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Extreme coverage XFL's debut on television offers innovations, excess
Updated: Sunday February 04, 2001 12:08 AM
NEW YORK (AP) -- It didn't take long to see what the "X" in XFL stands for: "X-hibitionism" and "X-aggeration." The inaugural broadcast of the fledgling football league NBC-TV owns jointly with the World Wrestling Federation was filled with just the sort of double entendres, close-ups of cheerleaders and over-the-top announcing that the founders promised. Saturday night's airing of the Las Vegas Outlaws' 19-0 home victory against the New York/New Jersey Hitmen did break ground with its omnipresent microphones and dizzying cameras, providing sights and sounds rarely associated with pro sports telecasts. And that wasn't always a good thing. The idea is to appeal to male viewers aged 12-24, the same audience the WWF thrives with, and the debut indicated there will be nothing highbrow or low-key about the XFL. Only eight minutes into the show came the first lascivious shots of cheerleaders in shiny hot pants and push-up bras. Not much later came a taped piece with a Las Vegas cheerleader gushing, "Quarterback Ryan Clement knows how to score." Wink, wink. "I don't think there's ever enough sex," WWF impresario Vince McMahon said. Also before halftime came this bit of commentary from play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian: "A lot of heavy breathing out there. It sounds like a crank call." That earned an approving chuckle from the "color analyst," Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. Vasgersian often referred to his broadcast partner as "Body," Ventura's nickname during his previous life as a WWF wrestler. Both announcers were loud throughout, with Vasgersian yelling "what a pop!" or "slapped down to the ground!" after some hits that would be considered run-of-the-mill by NFL or college standards. It sounded as if the announcers were trying to convince themselves as much as the TV audience that the XFL really is "smashmouth football," as the promos insist. Of course, with the network an owner of the league, it's not surprising the cast did all it could to hype the action. Words like "fun" and "historic" flowed freely, while some WWF wrestlers made taped cameo appearances. NBC looked into starting a football league after the network lost its NFL TV rights in bidding three years ago. NBC is airing XFL games on traditionally low-rated Saturday nights; UPN and TNN are the league's other broadcasters. The eight XFL teams will play 10 games each, leading up to the "Big Game at the End," as the April 21 championship contest is being called. The league, which is hoping to capitalize on the post-Super Bowl lull in big sports events, maintains the "X" in its name doesn't stand for anything. McMahon, who came on the field to fire up the crowd before the opening dash-for-the-ball in lieu of a coin-flip, and NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol did deliver the inside-the-game coverage they sought. Viewers could eavesdrop on everything -- quarterbacks getting play calls from offensive coordinators, huddles, referees discussing rulings, players from opposing teams talking trash. There also was an "All-Access" halftime, giving fans a chance to see and -- when the censor wasn't putting the five-second delay to good use -- hear coaches talk strategy. But the sideline or on-field interviews with players made it clear why the major U.S. pro sports leagues don't do it -- the answers were almost uniformly unintelligible, sometimes because a player was trying to catch his breath after a play. The 27 cameras, more than are used for Monday Night Football, showed new angles, thanks in part to a camera suspended over the field and to two on-field cameramen wearing flak jackets and hockey helmets. There was plenty of evidence that it was opening night, especially when it came to switching from one point of view to another. The way the action was shown was often disorienting thanks to quick cuts. But it's obvious that the XFL isn't about Xs and Os, because neither the announcers nor sideline reporters ever really dissected a single aspect of the game itself. The football is a vehicle for the production. That said, NBC cut away from the lopsided Hitmen-Outlaws game in the fourth quarter to show the end of the night's other game, Orlando's 33-29 victory over Chicago, in hopes of keeping fans tuned in.
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