This past Sunday (March 8th), the BattleHawks had their first road game at an MLS stadium, Audi Field, against the DC Defenders. It was my first trip there, too, so I was particularly interested in seeing how football works in this venue.

I have to say, with a capacity of 20,000, Audi Field is just the right size for the current average XFL crowd. The official attendance for the game was 16,342, a perfect fit for Audi Field. And that number is in line with the XFL's stated average attendance goal of the mid-teens.

And the sight lines were great, too. Granted, my seat was near midfield, but there really wasn't a bad seat in the house.

While the XFL probably has bigger aspirations, I would say that, for now, MLS stadiums appear to provide just the right footprint for the average crowd.  In fact, the New York Guardians, who currently play in the 82,550-seat MetLife Stadium, might want to consider Red Bull Arena (25,000) for next season.

Having said that, I DEFINITELY don't want the BattleHawks to leave The Dome for the future St. Louis MLS stadium, scheduled to be completed in March, 2022.

The crowds at The Dome at America's Center have been PHENOMENAL - an average of 28,541 for the first two BattleHawks home games, leading the XFL. And they've been VERY loud. That's a "dome field advantage" we don't want to relinquish.

Incidentally, one of the stars of the game had to be that Beer Snake.

INCREDIBLE! Audi Field sold a LOT of beer that day. This Beer Snake phenomenon has really caught on in the XFL. It's must see TV. Perhaps we'll have our own Beer Snake for the next BattleHawks home game at The Dome at America's Center.

The game itself - a classic defensive grudge match - obviously didn't work out the way we BattleHawks fans wanted (Defenders 15, BattleHawks 6). But I still had a pretty good time. The weather was PERFECT. And the Defenders fans certainly love their team.

All things considered, it was a GREAT day to watch football.