120-584: [REDACTED] Look up xfl in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. XFL may refer to: Sports [ edit ] XFL (2001) , a defunct American football league that dissolved after playing a single season XFL (2020–2023) , a defunct American football league that merged with the United States Football League Vehicles [ edit ] Bell XFL Airabonita ,
240-481: A 2012 referendum on amending the Minnesota Constitution to limit marriage to male-female couples, Ventura said, "I certainly hope that people don't amend our constitution to stop gay marriage because, number one, the constitution is there to protect people, not oppress them", and related a story from his wrestling days of a friend who was denied hospital visitation to his same-sex partner. During
360-794: A WCW Worldwide TV taping at Disney MGM Studios in July 1994, but it has been speculated that the move may have had more to do with Hogan's arrival shortly before. In 1987, while negotiating his contract as a WWF commentator, Ventura waived his rights to royalties on videotape sales when he was falsely told that only feature performers received such royalties. In November 1991, having discovered that other non-feature performers received royalties , Ventura brought an action for fraud, misappropriation of publicity rights, and quantum meruit in Minnesota state court against Titan Sports, asking for $ 2 million (~$ 3.99 million in 2023) in royalties based on
480-549: A 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircraft Jaguar XFL , a 2016–present Sino-British executive sedan Loening XFL , a canceled 1933 U.S. Navy fighter aircraft Other uses [ edit ] Xinhua Finance Limited, part of Beat Holdings See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Search for "XFL" on Misplaced Pages. Extreme Football League (disambiguation) X League (disambiguation) All pages with titles beginning with XFL All pages with titles containing XFL Topics referred to by
600-534: A WWF Championship match between then-champion Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Jericho . On the March 20, 2003, episode of SmackDown! , Ventura appeared in a taped interview to talk about the match between McMahon and Hogan at WrestleMania XIX . On March 13, 2004, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame , and the following night at WrestleMania XX , he approached the ring to interview Donald Trump , who had
720-587: A brief role on the television soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1999. On April 12, 1996, Ventura starred in The X-Files Season 3 episode Jose Chung's "From Outer Space" as a mysterious Man in Black. Ventura has been criticized by the press for profiting from his heightened popularity. He was hired as a television analyst for the failed XFL football league in 2001, served as
840-420: A championship match at a WrestleMania that he might "come out of retirement and take this dude out". Hogan and Ventura were at one point close friends, but Ventura abruptly ended the friendship in 1994 after he discovered, during his lawsuit against McMahon, that Hogan was the one who had told McMahon about Ventura's attempt to form a labor union in 1986 before WrestleMania 2 . After a dispute with McMahon over
960-684: A charismatic and popular performer during the 1970s. In 1975, Ventura made his debut in the Central States territory, before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where he wrestled for promoter Don Owen as Jesse "The Great" Ventura. During his stay in Portland, Oregon , he had notable feuds with Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka and won the Pacific Northwest Wrestling title twice (once from each wrestler) and
1080-548: A coin toss in other leagues). The XFL's first injury infamously resulted from the opening scramble; Orlando free safety Hassan Shamsid-Deen suffered a separated shoulder prior to the Rage's 33–29 season-opening win over the Chicago Enforcers at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium on February 3. He ended up missing the remainder of the campaign. After every touchdown scored, no extra point after kicks were done, due to
1200-407: A fair market value share. Titan moved the case to federal court , and Ventura won an $ 801,333 jury verdict on the last claim. In addition, the judge awarded him $ 8,625 in back pay for all non-video WWF merchandising featuring Ventura. The judgment was affirmed on appeal, and the case, 65 F.3d 725 (8th Cir.1995), is an important result in the law of restitution . As a result, Ventura's commentary
1320-542: A few players got around these restrictions ( Los Angeles Xtreme players Noel Prefontaine , the league's lone punting specialist , and Matt Malloy, a wide receiver) by having themselves listed as backup quarterbacks. Players on a winning team received a bonus of $ 2,500 for the week, $ 7,500 for winning a playoff game . The team that won the championship game split $ 1,000,000 (roughly $ 25,000 per player). Players did not receive any fringe benefits, and had to pay for their own health insurance . The XFL allowed its players to wear
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#17327662103371440-623: A front-row seat at the event. Trump affirmed that Ventura would receive his moral and financial support were he to ever reenter politics. Alluding to the 2008 election , Ventura boldly announced, "I think we oughta put a wrestler in the White House in 2008!". Ventura was guest host on the November 23, 2009, episode of Raw, during which he retained his heel persona by siding with the number one contender Sheamus over WWE Champion John Cena . This happened while he confronted Cena about how it
1560-589: A full season (in Giants Stadium's case, two full seasons, since the Giants and Jets shared the stadium; the Giants also hosted two playoff games following the 2000 season ) caused significant damage to the playing fields; at Chicago's Soldier Field , the wear and tear on the field was such that by midseason, the midfield logo of the NFL's Chicago Bears was clearly visible amid a stretch of dirt and dead grass. At
1680-509: A history of notorious "blasts", including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 and Eric Rudolph 's 1998 bombing of a local abortion clinic, the XFL changed the name of the Birmingham team to the more benign "Birmingham Thunderbolts" (later shortened to "Bolts"). Contrary to popular belief, the "X" in XFL did not stand for "extreme", as in "eXtreme Football League". When the league
1800-472: A large grass stadium in 2001. In the league's two northernmost markets, Chicago and New York/New Jersey (the latter of which played in Giants Stadium during a brief window in which the stadium's usual artificial turf had been replaced by natural grass), the combination of the all-grass requirement, midwinter playing season and the fact that the XFL followed shortly after the NFL had used both fields for
