NEWS ARCHIVE: January 2001

Pawlawski can breathe easy: He's QB
Contra Costa Times - 2001.01.31
Pawlawski was announced as the starter Tuesday after the Demons held their first practice at Diablo Valley College. The team spent the past four weeks at training camp in Las Vegas, staying at a hotel-casino. Pawlawski said he was as happy to be back in the Bay Area as he was to have won the starting job. ... Click Here for More Information

More on the Demon's Radio Deal
San Francisco Demons - 2001.01.31
The broadcast package begins with a one-hour pre-game show on 92 KSJO-FM and KABL-AM (960) prior to each game broadcast. The contest itself can be heard on KABL each week... 92 KSJO will host a pre-game party and broadcast the pre-game show live from Pacific Bell Park at the party. Wild 94.9 and Channel 104.9 each will host official pre-game parties and offer listeners unique benefits such as the opportunity to win a Demon Cruiser (a 2001 PT Cruiser). ... Click Here for More Information

Football game day is about to change
Bamaslammer - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.31
How many times have you heard the announcer say, "I could hear the crack from up here". The XFL may forever banish this cliché from the mouths of broadcasters. The XFL has added microphones to the players on the field to bring the sounds they hear to the fans in the stands. The actual cracking of pads will be broadcast over the extensive sound system. ... Click Here for More Information

San Francisco Demons players are no weekend warriors
San Jose Mercury News - 2001.01.31
The idea of the XFL being a league filled with weekend warriors turned out to be as far-fetched as the notion that the games and results would be scripted, as in McMahon's wrestling venture. About one-third of the players on the Demons' 35-man roster have played in the NFL, and almost all have participated in NFL training camps. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Prepares for Inaugural Weekend
Mark Nelson - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.30
Expect to see a lot of interesting stuff this Saturday. The XFL will use two camera operators on the field during the game. The cameramen will wear helmets and will use cameras that will also feature a special view-finder where the camera operator can have a better view of the field and the players around him. The camera operators are also reported to be as fit as "world class athletes". ... Click Here for More Information

Sellout for Las Vegas
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.30
The XFL has met with a landmark with the inaugural game between the Las Vegas Outlaws and the NY/NJ Hitmen being reported as sold-out. The XFL is also well on its way to exceeding an original goal in ticket sales with over 500,000 tickets now sold league-wide. The original XFL business plan called for 800,000 tickets sold by season's end. Other inaugural weekend games have also experience high ticket sales: The San Francisco Demons have sold 33,000, the Orlando Rage have sold 25,000 and the Birmingham Bolts have over 20,000 sold. At this point in time, the XFL has also sold over 70% of its television advertising.

XFL Rising to the Top
Lycos 50 - 2001.01.30
The term "XFL" is now the 30th top internet search term. The league, which begins its season on February 3, has already received more searches than the NBA and the NHL combined. ... Click Here for More Information

CAN THE HITMEN ATTRACT FANS?
MaddMax - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.30
With the incredible amount of success that the NY/NJ area has had this past year in sports, can the Hitmen attract the fan base they will need to survive? With the success of the Yankees, Mets, Devils and Giants, is there enough adrenaline left in New York/New Jersey area fans to embrace a fledgling team? The general feeling in the Northeast is that people are a bit skeptical, but more so they are excited about the start of a new league in the area. ... Click Here for More Information

Birmingham is Hungry for Football
Sonny Sanders - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.30
The ever-present desire for football, which at this time normally goes into hibernation, has been stirred by the thoughts of football in February. Instead of months of withdrawals there is hope that the football fanatics in the Birmingham area can feed their need with the XFL. ... Click Here for More Information

Bolts: No QB controversy here
The Birmingham News - 2001.01.30
While the bad weather followed the Bolts from training camp in Orlando to Fair Park Monday, one thing the club left safely behind is any notion of a quarterback controversy between first pick Weldon and local favorite Barker, the former Alabama All-SEC player. "It has nothing to do with abilities," offensive coordinator Dave Arslanian said Monday evening. "We haven't had Jay around long enough to know what all he can do yet. "We drafted Casey No. 1, choosing him over every quarterback available, and we've felt from day one he fit what we wanted to do offensively." ... Click Here for More Information

