The XFL demoted announcer Matt Vasgersian this week after one game alongside ex-wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. He will be replaced by WWF announcer Jim Ross in a move that will strip even more legitimacy from the upstart league.
Vasgersian is now set to call games alongside Jerry Lawler in NBC's alternate game of the week. The move, orchestrated by WWF meistro Vince McMahon, demonstrates his desire to make the XFL more like his money-making machine inside the squared circle, and less like the façade he is trying to pass as a gridiron.
Loyalty aside to our voice of the Brewers, it's clear the XFL isn't ready for an announcer as talented as Vasgersian. Never one to deny pandering to the lowest common denominator, McMahon obviously didn't appreciate Vasgersian's sarcastic, intelligent brand of humor. Instead, he is clearly more content with the ramblings of the meat-head Ventura, who's lack of football knowledge is only surpassed by his lack of political knowledge, as the population of Minnesota may or may not have already realized.
{INSERT_RELATED}Even with a bevy of scantily-clad cheerleaders and mullet-laden fans, the XFL games last week had about as much drama as a high school football scrimmage. The over-hyped production value came off as disjointed and confused. NFL and CFL rejects dropped more passes than a supermodel at a pick up joint. And according to readers in an ESPN.com poll, "nothing" was the most popular answer in the question, "What do you like most about the XFL?"
Vasgerisan will rebound from this snub by these desperate football amateurs, but the league may not be so lucky. The most telling sign of the XFL's futility came during a game Sunday afternoon.
The San Francisco Demons (great name, isn't it?) were driving down the field again the Los Angeles Xtreme (weren't these teams in "Any Given Sunday?") with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. They made it to LA's 25 yard line or so, and with no time outs and the clock running, they found themselves at third and one.
Now, I'm no XFL coach, but in this situation, I either spike the ball to stop the clock or fire one into the end zone. But instead, these clowns ran one up the middle and got stuffed. With the clock running out and mayhem all over the field -- not to mention the announcer suggesting the team spike the ball to stop the clock even though it was fourth down -- the Demons kicked a hurry-up field goal to win the game. I've seen better football strategy executed by my friend's 10-year old brother playing Super Nintendo. I've heard better announcing by my friend watching his brother play the video game.
McMahon can take his league and blow billions of dollars on it, but last week's display demonstrated that the NFL shouldn't lose any sleep. Despite "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's on air threat to kick Paul Tagliabue's ass, the XFL will soon join the USFL in the annals of failed football leagues that, through incompetent management or bad planning, just can't compete.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