1920-406: A major problem across the league: only three of the league's eight Opening Day starting quarterbacks—Los Angeles's Tommy Maddox , San Francisco's Mike Pawlawski and Memphis's Jim Druckenmiller —were still starters by the end of the season. Birmingham and Las Vegas were both on their third-string quarterbacks by the end of the ten-week season. The XFL postseason format was essentially identical to
2040-612: A major upset. Amid internal fights for control over the party, Ventura left the Reform Party a year after taking office and served the remainder of his term as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota . Since holding public office, Ventura has referred to himself as a "statesman" instead of a politician. As governor, Ventura oversaw reforms of Minnesota's property tax as well as the state's first sales tax rebate. Other initiatives he took included construction of
2160-520: A match broadcast on Saturday Night's Main Event IV . The tag match against the Hillbillies came about after Piper and Orton interrupted Elmer's wedding ceremony on the previous edition of the show; Ventura, who later claimed that he was under instruction from fellow commentator and WWF owner Vince McMahon to "bury them", insulted Elmer and his wife during commentary of a real wedding ceremony at
2280-575: A new show, Jesse Ventura: Uncensored , which launched on January 27, 2014, and later renamed Off the Grid , and aired until 2016 on Ora TV , an online video on demand network founded by Larry King . In 2017, Ventura became the host of the show The World According to Jesse on RT America ; the series ended in March 2022 when RT programming produced by its production partner Ora TV was suspended after Russia's invasion of Ukraine . RT America ceased operations on March 3, 2022. After his departure from
2400-502: A nickname on the back of their jersey, as opposed to the legal last name most professional sports leagues have required since the 1960s. Players could change the nickname any time they wanted, and a few players chose to change the nicknames on a weekly basis depending on their opponent. The league's use of backfield camera angles gave these nicknames even greater exposure. Nevertheless, two teams, Orlando and Birmingham, imposed policies that forbade players from using nicknames. Orlando's ban
2520-554: A prominent figure in third-party politics , having repeatedly floated the idea of running for President of the United States as an independent candidate. In late April 2020, Ventura endorsed the Green Party in the 2020 presidential election and showed interest in running for its nomination. He officially joined the Green Party of Minnesota on May 2. On May 7, he confirmed he would not run. The Alaskan division of
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#17327662103372640-550: A real in-ring wedding. After a failed comeback bid, Ventura hosted his own talk segment on the WWF's All Star Wrestling TV program called "The Body Shop", in much the same heel style as "Piper's Pit", though the setting was a mock gym (when Ventura was unavailable, "The Body Shop" was often hosted by Don Muraco ). He began to do color commentary on television for All-Star Wrestling , replacing Angelo Mosca , and later Superstars of Wrestling , initially alongside Vince McMahon and
2760-500: A referee at a WWF SummerSlam match in 1999 , and published several books during his tenure as governor. On his weekly radio show, he often criticized the media for focusing on these deals rather than his policy proposals. From 2009 to 2012, TruTV aired three seasons of the television series Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura . Ventura had a guest spot on an episode of the 2012 rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series on Nickelodeon . In 2013, Ventura announced
2880-421: A running back who played in the first XFL nationally televised game, was the first player to gain notice from his nickname, "He Hate Me." Although the XFL was not the first football league to feature the " sky cam ", which enables TV viewers to see behind the offensive unit, it helped to popularize its unique capabilities. For the first several weeks, the league used the sky cam and on-field cameramen (nicknamed
3000-530: A self-help guru (voice only) in The Ringer , trying to turn Johnny Knoxville into a more confident worker. Ventura had a cameo in The X-Files episode " Jose Chung's From Outer Space " as a Man in Black alongside fellow 'MiB' Alex Trebek . In 2008, Ventura was in the independent comedy Woodshop , starring as high school shop teacher Mr. Madson. The film was released September 7, 2010. Ventura
3120-405: A three-day period from October 28 to 30, 2000. A total of 475 players were selected initially, with 65 additional players then selected in a supplemental draft on December 29, 2000. Eastern Division Western Division The XFL's opening game took place on February 3, 2001, one year after the league was announced, less than one week following the NFL's Super Bowl XXXV . The first game
3240-406: A trade mission to China in 2002, Ventura announced that he would not run for a second term, saying that he no longer felt dedicated enough to his job and accusing the media of hounding him and his family for personal behavior and beliefs while neglecting coverage of important policy issues. He later told a Boston Globe reporter that he would have run for a second term if he had been single, citing
3360-730: Is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation , he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate to win a major government office. Ventura was a member of the United States Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War . After leaving
3480-413: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages XFL (2001) The XFL was a professional American football league that played its only season in 2001. The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and NBC . The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football league that would begin play immediately after
3600-594: Is removed on most releases from WWE Home Video . In mid-1999, Ventura reappeared on WWF television during his term as governor of Minnesota, acting as the special guest referee for the main event of SummerSlam held in Minneapolis. Ventura continued his relationship with the WWF by performing commentary for Vince McMahon's short-lived XFL . On the June 4, 2001, episode of Raw which aired live from Minnesota, Ventura appeared to overrule McMahon's authority and approve
3720-596: The AWA World Tag Team Championship on July 20, 1980, on a forfeit when Gagne, one-half of the tag team champions along with Mad Dog Vachon , failed to show up for a title defense in Denver , Colorado. The duo held the belts for nearly a year, losing to "The High Flyers" ( Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell ). Shortly after losing the belts, the duo moved on to the World Wrestling Federation , where they were managed by Freddie Blassie . Although