League Hardly 'X'-Rated
New York Daily News - 2001.01.30
But if there's ever been a misconception about the league, which boasts of wide-open play and promotes individuality, it starts with the cheerleaders, according to Hitmen running back Keith Elias, a former Giant and Colt. "It's not like they're giving out lap dances or working a pole on the sideline," he said yesterday at Kean University in Union, N.J., where the team will practice. "That's not what's going on here." In fact, when Elias and his teammates arrived in New Jersey on Sunday after spending the past four weeks training in Orlando, the first order of business for the players was a sexual-harassment class. ... Click Here for More Information

Generation XFL - Early prospects for XFL fantasy action
CNNSI - 2001.01.30
...now the NFL season is over and it's time to move on to other fantasy sports. Or maybe not. The XFL kicks off this weekend, and for many fantasy football fanatics, it's another chance to get in the game. There are a sizeable number of XFL leagues popping up and Sandbox has even taken on the "official" online fantasy game for the league. The market is definitely there, might as well get in the fun. ... Click Here for More Information

McCallum confident he can foot the bill
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.25
So many times, the outcome of a football game comes down to a field-goal attempt in the waning moments. It's a unique pressure that only kickers can share. But that pressure will be intensified a bit in the XFL. The league's pay system, in which the active players on the winning team each game split $100,000, will ensure that. If a kicker misses a field goal at the end to cost his team a victory, that will amount to a loss of $2,631.58 for each of the 38 active players. That might get the attention of, say, a lineman who has a mortgage payment upcoming and could use the extra money. But Outlaws kicker Paul McCallum said he is hardly worried about it. He understands the requirements of the position and said he doesn't expect any added criticism. ... Click Here for More Information

After loss to Hitmen, Rage focus on 10 cuts
Orlando Sentinel - 2001.01.25
The score was irrelevant, but the Orlando Rage lost their XFL preseason finale 14-6 to the New York/New Jersey Hitmen on a chilly Wednesday night at Showalter Field. Though Rage Coach Galen Hall could have used a bit more scoring, he was more concerned with trimming his roster by 10 players to the necessary 45 by this weekend. Orlando's only scoring came on two first-half field goals by Jay Taylor covering 24 and 42 yards. The kicking game also played a part in both New York/New Jersey touchdowns. A long second-quarter kickoff return led to Charles Puleri's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bob Rosenstiel in the second quarter. Then, in the fourth quarter, Hitmen defensive back Damen Wheeler scooped up a blocked punt and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. ... Click Here for More Information

Ventura Pitches the XFL to Minnesota
Star Tribune - 2001.01.25
Gov. Jesse Ventura took the opportunity on Wednesday to pitch the XFL to Minnesotans. As an opener to his budget talk at the University of Minnesota Duluth, he told the crowd he had spent the previous weekend in Las Vegas, narrating rehearsal games for the XFL football league, for which he is the chief color ommentator. "Saturday I did two games for the XFL," he said, to loud applause. "Number 1, nobody knew about it, Number 2, the state's still here. "For those of you disenchanted with the No Fun League, get ready," Ventura said, grinning broadly. He was referring to the National Football League. "You're going to love this football. You will be part of the game. It's video football, only with real bodies." ... Click Here for More Information

Bolts End Camp by Scrimmaging Chicago
The Birmingham Thunderbolts - 2001.01.24
Coach Gerry DiNardo was pleased with the effort, if not totally pleased by the results as the Birmingham Thunderbolts closed training camp by scrimmaging the Chicago Enforcers Wednesday at Showalter Field. The joint session with Chicago was the last practice for the Bolts before returning to Birmingham for a Monday workout. DiNardo and his staff will meet with the team Tuesday morning before officially breaking camp. "Today was good in that we played hard. I didn't think we did that last time out," DiNardo said. "Obviously, you would like to win, but I was happy with the effort." ... Click Here for More Information

Betting on the XFL? Here are the Odds!
VegasInsider.com - 2001.01.24
Sports books in Nevada are posting betting lines, and a future book on the eight-team league... The posted odds for each team winning the XFL Championship are as follows:
Los Angeles Xtreme - 5:2
Orlando Rage - 4:1
Memphis Maniax - 5:1
Las Vegas Outlaws - 5:1
N.Y./N.J. Hitmen - 6:1
San Francisco Demons - 7:1
Birmingham Bolts - 8:1
Chicago Enforcers - 12:1
... Click Here for More Information

Exclusive: Interview with Tim Berryman, GM for the Birmingham Thunderbolts
Bamaslammer - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.24
...Birmingham's a challenge market since there's resistance to the product. I've heard people in Alabama say, I'm an Alabama fan or I'm an Auburn or UAB fan. I think we have a number of starters on our defense from Auburn. We have Jay Barker and other players from Alabama. My question to the fans of those great programs is, don't these players deserve your support once they leave the campus and continue on in their pro football careers. I think that they do. ... Click Here for More Information

