Week
5: A Look Ahead Against the Spread
The Masked
Prognosticator - 2001.02.28
In
the Mob, rarely does one live twice. 2 weeks ago, the Hitmen
brought dishonor upon themselves and shamed us by coming up
1/2 point short versus Orlando. But we are merciful, and are
giving the NY-NJ Hitmen an opportunity to show they can still
be good "earners" for us in the XFL... Compare the bogus Xtreme
to the down and dirty Hitmen. So far our perennial flunkies,
The Hitmen are slowly but surely making their bones each week.
In Week One, they sucked. In Week 2, they still sucked, but
put 12 points on the board. In Week 3, they almost beat the
best team in the league. It all came together this past weekend
as Rusty Tillman and Co. beat up on the so-called Enforcers
on the road, 13-0. With a win over L.A., they might even get
"made"! ...
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Sports
execs eye XFL innovations
Reuters
- 2001.02.28
The
XFL may be off to an abysmal start in the primetime ratings
on NBC, but the head of Fox Sports said Tuesday that the football
league's innovations such as on-field cameras and microphones
could have "major ramifications" for TV coverage of all other
sports. "Being able to hear what the players are saying in the
huddle will be a major plus for TV viewers, who have no patience
for inner sanctuaries on the field -- they want to know everything
about everything," said David Hill, chairman-CEO of the Fox
Sports Group. He was speaking on a panel at the Front Row media
conference. The other panelist, CBS president-CEO Leslie Moonves,
agreed with Hill, saying CBS already has started talking about
"using some techniques of the XFL coverage" for National Football
League games, starting as early as next season. ...
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Tillman
Takes Issue With Ventura's Hype
Washington
Post - 2001.02.28
On
a day when NBC's top entertainment executives said the network
intends to fulfill its two-year commitment to televise the XFL
in prime time on Saturday night despite falling ratings, one
of the league's coaches sharply criticized NBC Sports' XFL analyst,
Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. During the first half of Saturday's
game between New York/New Jersey and Chicago, Ventura, a former
World Wrestling Federation wrestler, called New York/New Jersey
Coach Rusty Tillman, a special teams star for the George Allen
Redskins and later a respected NFL assistant coach, "gutless"
for kicking a field goal and not going for a touchdown on fourth
and goal from the 1. ...
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Xtreme
Formula for Success Gets Diluted
David Curtis
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.27
The
Los Angeles Xtreme tried on Sunday to concoct yet another heroic
win. And they almost made it -- they just didn’t account
for an increasingly heavy downpour which compromised their panache.
Not that rain (or opposing talent, for that matter) was their
chief problem. While the team struggled all night, its first-half
performance had little to do with the weather. This point was
driven home by the visiting Memphis Maniax, who overcame a wet
ball and a sloppy field to drive for 229 yards and 15 points
before intermission. No, L.A. seemed mostly to be following
a pattern of slow starts. ...
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The
Fans have Spoken, Week 4 - XFLBoard.com Players of the Week
XFLBoard.com
- 2001.02.27
Week
4 - The Fans Have Spoken! At XFLBoard.com we'd like to think
that the fans are the most important commodity in the equation.
Who is better than to choose the XFL players of the Week than
the same fans who cheer them on? Week 4 voting has ended. Here
are the results: Offensive: Rashan Salaam, Defensive: Brandon
Sanders, Lineman: Israel Raybon, Special Teams: Mario Bailey.
...
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Salaam
and Raybon Honored as XFL Players of the Week
XFL Press Release
- 2001.02.27
The
XFL today named Memphis Maniax RB Rashaan Salaam as its Offensive
Player of the Week and New York/New Jersey Hitmen DE Israel
Raybon as its Defensive Player of the Week for week four. Memphis'
Heisman Trophy winner ignored a torrential downpour and subsequent
terrible field conditions at the L.A. Coliseum to blast through
the Los Angeles defense for 126 yards on 26 carries. The total
included a 21-yard TD run in the second quarter which would
prove to be the game-winning score as the Maniax dropped the
Xtreme, 18-12, on Sunday night. For the Hitmen, "Raybo" recorded
three sacks and racked up six tackles as NY/NJ survived a rain-soaked
Saturday night at Soldier Field to shut out the Enforcers, 13-0,
for the Hitmen's first win of the season. ...