XFL - Misplaced Pages Continue
3840-454: The Kingdome and prior to the completion of what is now Lumen Field ). Giants Stadium would have a next generation artificial surface installed in 2003; Soldier Field was renovated extensively in 2002 but retained its grass field. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and Legion Field have also installed next-generation turf fields since the demise of the original XFL. Replacing the coin toss at
3960-727: The Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium ) had previously hosted NFL games; the NFL would return to the Coliseum when the Rams returned to Los Angeles in 2016. The remaining fields were in regular use as college football venues at the time. The home team in every stadium was required to occupy the sideline opposite the press box in order to be visible to the television cameras. Due to the odd field dimensions in San Francisco, teams playing there were permitted to occupy
4080-530: The METRO Blue Line light rail in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area and income tax cuts. Ventura did not run for reelection. After leaving office in 2003, he became a visiting fellow at Harvard University 's John F. Kennedy School of Government . He has since hosted a number of political television shows on RT America and Ora TV , and written several books. Ventura has been
4200-641: The Meadowlands Arena , by proclaiming when they kissed: "It looks like two carp in the middle of the Mississippi River going after the same piece of corn." According to Ventura, the wedding was real, for at that time the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board would not allow the WWF to stage a fake wedding in the state of New Jersey , so Stan Frazier (Uncle Elmer) and his fiancee had agreed to have
4320-749: The National Football League (NFL) season ended, to take advantage of the perceived lingering public desire to watch football after the NFL and college football seasons conclude. It was promoted as having fewer rules to encourage rougher play than other major leagues, while its telecasts featured sports entertainment elements inspired by professional wrestling (and in particular, the WWF's then-current " Attitude Era "), including heat and kayfabe , and suggestively-dressed cheerleaders . Commentary crews also featured WWF commentators (such as Jesse Ventura , Jim Ross , and Jerry Lawler ) joined by sportscasters and veteran football players. Despite
4440-588: The San Francisco Demons , on April 21, 2001, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Despite its short-lived existence, the XFL did pioneer several on-air technologies that would later become commonplace in football telecasts, such as aerial skycams , and on-player microphones. WWE owner Vince McMahon maintained control of the XFL brand after the league ceased operations, despite many, including McMahon himself, considering
4560-594: The United States Football League in the 1980s; Las Vegas, along with Birmingham and Memphis, had hosted short-lived CFL teams in the 1990s. The XFL chose unusual names for its teams, most of which either referenced images of uncontrolled insanity ( Maniax , Rage , Xtreme , Demons ) or criminal activity ( Enforcers , Hitmen , Outlaws , and the Birmingham Blast ). After outrage from Birmingham residents who noted that Birmingham had
4680-640: The United States Football League , the original World League , or the Canadian Football League (Memphis, Orlando, Birmingham, Las Vegas); or was the largest market without a professional franchise (Los Angeles). Co-owner NBC served as the main carrier of XFL games, with UPN and TNN also carrying selected games. The first night of play brought higher television viewership than NBC had projected, but ratings exponentially plummeted for subsequent games, with criticism directed toward its overall quality of play, on-air presentation and connection to
4800-636: The United States Navy from December 1, 1969, to September 10, 1975, during the Vietnam War, but did not see combat. He graduated in BUD/S class 58 in December 1970 and was part of Underwater Demolition Team 12. Ventura has frequently referred to his military career in public statements and debates. He was criticized by hunters and conservationists for saying in a 2001 interview with
4920-528: The fan favorites . But Ventura still occasionally gave credit where it was due, praising the athleticism of fan favorites such as Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage, who was championed by Ventura for years, even when he was a face, a point Ventura regularly made on-air to McMahon and Monsoon. Occasionally he would even acknowledge mistakes made by the heels, including those made by his personal favorites such as Savage or wrestlers managed by heels Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart . One notable exception to this rule
XFL - Misplaced Pages Continue
5040-511: The "Bubba Cam" after WWE's cameraman, Bubba, who couldn't get medical clearance to cover the XFL) extensively, giving the television broadcasts a perspective similar to video games such as the Madden series. During player interviews, particularly later in the season as attendances declined, the television crews took extensive efforts to avoid capturing the empty stands on camera. When they did show
5160-478: The "guaranteed point" concerns by moving the extra point kick back to the 15-yard and 25-yard lines, respectively, thus making the length of the kick the same distance (taking into account the NFL's position of the goalposts on the end line, and the CFL's goalposts being positioned on the goal line). The Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019 adopted this "no extra point kick" rule from the original XFL, albeit making
5280-480: The 2002 memorial for Senator Paul Wellstone , his family, and others who died in a plane crash on October 25, 2002. Ventura said, "I feel used. I feel violated and duped over the fact that the memorial ceremony turned into a political rally". He left halfway through the controversial speech made by Wellstone's best friend, Rick Kahn. Ventura had initially planned to appoint a Democrat to Wellstone's seat, but instead appointed Dean Barkley to represent Minnesota in
5400-568: The Green Party nominated Ventura without his involvement, causing the national party to disown it for abandoning its nominee, Howie Hawkins . Ventura was born James George Janos on July 15, 1951, in Minneapolis, Minnesota , the son of George William Janos and his wife, Bernice Martha (née Lenz). Both his parents were World War II veterans. His mother was the chief nurse anesthetist at North Memorial Hospital and his father worked for
