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XFL: Won't Be 'Your Mother's Football'

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol confirmed Wednesday that: the network has agreed to carry games of the World Wrestling Federation's newly formed Extreme Football League; has become a partner with the WWF in the league; and has taken a $30-million stake in the WWF itself.

Asked about charges that the network will thereby be offering excessively violent and vulgar programming, Ebersol replied that the games, which will air on Saturday nights, will not be "your mother's football league" but "I have not seen anything I would classify as vulgar."

It was not clear what Ebersol had seen. The League has not yet formed any teams or hired any players.

In an interview with today's (Thursday) Wall Street Journal, former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson, now a network consultant, said, "They're going to have to really work hard to get representative crowds at the stadium, and I remain skeptical that there is a public demand."

Shares in the WWF closed up $0.625 to $17.375 Wednesday, about half their 52-week high of $34.

Previous Stories:

• March 29, 2000: Report: WWF Football To Air On NBC
• February 7, 2000: New Football League To Employ WWF Glitz
• February 4, 2000: WWF Announces New Football League

Updated August 17, 2000

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