Doing it to the X-treme

Beers are being chilled, La-Z-Boys are being re clined, and coveted seats on couches are being claimed as America prepares for Super Bowl XXXV on Sun., Jan. 28. The most popular sports event in America combines with the most expensive and creative commercials to display everything great and cherished in this country: balls, beer, and bikinis. True football fans may disagree or dislike it, but the fact remains that when this year's Super Bowl ends, most people will recall the funny Bud ads better than a skillful tackle or a perfect pass. As more emphasis is placed on the Super Bowl for its value as a precious marketing tool, 30-second commercials are now given as much post-game analysis as any of the players' performances throughout an entire game. This focus on advertising points to a growing desire to make athletic events more marketable and profitable, even at the price of destroying the integrity of the sport itself.

EUGENE WONG/YH

Despite the overwhelming popularity of the Super Bowl, there has been a 34 percent decline over the past four years in the number of viewers watching NFL games. One of the major reasons is that viewers, primarily the target audience of young males, are being drawn to the scripted and sensational actions of the WWF. The WWF is part sport and all show: for the wrestlers, athletic talent is secondary to dramatic flair. Now Vince McMahon, the founder of the WWF, is hoping to apply his successful recipe to a new type of football. While many Americans used to sit back, burp, and sadly reflect on the passing of their favorite season after the Super Bowl ended, this year will mark the introduction of a new sport and a new season to the extensive array of professional sports in America.

Welcome to the XFL, a new game that looks to bring the showmanship of the WWF and the invasiveness of "reality-based" television to one of the most revered sports in this country. "Extreme football" has many of the features of NFL football but changes a few rules to create what producers call "the most exciting fourth down in football." The fair catch has been eliminated, and any punt traveling more than 25 yards will be a live ball recoverable by either team. The XFL will also eliminate the point after attempt—teams will have to run or pass from the two-yard line to score one point. What's more, since the clock will be running during the play, any fumbled or intercepted attempt can be returned by the defending team for a one-point score of its own. Also, trash talking will be not only allowed but encouraged, as it is with the boisterous wrestlers on WWF. Many football fans are looking forward to this "rougher" game, which producers hope will keep them watching throughout the NFL offseason.

Yet other differences between the XFL and NFL besides the rule changes point to the diminished importance of actual athletic talent. The XFL players, like the WWF wrestlers, are selected for their presence both on and off the field. McMahon is encouraging cheerleaders to get romantically involved with players, and the relationships will be part of the game coverage. Of course McMahon, one of the most skillful producers on network television, would never forget one of the most important golden rules of marketing: sex sells. This is Temptation Island meets Varsity Blues, and somewhere along the way the actual playing of the game will be secondary to watching the announcers interview the cheerleaders about whether they did the "wild thing" with their football boyfriends last night. Yes, McMahon wants the cheerleaders, whom he promises will be "hot babes," to be an integral element of the storyline of the shows. It may very well be entertaining, but it will not be football in the true sense of what football has come to mean to so many people. Americans, even those who do not possess a great knowledge of the sport, enjoy football for the effort the teams make to be good at one thing and one thing only: playing football.

While it is obvious that the WWF and shows like Survivor have done very well in attracting large audiences, there is not necessarily a need to recreate the successful elements of those shows by corrupting football. The teams of the XFL boast such names as the Memphis Maniacs, the San Francisco Demons, and, my personal favorite, the New York/New Jersey Hitmen. I am sure these games will be entertaining, sexy, and fun, but they will not be the sport America loves to watch.

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