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NBC
plans to stick with XFL
Slam Sports
- 2001.02.27
"I
certainly hope it has bottomed out," NBC Entertainment President
Jeff Zucker said. "We will stick with it and give it a chance
to grow." If the XFL were a comedy or drama on NBC's schedule,
it would be long gone. But since NBC and the World Wrestling
Federation are co-owners of the league, the rules are different,
said Scott Sassa, president of NBC West Coast. Sassa said NBC
is committed to showing the XFL in prime-time for the rest of
its two-year contract. ...
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TNN
Ratings Look Good
XFLBoard.com
- 2001.02.27
Game
3 of the XFL on TNN, featuring the Las Vegas Outlaws' 16-9 victory
over the San Francisco Demons, averaged a 1.1 rating, representing
870,000 households and 1.45 million viewers. While household
rating was down 8% from Game 2 (1.2 rating, representing 919,000),
more people, 9% more - over 120,000 additional viewers -- actually
watched XFL on TNN this week than last week. An average of 1.45
million people watched Game 3 compared to 1.33 million for Game
2. In addition, for the second consecutive week, the XFL performance
doubled TNN's household delivery (up 100%) and more than tripled
its delivery of Adults 18-49 (up 221%) over the network's prior
time period performance in the First Quarter 2001.
How
to "Save" the XFL
The Masked
Prognosticator - 2001.02.27
With
steady crowds in some cities, stabilizing ratings, and a dedicated
hardcore fan base, the death of the XFL has been greatly exaggerated.
The ratings have declined but you knew that going in, though
their rapid decline is troubling. Rumors abound that NBC will
soon dump the XFL. I doubt it. With tens of millions of dollars
invested, and no football contract with the NFL, the XFL should
a home on NBC. ...
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Game
day starts early for Outlaws cheerleaders
Las Vegas Review-Journal
- 2001.02.27
Kickoff's
not for another few hours, but the team already has hit the
field at Sam Boyd Stadium to run through the day's game plan.
"One, two, three, four," Jay Howarth calls out as the athletes
fly into a dizzying, complicated series of kicks, lateral moves
and juke steps. Then, they do it again, and again, and yet again,
all for a routine that'll last only two or three minutes once
the actual football game begins. It's game day for the Las Vegas
Outlaws cheerleaders -- a long day of rehearsing, dancing, cheering,
meeting fans and generally serving as hostesses of the wildest
Saturday-night party in town. ...
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A Tough
Season for Ebersol
MSNBC.com
- 2001.02.27
From
NEWSWEEK Magazine: The first week had been a ratings smash.
Ebersol knew it would be tough to match that showing, when many
tuned in to see, as he says, “if we would have naked cheerleaders
running around with chairs to break over the heads of referees.”
Still, he was pumped. The XFL game would be followed by “Saturday
Night Live,” guest-starring the white-hot Jennifer Lopez.
But the evening headed south not long after first snap of the
football. NBC briefly lost electrical power, robbing viewers
of five touchdowns between the L.A. Xtreme and Chicago Enforcers.
Then the game dragged on into double overtime, pushing back
“SNL’s” start by 45 minutes. Ebersol could
only hope that fans were glued to their sets for the exciting
finish. But they weren’t. The ratings for XFL plummeted.
And for days after, the media chewed over NBC’s fumbles.
“We have to ignore the babble,” Ebersol told NEWSWEEK
in his first extended interview since the launch of the league.
...
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No
Bags Being Packed at Legion Field
Bamaslammer
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.27
Bamaslammer:
Several web sites are reporting that the XFL is about to fold?
Tim Berryman: "That I can tell you is hog-wash. NBC came
into this with a minimum 2-year commitment and even if we have
a zero rating they would continue to broadcast the games. I
think every week our product is going to get better in the way
we present it. The league has done a lot of focus group research
to see what fans dislike and liked about various styles of broadcast."
...
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Pawlawski
Sidelined with Neck Injury
San Francisco
Demons - 2001.02.27
San
Francisco Head Coach Jim Skipper said Demons' quarterback Mike
Pawlawski could be lost for as long as three weeks after suffering
a neck injury during Sundays 16-9 loss to Las Vegas at Pacific
Bell Park. Another former California product, Pat Barnes, will
start Saturday night against the Birmingham Thunderbolts here
in a 5:00 p.m. PST contest. Barnes played the final 10½ minutes
of the Demons' second loss in four games against the Western
Division-leading Outlaws. ...
