Questions
1. What did the X in XFL stand for?
2. Which of the following current NFL corporate sponsors were also XFL corporate sponsors?
a. Gatorade
b. Anheuser-Busch
c. Castrol
d. Mars
3. Which NFL hall of famer came into the XFL as a head coach and was elevated to director of football competition before coaching a game?
4. Which two stadiums served as home fields for both XFL and NFL teams?
5. Which of the following did not happen in the XFL?
a. A team had a hot tub filled with models in bathing suits next to its end zone.
b. The “broadcast booth’’ was in the stands, necessitating that TV talent use public rest rooms.
c. NBC did not televise the trophy presentation after the only XFL
championship game.
d. TV cameras went into the cheerleaders’ locker room at halftime of a game.
e. An overtime game forced NBC to start “Saturday Night Live” 45
minutes late.
6. Who were the only three players to win an XFL title with the Los Angeles Xtreme in 2001 and a Super Bowl championship?
7. What sitting governor was an XFL color commentator?
8. Which retired NFL player, who once signed the biggest rookie contract in the history of that league, was also an XFL TV analyst?
9. Because of his “He Hate Me” jersey, Rod Smart is considered the most-remembered XFL player. How was Smart later honored by a former Carolina Panthers teammate in the NFL?
10. What Heisman Trophy winner played in the XFL?
Answers
1. Like the “S” in President Harry S. Truman’s name, it didn’t stand for anything. Page 2 of the XFL media guide notes, “The letters XFL are not an abbreviation. The name of the league is NOT the Xtreme Football League.”
2. They were all XFL sponsors.
3. Dick Butkus
4. The now-demolished Meadowlands Stadium was home to the New York Giants, New York Jets and the NY/NJ Hitmen, and Solider Field hosted the Chicago Enforcers along with the Chicago Bears.
5. All of these things happened.
6. Three players have won both rings, although none played a down in a Super Bowl. Bobby Singh was on the practice squad for the St. Louis Rams’ Super Bowl XXXIV championship team. Ron Carpenter appeared in 11 games for that same Rams team but was not on the active roster for the Super Bowl. XFL MVP Tommy Maddox played in five games for the Pittsburgh Steelers team that won Super Bowl XL, but he also did not play a down in the Super Bowl.
7. Former WWF wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura was an XFL analyst on NBC. Ventura was governor of Minnesota from 1999-2003.
8. Brian Bosworth
9. Quarterback Jake Delhomme gave the name “She Hate Me” to one of his race horses. Spike Lee later made a film by the same name, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wore a T-shirt saying “He Fine Me” after several disciplinary actions from the NBA league office.
10. Running back Rashaan Salaam, who won the 1994 Heisman Trophy while playing for Colorado, played for the Memphis Maniax and was the league’s fifth-leading rusher, with 528 yards.
— Compiled by Terry Lefton