Ex-Jet Burns pleased about career revival with Outlaws
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.24
Lamont Burns had made up his mind to retire from professional football after the 1998 season, which he ended with the New York Jets. He was making plans to become a financial adviser and was helping coach a junior varsity high school football team. He was attending a service at the Sunshine Baptist Church in Roslyn Heights, N.Y., when the pastor, the Rev. Richard Hunter, told him he was going to play football again. "He said it might not be where you want and it might not be what you want to be doing, but you're going to play again," Burns said. "I brushed it off. I didn't think it meant a thing." But nearly a year to the day after Hunter's words, Burns got an offer to play in the XFL. He is now in camp with the Las Vegas Outlaws and is slated to be the team's starting center. ... Click Here for More Information

Excitement Builds as Legion Field Changes Take Place
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.23
Changes to Legion Field in Birmingham are happening right now. It was reported that there are a total of three truckloads of equipment being assembled on Tuesday afternoon alone. On one end of the stadium is a 3-4 story high scaffolding with an elevated platform which will be viewable from every seat in the stadium. The scaffolding has a hollow center so as to house a screen. It is very similar to something you would see at a WWF event, but much bigger. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL and Spalding to Fly at Superbowl
Contra Costa Times - 2001.01.23
Days before the XFL kicks off its inaugural season Feb. 3, Spalding Holdings Corp. -- maker of the XFL's black-and-red football -- is paying about $4,000 for a plane pulling an XFL banner to pass over Raymond James Stadium about eight times during Sunday's game. The banner will bear the black and red XFL and Spalding logos and the slogan: "Toughest Football Ever." "It's almost too good an opportunity to pass up," said Chris Waldeck, Spalding's category manager for football. "We're not looking for flack with the NFL. All we care about is that football fans don't ignore us." ... Click Here for More Information

A Sneak Peek at some XFL Football?
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.23
If you are in the Orlando area, here is a great chance to witness the rise of XFL football first-hand. The Birmingham Thunderbolts and the Chicago Enforcers are scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Showalter Field in Winter Park. The Orlando Rage and New York/New Jersey Hitmen are also scheduled to hold a joint workout on Wednesday. All is open to the public.

Maniax Nickname: Just a History Lesson
MaddMax - XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.23
When the XFL announced that Memphis would be one of their inaugural cities, a name had to be chosen that would fit that community. Some may say that the name "Maniax" was chosen solely for the purpose of portraying the WWF-style of toughness and crazed behavior. Nobody really thought that there may be some truth to both the Maniax logo and the Maniax name. First a history lesson... ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Tests its Product in Seclusion
Las Vegas Sun - 2001.01.22
It was private and extremely exclusive, as in "Keep Out." If you didn't know the super-secret password, you were blocked at the checkpoint and repelled. No visitors, no press, no fans, no nothin.' It was as if the Cone of Silence had been placed over Sam Boyd Stadium, and anything that happened under it on the field or in the stands was deemed unfit for mass distribution or analysis. ... Click Here for More Information

San Antonio in the XFL?
Bizjournals.com - 2001.01.22
Alamodome Director Mike Abington says the fledgling XFL football league apparently was interested enough in San Antonio last year to check for open dates. "We were one of the first cities to have a discussion with them," says Abington. "They were ready to march in, but we didn't have any dates (available)." Abington says the availability of dates will obviously increase with the departure of the NBA San Antonio Spurs to SBC Center for the 2002-2003 season. He adds that city and dome officials have not given up on the XFL. Asked about San Antonio's chances at acquiring an XFL franchise anytime soon, league spokesman Ben Grossman says, "As for expansion, we have no plans for the immediate future." ... Click Here for More Information

XFL will be for real, players and officials say
The Commercial Appeal - 2001.01.22
XFL president Barry DeVito Jr. has been asked the question so many times, he can now answer it without aggravation. "Is the XFL going to be real football?" Because of that, DeVito spends much of his time setting the record straight. "Since we announced the league Feb. 3 of last year, it has been one constant education process,'' DeVito said. "Certainly, the success of the WWF casts a very long shadow. That has given rise to some confusion and lack of understanding of the league as a whole. "It has been our job to educate and ultimately, regardless of how good we do that job, until we play football on Feb. 3 and people can see and feel for themselves just what the XFL is. It's hard to explain it with just mere words and phrases." ... Click Here for More Information

Only Two Weeks Until Smashmouth Football!
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.20
Get ready for the New York/New Jersey Hitman at Las Vegas Outlaws on NBC in two weeks. The other game on Saturday night, Chicago Enforcers at Orlando Rage, may be telecast regionally, but we can't confirm that yet. It will be a great chance to take a good look at the Hitmen team that we've heard so little about.... plus a shy glance at some XFL cheerleaders.

