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Fired up? Seattle's new XFL team named the Dragons


New logo for Seattle's XFL Team: The Seattle Dragons (Via XFL)
New logo for Seattle's XFL Team: The Seattle Dragons (Via XFL)
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SEATTLE -- Welcome to the Emerald City, Seattle Dragons!

Seattle's new XFL franchise will be called the Dragons, the team announced Wednesday.

"We wanted something that was unique but also something that was part of an entire brand representing the community of Seattle," said team president Ryan Gustafson. "You can see with the imagery of the water, the city, the weather and just the fierceness of the character -- that was something we felt was very representative of Seattle and we're really excited about it."

Gustafson said the team name was chosen as part of a collective effort between local and national agencies and internal creative efforts.

"A lot of feedback and info went into this and that was the name that we felt was going to most represent this city and be a brand that was a 100-year brand in this market," Gustafson said.

The Dragons will be coached by former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn and play their home games at CenturyLink Field.

"Coach Zorn is out scouting his players now and when the NFL rosters (shrink) to 53 guys, a lot of those (cut) players will be put into an allocation pool and we'll do our draft in October," Gustafson said.

Zorn says he understands they'll have to earn their fan base.

"We’re brand new," Zorn said. "We’re starting out, so what our team is going to be will depend upon our players and our fans -- nothing else."

$50 season ticket deposits available online now, while actual season tickets sales and seat selections will get under way in September, Gustafson said.

Uniforms are expected to be revealed sometime before Thanksgiving.

"They're going to make this come to life a in a way that people will go 'wow'," Gustafson said.

The Dragons will join seven other teams as the XFL returns for a second go-around, starting play in February next year.

Other team names announced: St. Louis Battlehawks, Tampa Bay Vipers, New York Guardians, Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, (Washington) DC Defenders, and Los Angeles Wildcats.

It's part of a busy summer for the league as it gets ready to take the stage after Super Bowl 54.

The XFL recently signed former Oklahoma and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Landry Jones as its first player and had a session in California with coaches to go over rules. Plans include a 25-second clock between plays — which is 15 seconds less than the NFL, multiple forward passes as long as the players remain behind the line of scrimmage and a creative solution for overtime.

The XFL will use a format similar to penalty shootouts in soccer. Teams will line up at opposite ends of the field and get five opportunities from the 5-yard line. The team with the most points at the end wins.

Teams will be scouting NFL training camps for more players with another big round of signings happening after Labor Day. The league will then conduct its draft in October.

Besides the eight teams, there will be a roster of players that can be called up in case of injuries. Those players would likely be based in Houston or Dallas. XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said that would be similar to what they had in NFL Europe.

Los Angeles coach Winston Moss said he has been pleased with what has seen at the different showcases and how the league is continuing to progress.

"These guys are hungry and when you give that recipe for opportunity great things can happen," he said.

The league announced in 2017 that it was coming back after it went one season in 2001 before shutting down.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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