True Tales of Roller Derby by Lisa Titan

The league was hoping to come back in 2021 after canceling the 2020 season, but instead, it shut doors. The XFL ended up filing for bankruptcy in April. When the XFL did try to return in 2020, that return was another short-lived experiment as it suffered due to the coronavirus crisis. The broadcasting production was amateurish and far too WWF-ish for mainstream audiences, and in the end, the WWF and NBC lost $70 million on the bold but short-lived experiment. New players were given only around a month to prepare and the quality of play was not comparable to the NFL or even college games. The XFL’s debut game - scheduled after the NFL season had ended - achieved better-than-expected ratings, but the viewers quickly began tuning out. All, however, have an interesting story.Ĭheck out some of the biggest sports busts in history. Others created imaginative and unfamiliar new athletic contests. Some failed startup leagues organized around existing sports. But many ambitious startup organizations have attempted to duplicate the magic of the NFL, MLB or similar, only to realize that running a sports league is no easy feat. To be fair, all of America’s multibillion-dollar sports leagues started from humble beginnings, so there’s no telling where the XFL will go. However, Johnson and business partner Dany Garcia clearly see a diamond in the rough, confirming to ESPN that they are planning for the 2021 season. The league has already failed twice, filing for bankruptcy in April. Though Johnson is quite the entrepreneur these days and has history with the league’s creator, pro-wrestling exec Vince McMahon, it was still a surprising move to many. Recently, former wrestling star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson purchased the XFL for $15 million.

True Tales of Roller Derby by Lisa Titan