Clement, not Clements, to quarterback Outlaws
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.20
When the Las Vegas Outlaws began their training camp two weeks ago, Chuck Clements was the clear leader in the quarterback derby. But when the Outlaws meet the Los Angeles Xtreme at 5 p.m. today in an exhibition game at Sam Boyd Stadium that is closed to the public and the media, it will be Ryan Clement's job to lose. "I'd say he's definitely the front-runner," Outlaws coach Jim Criner said. ... Click Here for More Information

Outlaws wideout faces nine charge
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.20
Las Vegas Outlaws wide receiver Donald R. Sellers faces nine felony counts of sexual misconduct involving four teen-agers in Arizona. If convicted on all counts, he could spend up to 22 years in prison. According to an indictment returned by the Maricopa County Grand Jury against Sellers, 26, on Dec. 6, all of the victims were between 15 and 18 years old at the time of the alleged offenses. Most of the alleged incidents took place in late 1999 and during the first quarter of 2000. ... Click Here for More Information

Bolts are Giving Blood
The Birmingham Thunderbolts - 2001.01.19
The Bolts will work against the Orlando Rage for the fourth time in training camp Saturday afternoon. For the second time Birmingham and Orlando will team up for one-on-one work with receivers and defensive backs, as well as extensive work in the kicking game. Enforcers on the Horizon: Birmingham is finally scheduled to hook up with Chicago during the final week of training camp. The Bolts and the Enforcers are scheduled to scrimmage Wednesday afternoon. The scrimmage will be open to the media and the public. ... Click Here for More Information

Salaam making most of XFL comeback
Abilene Reporter - 2001.01.19
Rashaan Iman Salaam ... It means righteous, faith and peace. It was only after a four-year NFL career that eventually left him jobless and now playing for the XFL's Memphis Maniax, that Salaam has come to learn the true meaning of his name. And it wasn't until after those disappointing years that the meaning of those words seemed so fitting to the former Heisman Trophy winning running back. ... Click Here for More Information

That's Okay, We Don't Actually Read the Articles
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.19
The February edition of men's magazine Maxim, has an article on the XFL. The article basically pans the new league, coming across with the headline "Let's Get Ready to Fumble". It is reported that they described the New York/New Jersey Hitmen's cheerleading tryouts "looked more like the Bulgarian synchronized swimming team." Does anybody want to bet that within 12 months from now they want to feature some of these same cheerleaders in some of their signature "revealing" articles?

Details on Topps XFL Trading Cards
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.19
Topps XFL Trading cards are set to be released on 21 March 2001, trading card industry mainstay Beckett reports. The Topps XFL set will have a base of 100 cards. There will also be cheerleader cards in the base set. The packs will include inserts consisting of Mirror Foil Quarterback, Autographs, Football Relics and Jersey Relics. Packs will also contain stickers. An eight card pack will retail for $1.99. Topps and the XFL will also be issuing 20,000 free promo cards at XFL games in the first two weeks of the season.

Miracle Workers Play to Full House
The Birmingham Thunderbolts - 2001.01.18
While Birmingham's scrimmage against Orlando was closed by the XFL and played largely to an empty house at the Citrus Bowl Wednesday, the same couldn't be said for the Thunderbolts training room that night. Bolts athletic trainers Dave Gable and Dan Stockman played to a full house Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, and some say they pulled off a minor miracle in time for Thursday's practice. Thirty-one players, exactly half of Birmingham's current roster, reported to the training room for treatment and rehab of various injuries following the scrimmage. All but five practiced Thursday afternoon. ... Click Here for More Information

Demons Arrange a Practice Facility
San Francisco Demons - 2001.01.18
Appropriately, the Demons will be preparing for their 2001 XFL experience by practicing at the foot of Mt. Diablo in the East Bay. San Francisco's newest professional football team will get ready for its 10-game regular season by conducting drills on the facilities of Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, it was announced jointly by the community college and the Demons. "We could not ask for a better situation, for both the Demons and DVC," vice president and general manager Michael Preacher said. "We will both benefit from this arrangement." At the Demons' disposal will be two facilities, a natural grass field for the minimalization of injuries and another with an artificial surface inside the stadium that would be used in case of inclement weather. ... Click Here for More Information

