record before the league shut down in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Winning and the culture of fans create traditions. The Rock and XFL may have found its signature franchise.