5520-667: The Minneapolis Star Tribune , "Until you have hunted men, you haven't hunted yet." Near the end of his Navy service, Ventura began to spend time with the "South Bay" chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Club in San Diego . He would ride onto Naval Base Coronado on his Harley-Davidson wearing his Mongol " colors ". According to Ventura, he was a "full-patch" member of the club and third-in-command of his chapter, but never had any problems with
5640-915: The Minneapolis Street Department. Ventura has an older brother, Jan, who similarly served in the Vietnam War as a UDT. Jan and Jesse graduated as members of BUD/S classes 49 and 58, respectively. Ventura has described himself as Slovak since his father's parents were from Slovakia ; his mother was of German descent . Ventura was raised as a Lutheran . Born in South Minneapolis "by the Lake Street bridge", he attended Cooper Elementary School, Sanford Junior High School, and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969. Roosevelt High School inducted Ventura into its first hall of fame in September 2014. Ventura served in
5760-465: The Record as the league was in decline, an interview that the 2017 documentary This Was the XFL portrayed as being an omen of the league's collapse. The Citrus Bowl, which had a total capacity of 65,438 at the time, had its upper decks closed off for XFL games. Despite boasts of a "rules-light" game and universally negative reviews from the mainstream sports media early on, the XFL played
5880-688: The Universe . He had supporting roles in The Running Man (again with Schwarzenegger), No Holds Barred , Thunderground , Demolition Man , Repossessed , Ricochet , The Master of Disguise (in which he steals the Liberty Bell ), Ready to Rumble , and Batman & Robin —the first and last of these also starring Schwarzenegger. Ventura made a cameo appearance in Major League II as "White Lightning". He appeared as
6000-438: The WWF was "100% (scripted) entertainment" the XFL would be "100% sport" i.e. the winners of its games would be determined on the field. XFL games were to feature players and coaches with microphones and cameras in the huddle and in the locker rooms . Stadiums featured trash-talking public address announcers and scantily-clad cheerleaders who were encouraged to date the players. Instead of a pre-game coin toss, XFL officials put
6120-414: The WWF, Ventura took a former high school teacher's advice and ran for mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota , in 1990. He defeated the city's 18-year incumbent mayor and served from 1991 to 1995. Many professional wrestling personalities have entered politics , but Ventura is among the few, including Jim Barnett and Antonio Inoki , to have remained active in wrestling while serving in a government role: he
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#17327662103376240-536: The WWF, prompting NBC to pull out of the venture after one season. While plans were made to continue without NBC (with plans for expansion teams as well), UPN allegedly made inordinate demands of the league, which hastened its demise. The league ceased operations entirely in May 2001. Its closure was announced just a few weeks after the league's season championship game , in which the Los Angeles Xtreme defeated
6360-507: The XFL camera angles in 2017 , when traditional cameras were too far away to cut through thick fog and smoke on some of the Sunday Night Football games that year; response was so positive that the network opted to use two of its Thursday Night Football games to experiment with intentionally broadcasting most of the game through that angle. Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos ; July 15, 1951)
6480-428: The XFL's perception that an extra-point kick was a "guaranteed point." To earn a point after a touchdown, teams ran a single offensive down from the two-yard line (functionally identical to the NFL / NCAA / CFL two-point conversion , but for just a single point as it had been before the two-point conversion was adopted). By the playoffs, two-point and three-point conversions had been added to the rules. Teams could opt for
6600-638: The authorities. His biker nickname was "Superman". In the fall of 1974, Ventura left the bike club to return to the Twin Cities . Shortly after that, the Mongols entered into open warfare with their biker rivals, the Hells Angels . In November 2018, Ventura testified as an expert witness on behalf of the Mongols in a federal racketeering trial in Santa Ana, California , defending the club against
6720-554: The ball on the ground and let a player from each team scramble for it to determine who received the kickoff option. The practice was dubbed "The Human Coin Toss" by commentators, and one player ( Orlando Rage defensive back Hassan Shamsid-Deen ) famously separated his shoulder on the first scramble, missing the rest of the season. The XFL featured extensive television coverage, with three games televised each week on NBC , UPN , and TNN . To accommodate this, it placed four of its teams in
6840-445: The beginning of each game was an event in which one player from each team fought to recover a football 20 yards away in order to determine possession. Both players lined up side by side on one of the 30-yard lines, with the ball being placed at the 50-yard line. At the whistle, the two players would run toward the ball and attempt to gain possession; whichever player gained possession first was allowed to choose possession (as if he had won
6960-553: The bonus points by playing the conversion farther back from the goal line. However, touchdowns were still worth 6 points. This rule, as originally implemented, was similar to the WFL 's "Action Point", and was identical to a 1968 "Pressure Point" experiment by the NFL and the American Football League , used only in preseason interleague games that year. In 2015, the NFL, CFL and other professional leagues would address
7080-638: The clots were a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. Ventura returned to the ring in 1985, forming a tag-team with Randy Savage and Savage's manager (and real-life wife) Miss Elizabeth . Often after their televised matches Ventura taunted and challenged fellow commentator Bruno Sammartino , but nothing ever came of this. Ventura participated in a six-man tag-team match in December 1985 when he, Roddy Piper , and Bob Orton defeated Hillbilly Jim , Uncle Elmer , and Cousin Luke in