News From Enforcers Camp!
Chicago Enforcers - 2001.01.18
To say Enforcers head coach Ron Meyer was unhappy with his team’s performance in a practice game held January 17 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando would be an understatement. "Our attitude was a little cocky going in and we got a rude awakening for that attitude,” said Meyer. "This was a good game for us to play because we learned a valuable lesson, we have to come ready to play. We now know where we have to improve." ... Click Here for More Information

Outlaws Sign Buck, Hayes Waived
Las Vegas Outlaws - 2001.01.18
Las Vegas Outlaws Head Coach Jim Criner added veteran QB Mike Buck to the Las Vegas Outlaws roster today, with the former Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals QB bringing additional depth and experience to the Outlaws offense. In order to make room on the team’s 62-man roster, the Outlaws waived QB Lionel Hayes, a 23-year old from Grambling who was added during the team’s November mini-camp. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL President Eager for Games to Start
Indianapolis Star - 2001.01.18
DeVito says that as of last Friday, more than 70,000 season tickets had been sold league-wide, and more than 400,000 individual game tickets. "Our business plan called for 800,000 the first year,'' he says. "We're halfway home and haven't played a down." So the XFL is cleared for takeoff. But can it fly in the ever more crowded skies of sports entertainment? "This has been the toughest thing I've ever been involved with," says DeVito. ... Click Here for More Information

Maniax's Name is Just Fun
The Commercial Appeal - 2001.01.18
...Is the name Maniax offensive? Let's consult the Webster's New World College Dictionary, Third Edition. Definition No. 1 says a maniac is "a wildly or violently insane person." Definition No. 2 says a maniac is "a person who has an excessive or persistent enthusiasm, liking, or desire for something," and specifically cites "a football maniac."... Which definition is more fitting for Memphis XFL fans? ... Click Here for More Information

Inside the Bolts - A Day at the Thunderbolts Office
Bamaslammer - XFLBoard.com Bolts Team Reporter - 2001.01.17
On Wednesday, Thunderbolts team reporter, Bamaslammer, received a very warm welcome at the Bolts office. Through his visit he was able to answer many important questions: Why are this week's scrimmages "closed", how are the Bolt's ticket sales going and where are the Thunderbolts Cheerleaders? He was also able to discover another important secret about the Bolts: The XFL is poised to bring professional football action back to the state of Alabama! ... Click Here for More Information

Demons Shore up Offense - Brave Strong Winds
The San Francisco Demons - 2001.01.17
The subject was the weather Wednesday in the San Francisco Demons' XFL training camp here. The "hawk" was dominating the action for the second straight day. While San Francisco took the field in temperatures that dipped into the 20s when the wind chill was added, the Demons were taking steps to shore up a very prickly area on the roster. The Demons have been woefully short on receivers as the training camp churns to the end of its third week and Coach Jim Skipper said reinforcements were on the way. Veteran NFL pass-catchers Floyd Turner and J.T. Thomas and longtime CFL receiver Jimmy Cunningham will be joining the Demons for either Thursday or Friday drills. ... Click Here for More Information

Fire Alarm Marks a Tough Day for the Thunderbolts
The Birmingham Thunderbolts - 2001.01.17
The workday started with the hotel fire alarm blaring a warning 15 minutes before the Birmingham Thunderbolts were set to board the bus to the Citrus Bowl, and according to coach Gerry DiNardo, Birmingham's XFL entry should have heeded that warning. "We got our butts kicked today, basically stunk the place up," DiNardo said following a joint workout with the Orlando Rage. "We are going back to work Thursday and bring our lunch buckets. ... Click Here for More Information

Let's Stop all this fussin' and a feudin'
Hamilton Spectator - 2001.01.17
The XFL is here to stay. Accept it. Work with it. Respect it. That, at least, is the posture the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have taken all the way through an open door to the new league's Las Vegas training camps of four of its clubs. Ticat director of player personnel Mike McCarthy has been welcomed to scout XFL camps in the City That Never Sleeps before the eight-team loop opens for business on Feb. 3. He scanned their Florida camps earlier. Other CFL teams have not been treated as warmly. ... Click Here for More Information