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Outlaws
Add WR Murphy to Roster
Las Vegas Outlaws
- 2001.02.26
The
Western Division-leading Las Vegas Outlaws (3-1) added 29-year
old WR Yo Murphy to their roster today, with the former Tampa
Bay Buccaneer, Minnesota Viking and Scottish Claymore wideout
becoming the second offensive addition in seven days. Nagging
injuries to Outlaws WRs Todd Floyd (concussion), Nakia Jenkins
(heel) and Brett Bech (back) necessitate the move. Las Vegas
now has 24 hours to reduce its active roster to the XFL's 45-man
limit. ...
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3 Interceptions,
2 Fumbles, 1 Loss
NStarz Ha -
Demons Team Reporter - 2001.02.26
The
title of this article was the result for the Demons in their
second loss in front of a crowd of about 34,000. Reasons: the
FIVE turnovers. Yes, five. One interception by Mike Pawlawski.
Another Interception Pat Barnes. THREE fumbles (two of them
recovered by the Outlaws) by Pawlawski and another fumble by
James Hundon. ...
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Outlaws
try to get offensive
Las Vegas Review-Journal
- 2001.02.25
The
Las Vegas Outlaws have been abysmal offensively in the first
three games of the XFL season. Even in a league full of teams
struggling to score points and pile up yardage, Las Vegas has
stood out. There has been little to inspire confidence that
things will change. The offensive line hasn't pushed the opposing
defense off the line of scrimmage, the quarterbacks have made
bad decisions and the backs haven't always run in the proper
direction. But coach Jim Criner said he thinks the Outlaws are
on the verge of a turnaround. His team will get a chance to
prove him correct at 1 p.m. today when the Outlaws go to San
Francisco to take on the Demons in Pac Bell Park (TNN, Cable
29). San Francisco is a 3-point favorite with a ridiculously
low over-under total of 29 1/2. ...
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Xtreme
hopes to emerge from pack atop the West
Los Angeles
Daily News - 2001.02.25
Even
though the Xtreme has had three consecutive down-to-the-wire
finishes, head coach Al Luginbill says his nerves are fine and
his heart is ticking as strong as ever. "I haven't really thought
too much about my heart because I'm thinking about how we can
improve our team," Luginbill said. "But it's been an exciting
three weeks to say the least." However, Luginbill and his team
would readily accept a boring, lopsided victory when the Xtreme
welcome 1994 Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and the Memphis
Maniax to the Coliseum today at 4 p.m. on what should be a wet
field. ...
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Maniax's
Druckenmiller will be starter tonight
The Commercial
Appeal - 2001.02.25
There
was some added spring in the steps of Jim Druckenmiller as he
took snaps in practice last week for the Memphis Maniax. That
tends to happen to a player when he learns he's going from the
sideline to the starting lineup. When the Maniax (1-2) meet
the Los Angeles Xtreme (2-1) at 6 CST tonight in the Los Angeles
Coliseum, Druckenmiller will make his first start of the XFL
season. ...
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Jimmy
"The Jet" To Start as Receiver
San Francisco
Demons - 2001.02.24
Jimmy
Cunningham will start at split end Sunday when the XFL returns
to Pacific Bell Park for San Francisco Demons' second home game
with the Las Vegas Outlaws in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff in a battle
Western Division co-leaders. Cunningham, the Demons' leading
receiver with 16 receptions after three games, will replace
Brian Roberson, who will sit out the contest with a groin injury
suffered in Friday's final full-scale practice. It will be the
second game he has missed this season after catching 12 passes
for 127 yards in San Francisco's opener. "Brian pulled the muscle
probably compensating for his foot," Head Coach Jim Skipper
said. "We have to get him healthy and we aren't going to play
him until he is closer to 100 per cent than he is." ...
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The
Demons are back in town!
NStarz Ha -
Demons Team Reporter - 2001.02.24
For
the first time in three games, the San Francisco Demons are
the home favorite. Amazingly, the underdogs are the Las Vegas
Outlaws, who have yet to allow a touchdown this season! The
Demons are coming back from a 1-1 road trip that ended in a
come from behind win over the Memphis Maniax. Down 0-6 at the
half, the Demons responded with two unanswered touchdown to
seal the game. ...
