Football fans are still reeling from the matchup in Super Bowl LII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots on Sunday. The Eagles and Patriots played a highly competitive game and more than 100 million people tuned in for the game, according to NFL Public Relations Director Brian McCarthy.
But in two years, there will be another brand of football with a familiar name: the XFL. Vince McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, plans to relaunch the XFL and hopes to change the culture of the game.
“The new XFL will kick off in 2020,†McMahon said at a press conference. “And quite frankly, we’re going to give the game of football back to fans.â€
McMahon vows this time around, the XFL will be “family-friendly,†and fans will see more of what they want and less of what they do not. In addition, he promised that there will not be any politics involved in the game, which was directed toward on the NFL.
Over the past couple of years, players protested during the United States national anthem, citing racial inequality and holding police accountable for police brutality and unjustified killings of unarmed people of color.
After this conversation became a debate of football players protesting the actual anthem, many fans decided to boycott the NFL. Ratings began to fall for many regular season games, down almost 10 percent in the 2017 regular season, according to data from Nielsen, but it is not certain if that was related to the protests.
Geoff Calkins, sports columnist for The Commercial Appeal and radio talk show host in Memphis, said McMahon’s ideas of not having politics in his league or the idea of having players without a criminal record are foolish.
“I think it’s a stupid idea,†Calkins said. “People go to events because it’s compelling and entertaining. I honestly think he’s pandering to right-wing nut cases.â€
Calkins said the XFL is two years away from launching, and it’s unknown exactly what the political climate will be at that time.
Additionally, Calkins isn’t too sure the XFL will be successful or pose any competition to the NFL.
“It’s not a threat to the NFL,†Calkins said. “The question is will it be able to survive more than a season or two.â€
The XFL originally launched in 2001 and lasted one season. The league pioneered the popularity of the sky-cam and players wearing microphones. Although its technology was ahead of its time, NBC pulled out of their broadcasting contract with the XFL due to low viewership.
The league had a team in Memphis in its inaugural season: the Memphis Maniax. McMahon said this time, the league will have eight teams, but he didn’t specify any markets.
Calkins said he would be surprised if Memphis had a team in this relaunch of the league.
“I’m dubious they would return to Memphis,†Calkins said. “I’m a little skeptical.â€
Calkins said right now, the sports teams in Memphis are already competing for fan support. He mentioned attendance at Memphis Tigers men’s basketball games is very low. Yet, he noted that is in terms of the Tigers’ normal standards.
He said with Memphis being an impoverished city, there is not much disposable income for fans to support their teams, and the XFL wouldn’t be profitable in this market.
