Throughout Sunday’s division championship game, fans at Audi Field had an explicit message for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons. They chanted “[expletive deleted] Seattle!, [expletive deleted] Seattle!” because “[expletive deleted] the Sea Dragons!” just doesn’t roll off the tongue. They pelted Sea Dragon players with lemons after touchdowns and other big plays in which Seattle rushed to the end zone to taunt the crowd.
And by the two-minute mark, they started singing, “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye”
The fans contributed to an atmosphere that can be hard to find at NFL games, even if Sunday’s crowd of 18,684 was less than half the size of an average game for the Washington Commanders.
The D.C. Defenders might not have it any other way.
The Defenders advanced to the XFL Championship with a dominant 37-21 win over the Sea Dragons. In two weeks, they’ll play the Arlington Renegades in San Antonio for the title.
But just as notable, Sunday’s victory was an encapsulation of what the Defenders have built in the District. This is the third iteration of the upstart football league — the second with a team in the nation’s capital. And these Defenders drew an average of 14,269 in the regular season, ranking third in the league and topping the 2020 version of the franchise.
The Defenders go to the championship game with their own traditions and identity. Maybe their fans won’t travel to San Antonio and form a giant beer snake at the Alamodome. But when — if? — the XFL returns to the District next season, they’ll come back to strong roots planted in the city.
The Defenders went undefeated at home this season.
“I’ve been in a lot of different places and the way D.C. grabs onto something like the lemons, the beer snake, it’s just an amazing feeling,” said Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who threw for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday’s win. “To see that atmosphere grow, it’s just such a cool thing to see as a player. … D.C. does such a great job of grabbing that and running with it.”
The big question is if the XFL can last after the previous iterations folded rather quickly. The 2001 season was canceled after one season, while the 2020 campaign was cut short because of the pandemic — leading the rights to be sold to an investment group led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Johnson and Dany Garcia, the actor’s business partner and ex-wife, have said the league will definitely return next season.
So far, the Defenders’ foundation appears strong. And the team has done well to lean into the home-field advantage it has created.
Before games this season, including against the Sea Dragons, cornerback K.J. Sails hypes the crowd up with a pregame speech that is straight of a wrestling promo. He jumps around the field and yells into a microphone that’s blasted through the stadium’s speakers. It sets the tone for action to come.
And the similarities to a wrestling event might not be a coincidence, either. Salis, 25, said that he’s let Garcia know he “wants a shot” in the WWE.
Like Johnson, he wants to become an actor, too.
“Tradition has been built, we set the tone,” said Salis, wearing his “north division champions” shirt.
Then, like a true wrestling fanatic, he went full heel.
“I feel like we might be the best team in the city,” the 25-year-old said. “Facts. It’s facts. It’s proven.”
Salis has a strong argument, at least from a winning percentage standpoint. The Washington Commanders, Wizards, Capitals and Nationals all missed the playoffs in 2022-23. So did D.C. United and the Washington Spirit. Georgetown fired Patrick Ewing. The Washington Mystics have a case to be the city’s best team, but they were bounced from the first round of the playoffs last year.
That leaves … Wizards District Gaming, Ted Leonsis’ e-sports team? Check that, a quick Google search shows they’re slightly below average this season.
But are enough people paying attention to the Defenders? Do people care? The Defenders have built a tight-knit community, though there were still plenty of empty seats in the stadium on a rainy afternoon, despite the listed attendance number.
Those that look close enough will see that there’s a good football team to watch. Fans of the Commanders will recognize names like safety D.J. Swearinger and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. But there are others like running back Cam’Ron Smith and tight end Ethan Wolf who aren’t household names, but helped the Defenders put the Sea Dragons away. Sunday’s contest was tied at halftime before D.C.’s offense came to life in the second half. The Defenders’ defense, for the most part, defended as the unit held Seattle to 291 yards.
And they’ll likely be favored to win a championship when they meet the Renegades on May 13, too.
“The fans in this area, if you win, they’ll come,” Salis said. “If you put out a good product, they’re going to show up.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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