XFL Chair Vince McMahon awarded Chicago the first
official franchise in the league at a news conference
yesterday, according to Don Pierson of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
who writes that additional details on the team will be
announced later. McMahon called the XFL "the most exciting
sports league perhaps since Roman gladiator days" and said,
"I don't want to say too much for fear the NFL will be
listening." Former Bears VP/Marketing & Broadcasting Ken
Valdiserri, who was dismissed in April after a dispute with
Bears President Ted Phillips (see THE DAILY, 4/20), was
named GM of the team. Valdiserri said that he is
"confident" that "exciting promotions and sufficient hype"
will help the team sell tickets for its inaugural season
starting in February 2001. The team will play its home
games at Soldier Field. Former NFL coaches Buddy Ryan and
Mike Ditka are both rumored as possible coaches of the
franchise. Meanwhile, McMahon continued to outline some of
the XFL's planned initiatives: "Unlike the NFL, which
stifles individuals, we promote individuals. We know how to
create stars. ... Now, when somebody puts their hands on the
quarterback's panties [in the NFL], they blow the whistle.
That won't happen in the XFL." The other franchises in the
eight-team league are "expected" to be N.Y., L.A., S.F.,
Orlando, Las Vegas, Birmingham and Memphis (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
6/14). Valdiserri hired former NFL WR and Chiefs/Vikings
scout Quinton Smith as the team's Dir of Player Personnel
(DAILY SOUTHTOWN, 6/14). Also in Chicago, Carol Slezak
suggests a nickname for the team, "The Chicago Nobody's
Going to See 'Em," and writes of the team's prospects,
"Aside from global warming, I can't think of anything that
will lure people to miserably cold Soldier Field in
February" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/14).
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS? Also in Chicago, Greg Couch
wonders if the XFL can succeed "with so many fledgling
leagues coming and going over the years." Burns Sports
Marketing President Bob Williams: "With the television
contract [with NBC] and the backing of the WWF, I'm not
surprised this thing is going to get off the ground. They
almost have a sugar daddy, like the WNBA had with the NBA
bringing in sponsors for it." While McMahon maintains that
league costs will "stay down" due to player salaries of only
$45,000-50,000, Stanford Univ. sports economist Roger Noll
said that type of business model "doesn't work." Noll: "In
every league they have tried this, it has failed. [MLS] is
going down the tubes for this precise reason: the notion of
a single entity organizing things -- complete centralization
of employment. With that, the players aren't loyal to the
teams but to the league" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/14). DeVito
said yesterday that the league "is prepared to spend up to "
$100M as part of its 50/50 partnership with NBC. Also, NBC
and the WWF completed their joint ownership deal, with the
net closing on its $30M investment (BRIDGE NEWS, 6/14).
MIAMI OUT? In Miami, Bob Emanuel writes that the city
will not be granted an XFL team, noting that the "loss" was
confirmed by XFL President Basil DeVito at yesterday's news
conference. Emanuel adds that Orange Bowl officials were
not notified of the news (MIAMI HERALD, 6/14).