More Rules: Forward Motion at Snap
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.17
The XFL has made a number of rules changes from the NFL that it hopes will speed up the game and create more excitement. But one of the changes has caused a bit of a headache for coaches around the league because it is so foreign to what they have ever done before. The league will allow a player to be moving forward at the snap as long as he is outside of the tackles. That is permissible in Canadian football, but it's illegal in all levels of football in this country. The Outlaws' coaches are experimenting to see how it will be incorporated into their offense, but offensive coordinator Vince Alcalde doesn't expect to design an entire scheme around it. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Gets the Cold Shoulder From Mainstream Sports Sites
Wall Street Journal - 2001.01.16
Many main-stream media outlets view the XFL only as a minor league sport. Even in Chicago, where the Enforcers could use some good publicity, ChicagoSports.com has a good reason why they don't have an XFL section - because nobody has asked for it yet. "I don't see us spending a lot of staff hours on this", says George Knue, senior editor of ChicagoSports.com, "I've yet to receive my first e-mail complaining about [preseason]lack of coverage." ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Films Shoots Special Teams
The Birmingham Thunderbolts - 2001.01.16
A World Wrestling Federation Entertainment film and sound crew worked both the Birmingham and Orlando practices Tuesday securing footage for a future piece on the making of the XFL. The crew was especially interested in obtaining special teams footage, since some of the XFL's more prominent rule differences pertain to the kicking game. The film crew couldn't have picked a better day to get footage of special teams work. Without knowing the crew would be present, Bolts head coach Gerry DiNardo and his staff obliged with extended work on the kicking game, including kickoff, kickoff return, field goals and punting. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL boss would kill for some bad publicity
Toronto Star - 2001.01.16
Vince McMahon is not going to be pleased. With the king of wrestling's newest venture, the XFL, less than a month from reality (so to speak) there definitely is something missing from North American magazine racks. "Where's the outrage?", McMahon must be asking himself, "Where's the hysterical backlash?" This sure isn't the kind of reaction McMahon was hoping to get. ... Click Here for More Information

A Reality-based View of the XFL's Rulebook
Bamaslammer - XFLBoard.com Bolts Team Reporter - 2001.01.16
This is a class they must have skipped for journalism majors at school. The XFL released its official rule changes for the coming season. Contrary to what the press had been suggesting it is not a free for all blood fest with body slams and choke holds. ... Click Here for More Information

The XFL Releases Details of Rulebook
XFL Press Release - 2001.01.16
Highlighted by the banning of fair catches on punts, the XFL today announced key rule changes for the league's upcoming season. In addition to eliminating fair catches, the XFL has also modified current punting rules in several other ways to introduce the "most exciting fourth down in football." Most prominently among these changes is the fact that in the XFL, any punt traveling more than 25 yards will be a live ball recoverable by either team. "You can sure that no fan will get a drink or go to the bathroom during an XFL punt," said XFL President Basil V. DeVito, Jr. "When the punter lets fly anything can happen. The strategic possibilities are endless." ... Click Here for More Information

Outlaws give ex-Saint Buck a try
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.16
Fearing that would-be starting quarterback Chuck Clements may be out until sometime after the start of the regular season with an injury to his throwing shoulder, the Las Vegas Outlaws worked out ex-New Orleans Saints quarterback Mike Buck on Monday. Buck, who has been the offensive coordinator the past several seasons for the Pensacola Barracudas of Arena Football League 2, threw for about a half hour after the practice on Monday on the practice fields adjacent to Sam Boyd Stadium. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Training Camp Cuts
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.15
The league has announced the training camp cuts for the Birmingham Thunderbolts, Las Vegas Outlaws, Orlando Rage, Memphis Maniax and the New York/New Jersey Hitmen. ... Click Here for More Information

Training Camp Cuts, Bolts Roster Trimmed to 62
Birmingham Bolts - 2001.01.15
The Birmingham Thunderbolts trimmed the training camp roster to the XFL-mandated 62 players by making seven player moves Monday. The Bolts waived five players, placed one on the reserve-injured list and one on the reserve-XFL exemption list. Players waived by Birmingham included defensive backs Carlos Jones and Raphael Ball, wide receiver Chris Ortiz, running back Jesse Haynes and tight Bryan Arndt. Ball, Haynes and Arndt were all players the Bolts had obtained in the supplemental draft just before training camp began. ... Click Here for More Information

