Vince McMahon hopes the second time is a charm.
The XFL is making a comeback.
The World Wrestling Entertainment chairman and CEO says his investment company Alpha Entertainment is going to relaunch the XFL in 2020.
McMahon first launched the Xtreme Football League in 2001, with half-naked cheerleaders, personalized jersey names and different rules from the NFL.
But despite all the glitz, glamour and promises of a supreme product, the league lasted just one season before it folded.
McMahon’s new XFL will kick off in “late January or early February” of 2020 with eight teams, a 10-game regular season and “simplified” rules to speed up the game to about two hours.
Get daily news
And forget about cheerleaders and players who have criminal records, McMahon is promising a family-friendly XFL.
It sounds, well, better than the original XFL, which — let’s face it — was a disaster… aside from some of the cool innovations like mic’d up players and on-field cameras.
But I’m not buying what McMahon is selling.
Do I think the league will get off the ground? Yes, because Alpha Entertainment is going to own all the teams and there will be players and coaches who will sign up.
But from a fan perspective, unless the XFL can steal some exceptional talent from the NFL and NCAA, it won’t last long.