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Finally
the Enforcers have Come Back... Home
QumarChicago
- Enforcers Team Reporter - 2001.02.24
After
3 long, hard, arduous, and losing weeks on the road, as well
as not being at home in almost 2 months, the Chicago Enforcers
come home to Chicago and Soldier Field in week 4 to battle another
0-3 team, the NY-NJ Hitmen. ...
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Dinardo's
Combat Tactics for XFL Sideline Reporters
Bamaslammer
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.23
Coach
Jerry Dinardo was the poster boy for "He's in over his head"
remarks before the season began due to his lack of pro football
experience. Dinardo was one of the first ever XFL coaches hired
and his assignment to the Birmingham Bolts took many by surprise.
After an opening loss to the Maniacs at home in which the team
didn't look very good some began to quietly wonder if the critics
were right. Since that time the Bolts have become one of the
better teams in the XFL and the questions about his abilities
as a head coach have diminished. ...
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Week
4: A Look Ahead Against the Spread
The Masked
Prognosticator - 2001.02.23
Maniax
@ Xtreme: I guess before taking this game, keep in mind that
sloppy play aside, the Maniax do out stat the Xtreme so far
in yards per rush both in offense and defense. Back to the original
question- who will win the game, thus covering the spread? Unless
Memphis can get it's act together in quick order, the real question
might be: what will be higher, UPN's rating or the number of
Maniax turnovers? If it's the latter, we have a funny feeling
someone with funny hair, sideburns and sunglasses back in Memphis
will be shooting their TV set Sunday night. ...
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5-point
plan to increase TV ratings is X-actly what the doctor ordered
Dallas News
- 2001.02.23
Three
weeks in, the average ratings for the league still are more
than what was promised advertisers. But ratings last week slipped
below that magic 10 rating (one ratings point equals approximately
1 million homes) combined for the three televised games. Now
the WWF and NBC, co-XFL owners, are left wondering how to increase
interest in a football league that, earlier this month, was
the rage of the sports world. ...
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FOR
ENFORCERS COACH, CONTROVERSY PART OF THE GAME
Chicago Tribune
- 2001.02.23
The
weather forecast is for mild temperatures and possible rain
Saturday night when the XFL makes its Soldier Field debut. But
February in Chicago is rarely predictable, so Enforcers coach
Ron Meyer is thinking of having a snowplow handy on the sidelines
just in case. "You never know," Meyer said. "We might need one."
...
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O-Town
Confidence Running High
Mark Zelakowski
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.22
The
fans in Orlando knew it from the first play from scrimmage.
We have ourselves a football team. QB Jeff Brohm's first pass
resulted in the first touchdown in XFL history and an exciting
start to our clubs winning ways. "I think with the balance of
the team in all positions we should be able to win it all".
Rage fan Chris Pfaff said. "The Rage showed they are here to
win, and have the ability to score when they need to."
...
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XFL
president: Ratings won't prompt NBC pullout
The Birmingham
News - 2001.02.22
XFL
President Basil DeVito Jr. says reports of the league's demise
have been greatly exaggerated, even as speculation of NBC's
frustration with dropping television ratings grows. "There's
no chance NBC will pull the plug," DeVito told TheBirmingham
News this week. "The economic reality of the ratings is that
we're giving them the top rankings in the demographic (males
18-to-34) they want." DeVito dismisses speculation that NBC
won't honor a three-year commitment, pointing out that the network's
financial investment in the XFL - $50 million over three years,
$17 million per year - is relatively minor. Consider that the
three-year funding is less than the salaries for just nine episodes
of the sitcom Friends, which is struggling on Thursday nights
against CBS' Survivor. ...
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The
XFL is Bringing Us Real Football
Mark Nelson
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.21
Why
not report on the real story here? Why not take the XFL for
what it is: Real football, presented in a unique way, and setting
a standard for the method in which televised sports will be
presented in the future. You just know that the NFL, and other
football leagues, are going to be using some of the XFL's gadgetry
when they come back in their next season. For me, the XFL moment
that most impacted my opinion came in Week 2. I keep picturing
Outlaw's quarterback Ryan Clement rolling on the field and moaning.