7200-785: The comments, saying he was just floating an idea. In political debates , Ventura often admitted that he had not formed an opinion on certain policy questions. He often called himself "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." He selected teacher Mae Schunk as his running mate. Lacking a party base in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate , Ventura's policy ambitions had little chance of being introduced as bills. He vetoed 45 bills in his first year, only three of which were overridden. The reputation for having his vetoes overridden comes from his fourth and final year, when six of his nine vetoes were overridden. Nevertheless, Ventura succeeded with some of his initiatives. One of
7320-474: The company name "XFL, LLC", the XFL was created as a " single-entity league ;" instead of the franchise model used by the NFL and other major leagues, or the hybrid model where investors in the league are given operations over teams (as used in Major League Soccer ), the XFL uniformly owned and operated all of its teams as one corporation, with no individual owners. Vince McMahon 's original plan
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#17327662103377440-483: The duo was unable to capture the World Tag Team Championship , both Adonis and Ventura became singles title contenders, each earning several title shots at World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund . Ventura continued to wrestle until September 1984 after three back-to-back losses to world champion Hulk Hogan , when blood clots in his lungs effectively ended his in-ring career. He claimed that
7560-519: The first part of his administration, Ventura strongly advocated for land-use reform and substantial mass transit improvements, such as light rail . During another trade mission to Cuba in the summer of 2002, he denounced the United States embargo against Cuba , saying the embargo affected the Cuban public more than it did its government. Ventura greatly disapproved of some of the events at
7680-625: The four largest U.S. media markets: New York City/North Jersey , Chicago , the San Francisco Bay Area , and Greater Los Angeles (this was during the NFL's 21-year absence from the Los Angeles metro area ). The remaining four teams were placed in markets that had previously hosted teams in second-tier and/or rival major leagues: Birmingham, Memphis, Las Vegas, and Orlando. All of the XFL's markets except Las Vegas had hosted teams in
7800-480: The front or the side. Following the fourth week of the season, bump and run was restricted to the first five yards from the line of scrimmage (similar to NFL and CFL) in an effort to increase offensive production. Unlike the NFL , but like the World Football League and Arena Football League before it, the XFL allowed one offensive player to move toward the line of scrimmage once he was outside
7920-472: The government's allegations characterizing the Mongols as a criminal enterprise. He testified that he remained an inactive member of the Mongols and called his time as an active member of the club's San Diego chapter "a stepping stone I needed to make the transition from military life back to civilian life. I owe them for being there for me when the rest of the world wasn't". Ventura attended North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota , during
8040-414: The guest referee during the main event. Ventura's entertaining commentary style was an extension of his wrestling persona, i.e., a " heel ", as he was partial to the villains, something new and different at the time. McMahon, who was always looking for ways of jazzing things up, came up with the idea of Ventura doing heel commentary at a time when most commentators, including McMahon himself, openly favored
8160-436: The initial weeks of the season, the XFL forbade all players on the kicking team from going downfield before a kick was made from scrimmage on that down, similarly to a rule the NFL considered in 1974. For the rest of the season the XFL modified it to allow one player closest to each sideline downfield ahead of the kick, the same modification the NFL adopted to their change just before their 1974 exhibition games started. Allowing
8280-490: The kick and Los Angeles returned it for a touchdown). The XFL used a play clock of 35 seconds from the end of the previous play, five seconds shorter than the contemporary NFL play clock of 40 seconds (but still longer than the CFL's 20 seconds, timed from the spotting of the football), in an effort to speed up the game. The XFL limited each team to an unusually low 38 players, as opposed to 53 on NFL teams and 80 or more on unlimited college rosters. This
8400-414: The kicking team to recover a punt did encourage noticeably more quick kicks over the course of the XFL's lone season than was typically seen in the NFL over the preceding decades, including a quick kick during the Million Dollar Game (that particular kick, executed by San Francisco on a third-and-31 play, succeeded in taking Los Angeles off-guard, but the kick also backfired as the Demons could not recover
8520-404: The league after the season. A further problem was that the XFL itself was the brainchild of Vince McMahon, a man who was ridiculed by mainstream sports journalists due to the stigma attached to professional wrestling as being " fake "; many journalists even jokingly speculated whether any of the league's games were rigged , although nothing of this sort was ever seriously investigated. Ebersol
8640-417: The league's highest QB rating at 99.9 during the 2001 XFL season, soared to first place, winning its first six games before Brohm suffered a career-ending injury and the team regressed (the team went 2–2 in his absence). Birmingham started the season 2–1 before a rash of injuries (and tougher competition, as its two wins were against New York and Chicago) led to the team losing the last seven games. Injuries were
8760-493: The media's effect on his family life. Ventura sparked media criticism when, nearing the end of his term, he suggested that he might resign from office early to allow his lieutenant governor, Mae Schunk , an opportunity to serve as governor. He further said that he wanted her to be the state's first female governor and have her portrait painted and hung in the Capitol along with the other governors'. Ventura quickly retreated from
8880-507: The mid-1970s on the G.I. Bill . At the same time, he began weightlifting and wrestling and became a member of the Japan Karate Association. He was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead for a time before entering professional wrestling and adopting the wrestling name Jesse Ventura. Ventura created the stage name Jesse "The Body" Ventura to go with the persona of a bully-ish beach bodybuilder, picking
9000-558: The military, he embarked on a professional wrestling career as a heel from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name "Jesse 'the Body' Ventura." He had a lengthy tenure in the WWF/WWE as a performer and color commentator and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004 . In addition to wrestling, Ventura pursued an acting career, appearing in films such as Predator and The Running Man . Ventura entered politics in 1991 when he
