Can WWF-style Football Survive?
by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the February 2001 Mariners' Log
Vince McMahon. For most, the mention of the name brings up thoughts of either a genius or a devil. McMahon has turned the World Wrestling Federation into a hugely successful, very profitable organization. WWF stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange; the WWF has ratings-grabbing shows on TNN, UPN, and MTV; its Web site, WWF.com, gets over a million visits a day. Clearly, the WWF is the top organization in the business.
McMahon is in cruise control. His main competitor, World Championship Wrestling, was recently sold by Time-Warner after losing an amazing $80 million in the year 2000. The only other real competition for the WWF, Extreme Championship Wrestling, cannot even get a national television deal and is several weeks behind in paying its wrestlers. However, the popularity of the WWF has put many groups, including the Parents' Television Council, against them due to language, violence, and sex. Strangely enough, the same genius-or-devil issue applies to McMahon's decision to launch his own football league.
The XFL, an extreme (excuse me -- 'Xtreme) league, just recently began its inaugural season. Not meant to compete with the much larger NFL, league play started the week after the Super Bowl and lasts 10 weeks, followed by a few weeks of playoff games. These games lead up to the XFL's version of the Super Bowl, simply titled "The Big Game at the End."
There are only eight teams to start off the XFL campaign -- Orlando Rage, Las Vegas Outlaws, Birmingham Bolts, Memphis Maniax, NY/NJ Hitmen, Chicago Enforcers, San Fransisco Demons, and Los Angeles Extreme. The players are virtual unknowns. Recruiting was largely done at the league's Web site, XFL.com, through an online application. Cheerleading tryouts went much the same way, with women from all walks of life (but mainly actresses, models, and dancers) trying out in various cities.
So, how in the world is a league full of nobodies going to succeed? After all, in the early '90s, McMahon launched the World Bodybuilding Federation around pumped-up wrestler Lex Luger, and it failed miserably. However, bodybuilding and football are two totally different monsters. Bodybuilding can be found on ESPN2 in the middle of the morning, while football airs on Monday nights on ABC. Yes, just a small difference.
The marketing power of McMahon and WWF Entertainment, Inc., has long been hard at work to legetimize wrestling, and the XFL is likely to benefit. Advertisements for the XFL have been running on the WWF's programming since the announcement of the league. Merchandise is already being made and sold at xflshop.com and likely at WWF events as well. Spaulding produces hundreds, if not thousands, of the XFL's official red, black, and silver footballs. (Hey, official game footballs only cost $79.99 -- act now!).
The biggest publicity for the XFL, so far, was unintentional. Spaulding and the XFL charted a blimp to fly over one of the NFL's championship games. However, the blimp crash-landed on top of an Oakland restaurant, a sight many have deemed a sign of the XFL's impending doom. While the blimp crash was not meant to happen, having the picture splashed across newspapers, magazines, and the Internet was publicity. You know what they say: there's no such thing as bad publicity.
It's saying something when the best known names in the league are the broadcast teams. Minnesota governor and former WWF superstar Jesse "The Body" Ventura has signed on to do commentary for the Saturday night games on NBC. They will precede Saturday Night Live, a prime spot on the television grid. The move has not been looked upon very well by anybody outside of the wrestling/XFL community, but then again, has any move Ventura made ever been looked well upon outside of the wrestling/XFL community? I think it's safe to say he's the only person who's ever been a referee of a wrestling match, provided commentary on football games, had action figures made of him, and appeared on a soap opera while in office (maybe excluding New York City's Mayor Rudy Guliani has hosted SNL and appeared pretty much everywhere else).
Governor Ventura will be joined by a play-by-play man to be named as well as by, occasionally, WWF Raw is War commentators Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. The UPN broadcast team will consist of Bob Golic as analyst, Craig Minervini on play-by-play, and sideline reporters Kip Lewis and Lee Reherman. The broadcast team for TNN has not been announced.
Oh, by the way, the players will have microphones. The coaches will have microphones. The cheerleaders will be microphoned. Cameras will be in the locker rooms. Players are encouraged to date cheerleaders. No, this isn't your grandfather's football.
Finally, there are the actual rules. Can we expect to see one of the Orlando Rage put the Stone Cold Stunner on one of the Hitmen? Will somebody lock the Walls of Jericho on their opponents on the 40-yard line or lay the smack down with the People's Elbow in the endzone? Not likely. Most football rules do apply, with a few changes. Fair catches are banned on punts. You won't be seeing anyone go for the field goal kick after a touchdown either, as those are banned in favor of passing or running the ball for the extra points. So while you shouldn't be looking for someone to lay the quarterback out with The Undertaker's Last Ride power bomb, you can expect to see a little more extreme action.
Speaking of The Undertaker, can we expect to see wrestlers make appearances at these games? Chances are, yes. While you shouldn't expect to see World Wrestling Federation Champion Kurt Angle (not to mention 1996 Olympic gold medalist) tackling The Rock, there's a good chance superstars will appear at games to increase attendance and ratings. It would make no since for McMahon to not utilize his wrestlers in every way necessary.
So, what are the odds of the XFL succeeding? I would say very good. In addition to a large amount of football fans who will be thirsting for additional football now that the NFL and college seasons have come and gone, there is a very large number of loyal WWF fans who will be tuning in just to see what it's about. While critics have been bodyslamming the XFL since the announcement of its formation, it looks as if there's a chance it will succeed against all odds. If not, maybe contact hoops is next: the 'Xtreme Basketball League.