Then he pointing out the "later than usual" hit by Shante Carver
that helped cause his shoulder injury. Then he kept telling
the training staff "It's separated, it's separated" as they
escorted him off then field. ...
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Enforcers
to Make Home Debut
Bob Williams
- Troy Pringle - XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.21
Some
might say the Enforcers are a lousy team in disarray. I disagree.
Why would anyone want to fight the February weather on the shore
Lake Michigan? Here's why: If you look at each of their three
losses you will see that the Enforcers had a more than realistic
shot to win each and every game. -- Will the 12th man Show
Up? Saturday's game against the New York/New Jersey Hitmen
should prove to be an exciting game. This could be the game
that turns the season around for Chicago. Tim Lester is having
a hard time carrying the Enforcers in clutch situations, so
we must depend on that 12th man, the fans, to put them over
the top. ...
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There
is a Place for the XFL
San Francisco
Examiner - 2001.02.21
Sportswriters
remind us almost daily of how vastly inferior the football played
in this new league is to the game we see in the mighty NFL.
They base this assumption the knowledge that most XFL players
are either NFL rejects or wondering fugitives ignored by the
draft. So? Indeed, if the games are close and the play exciting
enough, who cares? Are we to reject college football because
it is beneath NFL standards and think of the players only as
NFL aspirants? Besides, how can these pundits tell bad from
good? Football games, we are incessantly reminded, are won in
the line. And to be perfectly honest with you, I have worked
with very few sportswriters who knew beans about line play.
...
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Xtreme
Notebook
Long Beach
Press-Telegram - 2001.02.21
Los
Angeles Xtreme head coach Al Luginbill takes a glance around
the XFL and said he sees four teams who have received consistent
play at quarterback. And he added that it's no coincidence that
it's those four teams who have the league's best records. "We've
been fortunate to have one of them (Tommy Maddox)," Luginbill
said. "San Francisco has one of them (Mike Pawlawski), Birmingham
has one (Casey Weldon) and Orlando has one (Jeff Brohm)."
...
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XFLBoard.com
Announces the 3rd Week's Fan Choices for Players of the Week
XFLBoard.com
- 2001.02.20
The
Fans Have Spoken!At XFLBoard.com we'd like to think that
the fans are the most important commodity in the equation. Who
is better than to choose the XFL players of the Week than the
same fans who cheer them on? Week 3 voting has ended and the
results have been tabulated. The results are Mike Pawlawski-
San Francisco Demons - Offensive Player of the Week, Duane
Butler - Birmingham Bolts - Defensive Player of the Week,
Eric Johnson - LA Xtreme - Lineman of the Week and Jose
Cortez - LA Xtreme - Special teams Player of the Week.
...
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XFL
Announces Battle and Butler as Players of the Week
XFL Press Release
- 2001.02.20
The
XFL today named San Francisco Demons running back Terry Battle
as its Offensive Player of the Week and Birmingham Thunderbolts
safety Duane Butler as its Defensive Player of the Week for
week three. Battle, who was on the Demons' practice squad for
the first two games, was activated for the first time in week
three and responded with a two-touchdown performance to lead
San Francisco to a 13-6 win in Memphis on Saturday night. The
tailback racked up 145 all-purpose yards on six carries for
35 yards, five catches for 54 yards and two kickoff returns
for 56 yards. ...
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XFL
Advertisers Staying Put
USA Today
- 2001.02.20
Advertisers
and backers say they're sticking by the XFL despite the drubbing
it got in the ratings in its third week on NBC. "We're staying
the course," says Tony Ponturo, vice president of corporate
media and sports marketing for XFL sponsor Anheuser-Busch. Ponturo
says it's "way too early" for advertisers to bail out. "If you're
realistic, you have to see this is as a work in progress." A-B
runs two 30-second ads in each XFL game. Sponsors aren't panicked,
because the XFL is still, on average, delivering the audience
it guaranteed across the three networks that air games each
week -- NBC, UPN and TNN. Advertisers pay about $140,000 for
a 30-second spot that runs on all three.
