Former Steelers LB Arthur Moats Says The Behind The Scenes Mics Should Stay In The XFL

The XFL has been taking social media by storm and former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Arthur Moats, has been getting into it. Moats has been following the XFL players and coaches with ties to Pittsburgh, as well as to the NFL in general and talking about it. 

On Moats' podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience, he was asked if the NFL would ever or should ever do some of the mic’d up live work that the XFL does. For those who haven’t watched yet, the XFL has some significant differences from the NFL. It isn’t just NFL football in an arena like some think, it is also not the XFL of 2001 or 2018. 

There are changes to game play and scoring, but also to the way the game is presented. The XFL is proud to use the latest technology to enhance the fan experience. Four players from each team wear mics: the quarterback, center, one other offensive player, and one defensive player. This allows fans to hear the sounds of the game as they are happening, including being “behind the scenes" for play-calling. 

The coaches are heard sending in plays and between downs, reporters question coaches and players with handheld mics, throw in commentators, crowd noise and it's a more immersive experience. 

Moats Says The Steelers and NFL Are Next Level From The XFL

Moats said he feels like the NFL is at a different level, and that they would fine players:

“We at the NFL level care about optics. We care about the shield and we got this fake sense, we act like we’re up here at times in terms of how we police it. How we will fine and do whatever for whatever little thing. That’s why they’re not doing that.”

Moats feels that the caliber of the player is such that it alters how things like this are considered:

“Let’s be real, if the biggest name that I’m talking about is Sean Davis and Matt Elam or Josh Gordon, that’s not going to be a headline. But let it be Kenny Pickett out here saying something crazy to a player, let it be Diontae [Johnson] saying something slick to a coach, everybody’s going to lose their mind.”

It is a huge departure from the way things are done in the NFL and Moats feels that the NFL does not want to become “reality TV.” According to Moats:

“This is what makes us different, we don’t have a billion dollars worth of marketing and a billion dollars worth of building up storylines on all these players. We’re gonna open the mic up, you want to hear the thoughts when the coach is calling cover four? As a football nerd, I love to hear this.” 

The mic’d up experience is part of the hook of watching the XFL, it provides fans with that insider look that they usually only get a glimpse of with our NFL teams. As he mentions, it allows those who want to learn more about the thought processes behind the play-calling to have more of that insight. Moats notes that he feels it adds something positive to the XFL, but if the NFL adopted it, it would not be the same:

“I don’t want the NFL doing it, I think it will bring down the NFL’s brand a little bit. As individuals, there were times where they would mic us up for the games like NFL Films, certain players didn’t want to be mic’d up because they’re like, 'Bro, if I say something, who knows if you clip this thing out or not and all it takes is you not clipping it because you don’t think it gets egregious and now this gets said and now my image, my brand is ruined.'” 

Moats recounted a time he was mic’d up for a game and said that a lot of his audio wasn’t usable. That the reality of the way many players speak on the sideline isn't something the fans are meant to hear:

“The dude came back to me and was like, ‘Bro, you know we couldn’t use a lot of your content? It was beep beep beep beep laugh and laugh and laughing. You might say a dude's name, but other than that we can’t use this.’ I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m playing the game, what do you think?’”

Do you agree with Moats? Would you want to see the NFL players mic’d up like the XFL players are? Do you think it helps or hurts the NFL? Click to