XFL (thing)

The XFL was not as big of a success as the networks had hoped; in many respects it was a dismal failure. There were many reasons why it did not fare as it probably should:

• Football season was over after the Super Bowl: People were used to having moved on from their football season. By the time they really got started, hockey was the next big item.
• Nothing was really innovative about the XFL. People really didn't see that much that was interesting in the XFL. They weren't exceptional players, the rules weren't that extreme (no fair catch, but you still couldn't rough the receiver), and the "personalities" of many of the players did not meet what people were expecting.
• The XFL cheerleaders While supposedly a big part of the game, really didn't add any serious television appeal to the actual matchup. They are cheerleaders, and are primarily meant for the live audience crowd. Even after they followed the cheerleads around a little bit more midseason to boost ratings, it still wasn't that exciting, and not worth America's time.

The XFL unfortunately got the lowest television ratings of any show since they started calculating ratings at one point. No one was watching it. The hardcore football fans had already put away their beer helmets, and the wrestling fans were not impressed enough by any of it to convert them over. It wasn't really great television to begin with, but the only reason why it got any nods was because it directed by Vince McMahon. Perhaps next time, he should stick to the script: Don't cue football after the season.