First 48 Hrs - 50,000 Sign up to Play XFL Fantasy Football
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.15
The XFL has combined with Sandbox.com to create the Internet's first official XFL Fantasy Football game. James Mottram, PR Associate for Sandbox.com, went on record with XFLBoard.com to say: "The XFL and its fans are very interested in making the new league an interactive experience, and fantasy football is as interactive as it gets. The exclusive agreement between the XFL and Sandbox has already been a tremendous success. The XFL fantasy games became available at Sandbox.com and XFL.com on January 10 and more than 50,000 users signed up to play in the first 48 hours!" ... Click Here to View the Official XFL Press Release

Butkus Savors the Brawls
Chicago Tribune - 2001.01.14
"With just seven or eight days of working out together, I'm amazed they aren't jumping offside on every play," Butkus said. "But brawls are breaking out, and that's what you want to see. The players are getting after it." Butkus is back in football, of a sort, as the XFL's director of competition. The new league is a far cry from the NFL he terrorized for nine seasons as a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Bears, but the rather intense hitting, trash-talking and post-whistle skirmishing that occurred during a two-hour controlled scrimmage he viewed was his kind of football. ... Click Here for More Information

In XFL, punts worth watching
The Commercial Appeal - 2001.01.14
The biggest thing the fans will notice are the rules concerning punts and punt returns, which should lead to some big plays. The returns will be aided, first, by the fact that the punt team can't go down field until the ball is kicked, and second, from a 5-yard halo that the punt team must give the returner when he fields the ball. But the returner must also field and return every ball. There are no fair catches, and every ball is live once it travels 25 yards, meaning the punt team can recover the ball even if the receiving team doesn't touch it. ... Click Here for More Information

A Gridiron on a Baseball Field
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.14
Saturday's East-West Shrine Game, which raises money for Shriners' hospitals, was the first football game ever played at the new San Francisco Pac Bell Park. Apparently it was a wierd sight to see a football gridiron on a baseball field. One end zone was butted up against the visitors' dugout, the other was against the left-field bleachers. Incidentally, the San Francisco Demons are currently leading the XFL in ticket sales.

XFL Adds Computer Video to Coach's Arsenal
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 2001.01.14
Each coach's laptop -- with 256 megabytes of RAM and a 50-gigabyte hard drive -- is outfitted with software created by Pinnacle Sports that immediately converts analog video footage from games or practices into digital, allowing a coach to view any player at any time -- even at halftime, if need be -- from virtually any angle. It allows position coaches to more easily focus on the players under their tutelage. And, according to Dickerson, it will enable the staff to spend more time coaching and correcting mistakes and less time watching film. ... Click Here for More Information

Maniax three QBs relishing the battle
The Commercial Appeal - 2001.01.13
On the surface, it may look like there is pressure on Memphis Maniax quarterback Marcus Crandall to beat out Jim Druckenmiller and Craig Whelihan for the starting job. After all, Crandall was the player targeted as the team's first-ever draft pick. But when there are no hefty signing bonuses and everyone is making the same salary, special treatment is eliminated. Everyone is equal. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL revenue Expected to be $80 M
Bloomberg - 2001.01.12
The XFL is expected to generate $80 million in revenue in its first season. It has been reported that the league has sold almost half the available TV ad spots for the first season. An average 30-second ad is selling for about $110,000. In comparison, ABC's "Monday Night Football" games get an average $360,000 per 30-second spot. XFL advertisers so far include Gatorade, M&M/Mars, Anheuser-Busch and Valvoline motor oil. Advertisers buying ads on the XFL get commercial time on NBC, TNN and UPN. WWF and NBC will split XFL's profit and costs. Although first year revenue is estimated at $80 million, costs are expected to be $113 million. The XFL plans to be profitable in their third season.

Who crashed XFL blimp?
ESPN.COM - page 2 - 2001.01.12
Another hilarious article by the ESPN.COM Page 2 staff: Like Hulk Hogan leaping from the turnbuckles onto a prone Sgt. Slaughter, the XFL blimp crashed into an Oakland waterfront restaurant Tuesday after its two-man crew was forced to evacuate. Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt, although the pilot sustained minor injuries. High winds reportedly blew the blimp out of control, but sources have told Page 2 that a hijacker might be to blame. In an exclusive Page 2 investigation, here are some suspects ... Click Here for More Information

XFL's founder McMahon salivates over his creation
The Commercial Appeal - 2001.01.12
As the Los Angeles Xtreme was taking on the San Francisco Demons Thursday afternoon in the first of two scrimmages on the practice fields at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, XFL founder Vince McMahon was like a little kid as he watched his brainchild unfolding further. ..."I was so excited when I walked out on that field today," McMahon said. "The passion and the spirit those players have. They're getting after it and they want it. It was so cool because that's really what this league is about." ... Click Here for More Information

