After merging the XFL and USFL, the new-look United Football League (UFL) is set to kick off later this month. But apparently, Larry David is not fond of goalposts on football fields.
The actor and comedian offered up a suggestion for the UFL as its season-opener looms. During a recent appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” David said he had contacted UFL co-owner Dwayne Johnson to try and convince him to remove goalposts from the playing surfaces across the league.
“I heard about this UFL and I thought ‘Let me talk to somebody in the UFL,’” Larry said. “So, my agent got me on the phone with Dwayne Johnson. He called me, and we had a conversation. He didn’t know what I was asking, but he was nice enough to call back.”
The Rock jokingly addressed the situation by taking to X, saying they had had “a spirited and very productive conversation” about David’s displeasure with goalposts and field goal kicks.
“I didn’t know that extra point was already in the XFL . . . that there were no extra points from kicks,” David told Eisen. The XFL’s extra-point rules will carry over to the UFL.
Seinfeld creator, Larry David, called co-owner of the UFL, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, asking him to get rid of the goal posts. Getty Images
The XFL rules did not allow teams to kick extra points after they scored a touchdown. The scoring team must instead decide to run a play that could add either one, two or three points to their score.
If a team crosses the goal line from the two-yard line, one point will be tacked on to their score, three points are added for scoring from the five-yard line and three additional points are added to the scoreboard for converting from the ten-yard line.
Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson’ hypes up the crowd before the game between the XFL’s Arlington Renegades and the Vegas Vipers Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In the NFL, teams may elect to kick for an extra point or line up near the goal line and run a play from scrimmage and attempt a two-point conversion following a touchdown.
LOVE my guy Larry David.He hates goalposts and field goal kicks 😂 – we had a spirited and very productive conversation. At the end of the day, like me and all of us fans – he loves the game of football. We at the XFL had already implemented new innovative rules last season that… https://t.co/eMKnfPeJpW— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 22, 2024
Even though David acknowledged that he hadn’t been aware, the extra-point rules from the XFL will carry over to the new league.
The new United Football League’s season opens March 30 after the USFL and XFL merged. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
David previously said on Eisen’s show that if he were named NFL commissioner for one day, the first thing he would do would be to get rid of the goalposts.
The Arlington Renegades will host the Birmingham Stallions, and the St. Louis Battlehawks and Michigan Panthers will match up on March 30 to open the UFL’s inaugural season.