Dance
Fever
Entertainment
Weekly - 2001.02.19
NY/NJ
Hitmen Cheerleader Karla, on the XFL Cheerleader tryouts: "I
was dancing for the New Jersey Nets. My girlfriend called me
the night before and said there's a huge audition tomorrow at
9 a.m., so I went. They taught us the combinations, and by 5
p.m., they cut us down from about 400 girls to 27. Then we did
a quick bit for the camera, saying something special like, 'I'm
a contortionist'." ...
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Bolt's
Attendance Stunted by NASCAR and Nature
Sonny Sanders
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.19
Don't
judge the size of the crowd for the Bolts - Enforcers game to
harshly. The fact that a severe storm hit the area on Friday
surely played a huge factor in the Bolts attendance of 17,582.
The storm caused a great deal of damage and left hundreds of
thousands without power. Football was not a priority for most
this weekend and that is understandable. There was also a little
thing called Daytona 500 that may have kept a few people at
home. ...
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Lightning
Does Strike Twice
Bamaslammer
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.19
Over
100,000 Birmingham area residents spent Saturday night in the
dark after lightning and 90 MPH winds struck the area. Legion
field saw damage as some of the highest winds pounded the old
stadium. Despite what Elmer Fudd says, lightning does strike
twice in the same place as Duane Butler stepped in front of
a Tim Lester pass and raced 98 yards for the game-securing touchdown.
Pictured at right is Casey Weldon - Birmingham Bolts winning
Quarterback. ...
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XFL
Football Ratings in Perspective
XFLBoard.com
- 2001.02.19
The
ratings drop for this week's Saturday broadcast is not good
news for NBC - but it isn't the end of the world either. The
good news is that the XFL's viewership flattened out over the
course of the night, during the 8-8:30 half hour, XFL Football
ran 31 percent behind its overnights of the previous week, but
that rate of decline dropped to just 7 percent in the 10:30-11
p.m. half hour. This suggests the league has shed most of the
curiosity seekers and the telecasts are settling in with a more
loyal viewer base. The league could be closer to finding its
ratings level and it won't be too far from the projected 4.5
goal.
Bolts
stop Enforcers
Associated
Press - 2001.02.19
Duane
Butler scored on a 98-yard interception return with less than
two minutes to play as the Birmingham Bolts beat the Chicago
Enforcers 14-3 in the XFL on Sunday. "I saw the pass and just
broke on the ball and was able to grab it and there wasn't anybody
in front of me," Butler said. The interception was the third
turnover by Chicago. The others also came in Birmingham territory,
including a fumble by running back John Avery in the first quarter.
...
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Rage
Rub Out Hitmen
NY Post
- 2001.02.19
The
quarterback might have been different, but the outcome was just
the same last night for the Hitmen, losers to the Orlando Rage,
18-12, in front of 26,626 at Giants Stadium. Charles Puleri
went into the halftime locker room as the starting quarterback
of the Hitmen. When he returned to the field for the second
half, Puleri's uniform consisted of the blue parka and clipboard
of a backup quarterback. ...
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Pawlawski's
passes devilishly good
Associated
Press - 2001.02.18
Mike
Pawlawski threw two second-half touchdown passes to Terry Battle
as the San Francisco Demons beat the Memphis Maniax 13-6 in
the XFL on Saturday night. Pawlawski, the league's leading passer,
connected with Battle on passes of 9 and 24 yards as San Francisco
(2-1) overcame a 6-0 halftime deficit. The Maniax (1-2) had
a chance to tie it, but Jim Druckenmiller's fourth-down pass
was intercepted by Wendell Davis at the San Francisco 11 with
less than a minute to play. ...
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Cortez
Pans Gold-and-Black in Nevada
David Curtis
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.18
For
the third consecutive game, the Las Vegas Outlaws held their
opponent without a touchdown. Only this time it didn’t
matter. Instead, Xtreme placekicker Jose Cortez struck it rich
with four field goals that resulted in a last-second win. Cortez
found what he was looking for after missing two 34-yarders last
week, connecting on the night from 44, 45, 36, and 48. His accuracy
improved throughout, from an initial effort which nearly grazed
an upright to a final boot down the middle with distance to
spare. ...
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Demons
Need to Win
Nstarz Ha -
XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.17
QB
Mike Pawlawski is leading the league in both passing yards (577)
and accuracy (67.7%). But he won't be able to pass to starting
TE Brian Roche. He suffered a season ending torn right Achilles
tendon. He has already been put on the injured list. Demons
WR Brian Roberson will be back after missing one game.