9120-465: The most notable was the rebate on sales tax ; each year of his administration, Minnesotans received a tax-free check in the late summer. The state was running a budget surplus at the time, and Ventura believed the money should be returned. Later, Ventura came to support a unicameral (one-house) legislature, property tax reform, gay rights , recreational marijuana , and abortion rights. While funding public school education generously, he opposed
9240-454: The movie Predator (1987), whose cast included future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and future Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Sonny Landham . Ventura became close friends with Schwarzenegger during the production of Predator . He appeared in two episodes of Zorro filmed in Madrid, Spain, in 1991. He had a starring role in the 1990 sci-fi movie Abraxas, Guardian of
9360-427: The name " Ventura " from a map as part of his "bleach blond from California" gimmick . As a wrestler, Ventura performed as a heel , a decision he attributes to his ability to be more creative as a villain. He resurrected Gorgeous George 's old motto of "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!", which he emblazoned on his t-shirts. Much of this flamboyant persona was adapted from "Superstar" Billy Graham ,
9480-490: The one adopted by the AFL for its final season in 1969. The top two teams in each division qualified for the playoffs. To avoid teams having to play each other three times in a season prior to the championship game, the league set up the semifinal round of the playoffs so that the games would feature teams from opposite divisions: the east division champion (Orlando) hosted the west division runner-up (San Francisco), and likewise for
9600-431: The original league to be a "colossal failure." Interest in the league was revived when ESPN Films released a 30 for 30 documentary surrounding the league, and shortly after the film debuted, McMahon began preparing for a new iteration of the league in 2020. The new XFL was run by a new McMahon-controlled company independent from the present-day WWE , and did not utilize the sports entertainment elements featured in
9720-570: The phrase "Don't vote for politics as usual." He spent considerably less than his opponents (about $ 300,000) and was a pioneer in his using the Internet as a medium of reaching out to voters in a political campaign. He won the election in November 1998, narrowly and unexpectedly defeating the major-party candidates, Republican St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Attorney General Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III . During his victory speech, Ventura famously declared, "We shocked
9840-404: The pilot episode for Tag Team , a television program about two ex-professional wrestlers turned police officers, starred Ventura and Roddy Piper . Ventura also co-hosted the short-lived syndicated game show The Grudge Match alongside sportscaster Steve Albert . Between 1995 and 1998, Ventura had radio call-in shows on KFAN 1130 and KSTP 1500 in Minneapolis–Saint Paul . He also had
9960-549: The previous incarnation. The second iteration of the XFL's inaugural season was aborted due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and the league suspended operations and filed for bankruptcy in April 2020, with McMahon relinquishing the XFL brand in a sale to his former WWE wrestler Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia that August. Created as a 50–50 joint venture between NBC and WWE-owned subsidiary WWE Properties International, Inc. under
10080-461: The rights to the pre- merger NFL, also to CBS). Prior to McMahon's announcement, NBC was moving ahead with Time Warner to create a football league of their own. The concept of the league was first announced on February 3, 2000. The XFL was originally conceived to build on the success of the NFL and professional wrestling . It combined the traditional game of American football with the kayfabe and stunts of professional wrestling. As WWF was, at
10200-407: The rules of college football overtime). The process would be repeated until a winner was determined; unlike the CFL and NFL, but like college football, games could not end in ties even in the regular season. The XFL allowed full bump and run coverage early in the season. Defensive backs were allowed to hit wide receivers any time before the quarterback released the ball, as long as the hit came from
10320-550: The same sideline (a similar arrangement existed in the NFL when the Green Bay Packers played home games at Milwaukee County Stadium and in stadiums previously used by the Chicago Bears , Detroit Lions , Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings ). The all-grass field stipulation caused the league to skip over several of the country's largest markets, including Houston and Philadelphia , since they lacked
10440-403: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title XFL . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=XFL&oldid=1211992862 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
10560-459: The scrimmage play conversion two points as in other levels of the game. The revived XFL kept the conversion system used during the playoffs. Ties were to be resolved in similar fashion to the NCAA and in the CFL today, with at least one possession by each team, starting from the opponent's 20-yard line. There were differences: there were no first downs and thus teams had to score within four downs, and
10680-471: The semi-retired Sammartino, and then just with McMahon after Sammartino's departure from the WWF in early 1988. Ventura most notably co-hosted Saturday Night's Main Event with McMahon, the first six WrestleManias (five of which were alongside Gorilla Monsoon ), and most of the WWF's pay-per-views at the time with Monsoon, with the lone exception for Ventura being the first SummerSlam , in which he served as
10800-472: The sport. In an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in February 2001, after the league's second week of play, Costas joked: "It has to be at least a decade since I first mused out loud, 'Why doesn't somebody combine mediocre high school football with a tawdry strip club ?' Finally, somebody takes my idea and runs with it." Costas interviewed a defiant McMahon for an episode of his HBO show On
10920-513: The standard brand of 11-man American outdoor football that was recognizable, aside from the opening game sprint to determine possession and some other changes, some of which were modified during the season as it progressed. The league's coaches vetoed a proposal to eliminate ineligible receivers (allowing any player to receive a forward pass) midway through the season, on account that the change would be too radical. The league's game balls were made by Spalding , and were unique in that instead of being