ESPN versus the XFL, It's On!
Footballology.com - 2001.01.11
ESPN recently ran a report that they believed that the XFL Blimp that crashed over the city of Oakland was nothing more than publicity stunt from Vinny-Mac, the Zen master of the WWF. If you look more into this, there is probably more to it than that. They pulled the story off of their front page after a few hours because they realized they made complete and utter fools of themselves. ... Click Here for More Information

XFL Names UPN Broadcast Team
Press Release - 2001.01.11
The XFL today named the broadcast team for the telecasts on UPN of the inaugural XFL season. Craig Minervini will handle play-by-play, Bob Golic will serve as analyst, and Lee Reherman and Kip Lewis will handle sideline reporting duties. "This team of four is well-suited to provide great coverage for the all-access pass UPN is going to give viewers," said XFL President Basil V. Devito, Jr. Minervini, sports anchor at WTVJ (NBC) in South Florida, has worked on NBC's broadcasts of Notre Dame football, and has also worked for ESPN and Prime Network. ... Click Here for More Information

Broadcast Booth in the Stands?
XFLBoard.com - 2001.01.11
This is different. Jesse Ventura has stated that he may need to bring a hat and a warm coat to the XFL games because won't be broadcasting from a booth, but from stadium stands. According to the Minnesota Governor the broadcast location will be a few rows up from the field on the 50-yard line. If it rains on the fans, it will rain on him.

Vince Goes on Record...Again
Slam Sports - Toronto Sun - 2001.01.11
Vince McMahon on the NFL: "The NFL treats its audience like they're idiots," said McMahon, who referred to NFL players as "pantywaists." He is also sick and tired of watching endless instant replays on professional football broadcasts. "We're not going to do that. We have too much respect for our audience," McMahon said. ... Click Here for More Information

OH THE HUMANITY!
XFL Promotional Blimp Crashes
Associated Press - 2001.01.10
A wayward blimp crashed into a waterfront restaurant and a boat in Oakland after its two-man crew was forced to jump from the gondola. Only the pilot suffered minor injuries. The blimp meandered for 20 minutes after the two men jumped to safety Tuesday, said Oakland Airport spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson. The blimp suffered about $2.5 million in damage, Johnson said. Damage was minimal to the restaurant and sailboat. The blimp bore advertising for Spalding and the XFL, a new professional football league set to start early next month. ... Click Here for More Information

Update: XFL Ticket Sales
Bizjournals.com - 2001.01.09
The XFL is launching a major promotional blitz to kick-start ticket sales that are lagging in some markets with less than four weeks left before the league's first game. Officials of the eight-team league say they are satisfied with leaguewide sales of about 65,000 season tickets, but there's concern about sluggish sales in some markets, putting pressure on teams to push single-game tickets to reach the leaguewide average attendance goal of 25,000 a game. The Chicago Enforcers play in the nation's third-largest market, but season-ticket sales are on par with the league's smaller markets. The Enforcers have sold about 5,000 season tickets, while teams in San Francisco and New York have sold about 18,000. The Los Angeles Xtreme, in the second-largest market, has sold only about 6,000 season tickets. The Memphis Maniax have sold about 6,000 and the Birmingham (Ala.) Thunderbolts are last in season-ticket sales with about 2,500. ... Click Here for More Information

2 January 2001
It's Time for Training Camp
The Western Division teams (Las Vegas Outlaws, Los Angeles Xtreme, Memphis Maniax, San Francisco Demons) all opened training camps this week in Las Vegas, while the Eastern Division teams (Birmingham Thunderbolts, Chicago Enforcers, NY/NJ Hitmen, Orlando Rage) all opened camps in Orlando. Camps last through January leading up to the kickoff of the inaugural XFL season on February 3.

2 January 2001
Single-Game Tickets to go on Sale
Single-game XFL tickets will go on sale nation-wide for the first time this Saturday, January 6 through Ticketmaster, except for Las Vegas and San Francisco, for which tickets are available through Tickets.com.

1 January 2001
Imported Cheerleaders?
By Bamaslammer - Birmingham Bolts Co-Reporter
People in Birmingham have noted that the Birmingham Cheerleaders have yet to make an appearance either in person or by photo media. The answer may be simple; "They aren't here". According to a Birmingham News story on 12/27 three of the cheerleaders don't even live here! [Read Entire Article: Link to Bolts Team Page]

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