The XFL announced yesterday that Memphis would be one
of its eight charter cities, joining Chicago as the second
member of the league set to launch in February 2001,
according to Don Wade of the Memphis COMMERCIAL-APPEAL. XFL
Chair Vince McMahon, on why the league targeted Memphis:
"Memphis has been a great [WWF] hub. ... When you look at
all the cities throughout the [U.S.] that are appropriate
for this league, it seems like a perfect match with Memphis
and the XFL. We think there's a hunger for the XFL. It
wasn't lost on us that another league (the NFL) has not
treated Memphis (very well)." Other cities expected to have
teams include L.A., N.Y., Orlando, S.F. or San Jose, with
Miami and Las Vegas also mentioned. XFL President Basil
DeVito said that the league would announce the remaining
cities within four weeks. Teams will have 38-man rosters
with players having an average base salary of $45,000. The
winning team of each game will split $100,000. DeVito: "In
the XFL, you'll be paid to play, but you'll be paid better
to win" (Memphis COMMERCIAL-APPEAL, 6/22). The Memphis
franchise will play at the Liberty Bowl and pay a per-game
rent of $35,000 to the Shelby County Sports Authority
(SCSA), which operates the stadium. SCSA Chair Reggie
Barnes said that the organization and the city "will share
in the rebate of state sales tax generated" by the XFL
games. Barnes projects an average attendance of 20,000-
25,000, which "could mean" $200,000-250,000 annually in
state sales tax rebates (COMMERCIAL-APPEAL, 6/21).
WILL IT WORK? In Memphis, David Williams called the
partnership between the XFL and NBC "the right ticket."
Williams: "[The XFL] may have lesser players, but it also
has some tricks -- and a TV network -- up its jersey sleeve"
(Memphis COMMERCIAL-APPEAL, 6/21). But Williams' colleague
Geoff Calkins writes that he is "skeptical" about the
viability of the XFL in Memphis. Calkins: "Memphis is
weary. Weary of being used by every gimmicky league that
thinks it can come to town and make an easy buck. ... No
matter how many pyrotechnics you have during pregame, no
matter how little fabric the cheerleaders wear, you still
can't hide the fact that the XFL will be a minor-league game
played by NFL castoffs" (Memphis COMMERCIAL-APPEAL, 6/22).
In Nashville, Jeff Legwold: "If [McMahon] is going to sell
all this as a legitimate sports league then they will have
to play that way" (TENNESSEAN, 6/22). FSN's Chris Myers, on
the XFL: "I think it will be fun to watch, but as long as
they have their own act and they don't try to become the
NFL. ... Because if it's not legit, if it's like wrestling
... nobody's going to want to wager on that" ("NSR," 6/21).