11040-513: The standard brown, the ball was black with a red "X" going across the sides of the ball. The balls were later found to be slippery and difficult to handle, and the balls had to be rubbed with sandpaper to make them usable. The league deliberately avoided placing teams in stadiums with artificial turf , which at the time had a bad reputation both for being unsightly as well as being more hazardous to play on compared to natural turf. The league's requirement for grass fields automatically ruled out
11160-470: The stands, it was just mostly close ups of individual sections that were full. Player interviews at sparsely-attended games were often shot from a camera angle in close proximity and low to the ground pointed upward, giving the perspective of the camera being operated by a little person. After the XFL's failure, the sky cam was adopted by the NFL 's broadcasters; the device has subsequently come into use on all major networks. NBC in particular switched back to
11280-408: The tackles. The XFL imposed a number of restrictions on punting that are not present in most other leagues' rules, the net effect of which made punts in the XFL operate under rules more akin to kickoffs . The purpose of these provisions was to keep play going after the ball was punted, encouraging the kicking team to make the ball playable and the receiving team to run it back. To this effect: For
11400-628: The tag team title five times (twice each with Bull Ramos and "Playboy" Buddy Rose , and once with Jerry Oates). He later moved to his hometown promotion, the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota and began teaming with Adrian Adonis as the "East-West Connection" in 1979. In his RF Video shoot in 2012, he revealed that shortly after he arrived in the AWA he was given the nickname "the Body" by Verne Gagne . The duo won
11520-459: The teachers' union, and did not have a high regard for public funding of higher education institutions. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show , he reaffirmed his support of gay rights, including marriage and military service, humorously stating he would have gladly served alongside homosexuals when he was in the Navy as they would have provided less competition for women. Later, on the subject of
11640-413: The team that had possession first in overtime could not attempt a field goal until fourth down. If that team managed to score a touchdown in fewer than four downs, the second team would only have that same number of downs to match or beat the result. If the score was still tied after one overtime period, the team that played second on offense in the first OT would start on offense in the second OT (similar to
11760-593: The time, "next generation" artificial surfaces (which much more closely mimicked grass in appearance, feel and player safety) were slowly being introduced in professional football. In 2000, the Seattle Seahawks were the first professional team to play on next-generation artificial turf at the University of Washington 's Husky Stadium , where the Seahawks played in 2000 and 2001 following the demolition of
11880-485: The time, in the midst of its " Attitude Era " (which marked a shift in a mature and provocative direction for its content), the XFL's presentation likewise would reflect that approach toward football. It was hyped as "real" football without penalties for roughness and with fewer rules in general. Keen to avoid any perception that XFL games would somehow be predetermined in the sort of manner long established in professional wrestling, McMahon repeatedly emphasized that whereas
12000-501: The title, stating that Hogan was going out like a true champion. During the match, however, which was also the last match at WrestleMania he called, Ventura did voice his pleasure when both broke the rules, at one point claiming, "This is what I like. Let the two goody two-shoes throw the rule book out and get nasty." Ventura's praise of Hogan's action was unusual for him, because he regularly rooted against Hogan during his matches, usually telling fellow commentator Monsoon after Hogan had won
12120-407: The use of domed stadiums since no such stadium capable of accommodating a grass football field existed in the U.S. in 2001 (the only retractable roof stadiums complete at the time were used exclusively for Major League Baseball ; the first retractable roof stadium for NFL use was not completed until Reliant Stadium opened for the expansion Houston Texans in 2002 ). Furthermore, every XFL field
12240-554: The use of his image for promoting a Sega product, Ventura left the WWF in August 1990. Ventura later served as a radio announcer for a few National Football League teams, among them the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In February 1992 at SuperBrawl II , Ventura joined World Championship Wrestling as a commentator. WCW President Eric Bischoff ultimately released him for allegedly falling asleep during
12360-573: The west champion and east runner-up (Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively). Los Angeles and San Francisco each won their playoff games to advance to the XFL championship . The opening game ended with a 19–0 victory for the Outlaws, and was watched on NBC by an estimated 14 million viewers. During the telecast, NBC switched over to the game between the Orlando Rage and the Chicago Enforcers , which
12480-494: The world!" After his election, bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the slogan "My governor can beat up your governor" appeared in Minnesota. The nickname "Jesse 'The Mind ' " (from a last-minute Hillsman ad featuring Ventura posing as Rodin's Thinker ) began to resurface sarcastically in reference to his often controversial remarks. Ventura's old stage name "Jesse 'The Body ' " (sometimes adapted to "Jesse 'The Governing Body ' ") also continued to appear with some regularity. After
12600-504: The wrestling influence, the games and their outcomes were legitimate and not based on scripted storylines. The XFL operated as a single entity with all teams owned by the league, in contrast to most major professional leagues, which use a franchise model with individual owners. The league had eight teams in two divisions, and each franchise was based in a market that either currently had an NFL team (New York/New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco); had previously supported other pro leagues like
12720-482: Was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones in the late 1970s and 1980s. Its lead singer, Mick Jagger , said of him, "He's done us proud, hasn't he? He's been fantastic." In the late 1980s, Ventura appeared in a series of Miller Lite commercials. In 1989, Ventura co-hosted the four episodes of the DiC Entertainment children's program Record Breakers: World of Speed along with Gary Apple. In 1991,
