The Potential Buyer Of The Bankrupt XFL? Vince McMahon
2020 has been one of the weirdest years in recent history, but this headline may be one of my favorite of the year.
An absolutely classic Vince McMahon move here.
As the bankrupt XFL looks for a buyer, the buyer could be its founder.
Via Daniel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com, XFL creditors “seem to believe” McMahon is positioning to buy the league out of bankruptcy. Separately, XFL president Jeffrey Pollack has contacted stadiums in Seattle and St. Louis about reinstating the league’s lease agreements.
It even seems that Vince doesn't want to give up on the XFL and would even look to play next year.
If that’s McMahon’s plan, and if it succeeds, he’d have to rebuild the league from the ground up, re-hiring coaches and players and others necessary to running the league. Anyone who previously worked for the league and was stiffed in any way may not be inclined to return (most notably, Oliver Luck won’t be back as the Commissioner), but if folks want to work in football and unless they’ve landed in the NFL, it’s not as if they have many alternatives.
Ultimately, fans won’t care one way or the other. In St. Louis and Seattle, the league thrived. If/when it resurfaces, the XFL could move franchises in cities where the league struggled to places like San Diego and Oakland, from which NFL teams recently have moved. The XFL also could try to identify another city or two (or more) like Seattle, which has an NFL team (and other pro sports) but which still flocked to the XFL games.
I, personally, would applaud Vince for giving the XFL another try. I loved watching the league this winter/spring before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. The league didn't fail because of a lack of entertainment or quality of product. It failed because of a worldwide pandemic, which was totally out of their control.
The need for live sports is apparent. Look at the ratings of NASCAR this weekend. One result of this COVID-19 pandemic will be states across the country needing to repair their busted budgets. One way to do that will be through the legalization of sports betting. That would be another total game-changer for the XFL.