...
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Bolts
face Avery tough task against Chicago's star back
Birmingham
Post-Herald - 2001.02.17
The
Birmingham Thunderbolts saw a glimpse of the future, and it
wasn't pretty. When they played the Memphis Maniax in the season
opener two weeks ago, the Thunderbolts were pushed aside by
Maniax running back Rashaan Salaam, who rushed for 157 yards
on 24 carries. He ground both the clock and Thunderbolts down
in Memphis' 22-20 victory. Birmingham's job does not get any
easier as it plays host to the Chicago Enforcers at 3 p.m. Sunday
at Legion Field. Yes, the Enforcers are 0-2 and tied with New
York/New Jersey for last place in the Eastern Division. But
they also have arguably the best all-purpose back in the XFL:
former Ole Miss star and Miami Dolphins draft choice John Avery.
...
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Three
cheers for the XFL
Montreal Gazette
- 2001.02.17
I
am shocked - shocked, I tell you! - at the hypocritical, hyperbolic
and hysterical bashing of the upstart XFL by the Fourth Estate.
Just kidding. What did you expect from a hopelessly out-of-touch
press corps that tosses two bits worth at every easy target,
but can't see the forest for the trees? ...
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Outlaws
defense an Xtreme test
Los Angeles
Daily News - 2001.02.17
Talk
around the XFL at the conclusion of training camp was that there
might not be a better offense in the league than the one in
Los Angeles. Talk around the XFL after the first two weeks of
regular-season play is that there might not be a better defense
in the league than the one in Las Vegas. The talk gets a rest
today when the two teams meet on in a 5 p.m. Western Division
contest at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
...
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Question
Irks Xtreme Coach
Las Vegas Review-Journal
- 2001.02.17
Trailing
Chicago 25-13 early in the third quarter, Los Angeles Xtreme
coach Al Luginbill decided to go for a first down on fourth
and 1 on his own 40. The gamble failed and the Enforcers took
over with great field position. Predictably, sideline reporter
Fred Roggin was in Luginbill's face only seconds after the play
wanting to know why the coach went for it. This was what the
league promised when it said it would take fans where they hadn't
been before. Roggin's questioning prompted Luginbill to bark
angrily, "I felt we needed a push there. We didn't get it. It's
a bad decision. Hell, if we make it, it's a great decision."
...
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Team
Reporters Needed
XFLBoard.com
Editor - 2001.02.17
XFLBoard.com
has plans to expand coverage on certain XFL teams and we need
more team reporters! If you are interested in helping us out
by writing about your favorite XFL team in front of fans just
like you, and writing articles that will be read by more than
100,000 web visitor's a week, this job is for you. ...
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The
Bolts Face a Challenge
Sonny Sanders
- XFLBoard.com - 2001.02.16
After
two games Birmingham faces it's toughest challenge to date.
I'm not talking about the 0-2 Chicago Enforcers. The Bolts will
certainly have their hands full with the Enforcers and Avery.
But as hard as it will be to beat the Enforcers it will not
be the toughest battle that the Bolts face Sunday. ...
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Criticism
of XFL Smacks of Hypocrisy
MSNBC.com
- 2001.02.16
In
New York, the hypocrisy of this moral outrage in the press couldn’t
get any higher. Phil Mushnick, the New York Post’s crusader
for all that is good and right in the world, has taken McMahon
and NBC’s Ebersol to task from Day 1. Almost on cue, Mushnick
wrote his manifesto on the XFL after its opening weekend and
continued his assault last Sunday. "For however much longer
the XFL lasts, there’s really only one scorecard worth
keeping. It’s the one that notes all the sellouts who
lent their names, careers, reputations and consciences to this
predictably unmitigated garbage," Mushnick said in his Feb.
11 column. When referring to "unmitigated garbage," was Mushnick
speaking about the advertising found in his own sports section?
...
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A Look
Ahead Against the Spread
The Masked
Prognosticator - 2001.02.16
...Orlando
could be a BIT overrated. They failed to cover and came close
to getting beat by Chicago opening night. Last week, they survived
a scare by the Demons, and won handily. But the Rage were outgained
by 359-297 yards on the field. Rage QB Jeff Brohm went from
being the most highly touted passer in the XFL to yet another
NFL cast-off by week 2, completing just 10 passes for 164 yards
and an interception ...
