The XFL officially announced L.A. as one of its eight
charter franchises to begin play in February at a press
conference yesterday at the House of Blues, according to
Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. DAILY NEWS. The team named J.K.
McKay as GM and will play its games at the L.A. Coliseum.
Coliseum Commission President Zev Yaroslavsky, who
"promised" to bring pro football back to the city when he
took over his position, said, "This is not necessarily what
I had in mind at the time, but it will do." XFL Chair Vince
McMahon: "The arrogance and lack of common sense of the
suits that run the NFL not to have a franchise here in Los
Angeles, the second-largest market in this country, is not
to be believed. It is downright insulting to the local
populace." McMahon said that XFL tickets will cost between
$22-25, and teams will play no exhibition games before their
ten-game regular season schedule. McMahon: "The only way
you get the (NFL) season tickets is to buy the damn
exhibition games. Wow, that is a racket-and-a-half the NFL
has. That's real (bull). The way they treat their fans is
unbelievable." McKay was part of NHL Kings co-Owner Ed
Roski's group that lobbied for an NFL team in L.A. (L.A.
DAILY NEWS, 7/13). Also in L.A., Paul Gutierrez writes that
McKay's appointment "gives an air of legitimacy to the
league." McKay: "It's a tough challenge, but I believe the
timing is so perfect. No league, no start-up league, has
come with a marketing machine like the [WWF] behind it"
(L.A. TIMES, 7/13). FSN's Kevin Frazier: "Like the
neglected spouse yearning for some loving, Los Angeles has
been left without an NFL football team since '95, but now
the [WWF] is ready to step in and solve the problem" FSN,
7/12). XFL President Basil DeVito: "We're hoping to average
20,000 a game in each of our cities. My goal is 1 million
tickets sold for the entire season. Every ticket I sell in
Las Vegas over 20,000 is one less I have to sell in
Birmingham or San Jose" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/13).
L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission President Kathryn
Schloessman said that the L.A. franchise "has been promised
that all five of its 2001 home games will be played on
Saturday nights for broadcast on NBC" (DAILY VARIETY, 7/13).
LINE DANCING: The XFL also formally announced plans for
Las Vegas to be one of its charter franchise, playing at Sam
Boyd Stadium, and Steve Carp writes that the league "is
hoping to have its games put on betting boards" at sports
books in the city. MGM Grand Assistant VP/Racing and Sports
Rich Baccellieri: "We don't know what kind of caliber of
play it's going to be, but I'm sure after the first couple
of weeks, you'll see the XFL up on the boards, probably with
low limits." Meanwhile, McMahon said that he "will run a
clean league": "The XFL's code of conduct is simple. You
break the law, I'll fire your ass. There'll be no convicted
felons in the XFL" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/13) In Las
Vegas, Joe Hawk writes on the XFL: "I love it. Absolutely,
positively love it. ... Pardon me for gushing, but I think
... Vince McMahon has hit on something big with his new
sass-and-badass pro football league." Hawk predicts that
the XFL will "thrive by being everything the NFL isn't" (LAS
VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/13). XFL Senior Consultant for
Special Projects Rich Rose: "I think the XFL will succeed
because there's a large audience of Americans who like their
football and who will enjoy a competitive game that has its
exciting components to it" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 7/12).
SPINNING THEIR WEB: In S.F., Tommy Cummings wrote that
with a team based in the Silicon Valley, "the XFL better
have an online strategy." Cummings noted that so far,
XFL.com "has been used mostly to accelerate the search for
players and coaches." But the league has hired former NBAE
exec Michelle Difilippantonio as VP/Integrated Marketing to
help it reach online users and has had "preliminary
discussions" with S.F.-based Quokka Sports about "developing
applications" for its Web programs (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/12).
PART II OF XFL PROMOS: McMahon was featured in promos
for the XFL during Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game on NBC.
In one, McMahon said, "I love football, especially the way
the game should be played, the way it used to be played,
when it was smashmouth, hard, contact type football. No
fair catches means the most exciting football you've ever
seen. The quarterback in the XFL is not protected, he's not
afraid to be hit. The XFL quarterbacks won't be wearing
panties." In another promo, McMahon said, "Football in
February. Football played in the rain, the snow and the
mud, the way it should be played. No domes, no artificial
turf. Football played under the harshest, most brutal
conditions possible. It won't be perfect. It's not
supposed to be. It's football. The XFL: Where uniforms get
dirty" ("MLB All-Star Game," NBC, 7/11).