12840-475: Was a closer contest than the blowout taking place in Las Vegas. The opening night drew a 9.5 Nielsen rating . The opening-week games actually delivered ratings double those of what NBC had promised advertisers (and more viewers than the 2001 Pro Bowl ). The audience declined to a 4.6 in week 2, still an acceptable rating for NBC, but further ratings declines eventually led to the network abandoning
12960-472: Was also organized in 1999, merged with the Arena Football League 's minor league AF2 before ever playing a single game. In a much later article describing the origins of the league's name, Sports Illustrated stated: "The F and the L act to indicate, if only indirectly, a football league. But the X is a variable. It could mean anything." The only main draft for the league took place over
13080-630: Was between the New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Las Vegas Outlaws at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada . The league's regular season structure was set up so that each team played teams in its own division twice in the season, home and away (the same as the National Football League ) and played against teams in the other division once. The season ran ten weeks, with no bye weeks . The league's western division
13200-689: Was designed identically, with no individual team branding on the field. Each end zone and 50 yard line was decorated with the XFL logo, with the endzones also being painted black. Most of the league's stadiums were football-specific facilities, the only exception being San Francisco's Pacific Bell Park (home of the San Francisco Giants ) which was built primarily for baseball , but (unlike many newer baseball-specific stadiums) can accommodate football. Two XFL stadiums ( Giants Stadium and Soldier Field ) were also then-current NFL stadiums, while two others ( Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and
13320-480: Was disappointed with the opening game's poor quality of play. Even longtime NBC sportscaster Bob Costas joined in the mocking of the league. Ebersol purposely allowed Costas and other NBC Sports veterans to opt out of the network's coverage of the league (hence with the exception of former NFL on NBC analyst Mike Adamle , its coverage was helmed mostly by younger unknowns and professional wrestling figures), and Costas in particular did not like McMahon's approach to
13440-529: Was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota , a position he held until 1995. He was the Reform Party candidate in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election , running a low-budget campaign centered on grassroots events and unusual advertising that urged citizens not to "vote for politics as usual". Initially ignored as a novelty candidate , Ventura defeated both the Democratic and the Republican nominee,
13560-496: Was far more competitive than the east, with the four teams' records ranging from 7–3 (for eventual champion Los Angeles) to 4–6 (Las Vegas, who finished last after losing its last three games to end up one game out of a playoff spot). In the East, New York and Chicago both were hampered by slow starts and ineffective starters before making personnel changes that improved their play, while Orlando, under quarterback Jeff Brohm , who owned
13680-455: Was first organized in 1999, it was originally supposed to stand for "Xtreme Football League"; however, there was already a league in formation at the same time with that name, and so promoters wanted to make sure that everyone knew that the "X" did not actually stand for anything (though McMahon would comment that "if the NFL stood for the 'No Fun League', the XFL will stand for the 'e x tra f un l eague'" ). The other Xtreme Football League, which
13800-587: Was similar to the CFL , which had a comparable 40 man roster limit in 2001. This was partly to limit payroll costs, and partly because the XFL wanted to curb the use of "specialists," something which the NFL has sometimes come under criticism for. To comply with roster limits, most teams only carried two quarterbacks and one kicker who doubled as the punter. The XFL paid standardized player salaries. Quarterbacks earned US$ 5,000 per week, kickers earned $ 3,500, and all other uniformed players earned $ 4,500 per week, though
13920-551: Was simultaneously mayor and WCW's color commentator through much of his mayoral tenure. Ventura ran for governor of Minnesota in 1998 as the Reform Party of Minnesota nominee (he later joined the Independence Party of Minnesota when the Reform Party broke from its association with the Reform Party of the United States of America ). His campaign consisted of a combination of aggressive grassroots events organized in part by his campaign manager Doug Friedline and original television spots, designed by quirky adman Bill Hillsman , using
14040-695: Was the WrestleMania VI Ultimate Challenge title for title match between WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and the WWF Intercontinental Champion , The Ultimate Warrior . Since they were both fan favorites, Ventura took a neutral position in his commentary, even praising Hogan's display of sportsmanship at the end of the match when he handed over the WWF Championship belt to the Warrior after he lost
14160-591: Was to purchase the Canadian Football League (after the CFL initially approached him about purchasing the Toronto Argonauts ) and " have it migrate south ," which was quickly rejected by the CFL. NBC had lost their broadcast rights to the NFL's American Football Conference (AFC) to CBS in 1998, ending a business relationship that had its origins with the AFC's predecessor, the American Football League (this having also come about after NBC had previously lost
14280-509: Was unfair that Cena always got a title shot in the WWE, while Ventura never did during his WWE career. After that, Sheamus attacked Cena and put him through a table. Ventura then made the match a Table match at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs . During the show, for the first time in nearly 20 years, McMahon joined Ventura ringside to provide match commentary together. Near the end of his wrestling career, Ventura began an acting career. He appeared in
14400-424: Was voted upon by the players, although Jeff Brohm objected. Birmingham's players were banned from doing so by coach Gerry DiNardo , a notoriously strict disciplinarian more accustomed to coaching at the college level. DiNardo previously alienated players at Vanderbilt and LSU and later did so at Indiana with his iron-fisted rule. The Thunderbolts were the only professional team he would ever coach. Rod Smart ,
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