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The
Roster Shuffle
XFL Fantasy
Doctor - FantasyRef.com - 2001.02.16
Well,
we are two weeks into the XFL season. Hopefully you are all
having success in your fantasy leagues. Last week I talked about
defensive players and what to look for in a trade. This week,
let's take a look at your fantasy roster. Players on your roster
fit into one of three categories: 1) Fantasy Starters, 2) Backups,
and 3) Long Shots. This holds true no matter what fantasy league
you are in, or even what sport you are following. However, you
are all here for XFL advice, and most of you are enrolled in
the Sandbox league, so we will focus on the 20-man Sandbox roster.
That being said, with some minor modifications, this blueprint
can be made to fit the restrictions of any fantasy league.
...
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XFL
Cheerleader Bares All in Nude Pictorial and Interview in Mystique
Magazine
Mystique Magazine
- 2001.02.15
It
had to happen. Bonnie-Jill Laflin, a cheerleader with the XFL's
Los Angeles Xtreme football team and one of the models in the
national TV commercials for the league, speaks frankly about
the XFL in a no-holds barred interview and nude pictorial published
today at Mystique Magazine's website. Accompanying the sexy
pictures from a recent photo shoot in Costa Rica is an interview
with Bonnie-Jill about what is really happening on the XFL sidelines
and going on behind the scenes of the XFL PR machine.
...
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XFL
Hits Paydirt with Its No Fair Catch Rule
XFL Press Release
- 2001.02.15
It
didn't take long, only two weeks into the season, for the XFL's
"No Fair Catch" rule to pay handsome dividends. The first to
take full advantage of the rule were the Birmingham Thunderbolts
and their fleet-footed punt return man Stepfret Williams. Fielding
a New York/New Jersey Hitmen punt on his own five yard line
midway through the third period in his team's game in Giants
Stadium last Sunday, Williams found a seam in the Hitmen's defense
and sped 95 yards for a touchdown. The return turned a 6-6 tie
into a 12-6 Bolts' lead and was crucial in the team's 19-12
first-ever victory. ...
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Demons
Adjust Receiving Corp
San Francisco
Demons - 2001.02.15
The
San Francisco Demons added to their roster at receiver Thursday
for a couple of reasons Thursday. Firstly, reveiver Brian Roberson
will be available Saturday night the Demons continue their road
trip at Memphis. Secondly, the Demons claimed one of the leading
receivers in the Canadian Football League the last four seasons.
Travis Moore, an all-Canadian selection with Calgary in 1999,
joined the Demons Wednesday and began practicing with the team
Thursday. ...
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Please
Put XFL Ratings in Perspective
XFLBoard.com
- 2001.02.15
The
XFL is taking a lot of heat for it's rating drop from Week 1
to Week 2. It can be said that a lot of people tuned into the
XFL in the inaugural week because of curiosity. In Week 2 we
had the real football crowd watching. What the media reports
have not been telling you though, is that most sports on TV
are not doing well lately. NBC's ratings for the NBA all-star
game on Sunday were the worst in history with a 6.9 overnight
rating and an 11 share. That was down 17 per cent from the 8.3
overnight rating and 13 share for last year's game. All-star
game ratings have declined for all sports. Last summer's baseball
all-star game got a record-low rating of 10.1, down 16 per cent
from a 12.0 the previous year. The NFL Pro Bowl on ABC got a
4.7 on Feb. 4, down 45 per cent from an 8.6 in 2000. The NHL
all-star game, also played that Sunday, got a 1.7 national rating,
down 37 per cent from a 2.7 the previous year. It's tough all
over.
XFL
Joins NTN and QB1
Business Wire
- 2001.02.15
NTN
Communications Inc., the world's largest interactive television
network for hospitality venues and the XFL, today announced
that they have signed a licensing agreement to develop and produce
an XFL-branded version of QB1® "Predict-the-Play"(TM). The agreement
calls for co-branded promotion of the interactive game on the
XFL.com website and the NTN hospitality network. The game will
also receive on-air promotion during national broadcasts of
XFL games on NBC, UPN and TNN, the XFL's broadcast partners.
...
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