PLAYBOY: At the press conference announcing the XFL, you said your league was for real men, not "pantywaists." You questioned the manhood of guys like Joe Montana, John Elway and Brett Favre.
MCMAHON: I did not. I said it's not a league for pantywaists, that's true. But I was really talking about how the NFL has changed football. The billionaire owners--or at least millionaire owners--have changed the rules to protect their prime investment, the quarterback. It's ostensibly for the safety of the performer, but that hasn't got a damn thing to do with the game. Once you do that, it's no longer football as we know it and love it.
PLAYBOY: And the XFL will be?
MCMAHON: We're not going to protect the investment like NFL owners have: one hand on the quarterback and the whistle blows. It's not that way in collge, it's not that way in high school and it won't be that way in our league. I played both offense and defense in my day, and I remember what you're taught on defense: Knock the quarterback out of the game.
PLAYBOY: Once there's a famous XFL quarterback, you might be tempted to protect him, change the rules----
MCMAHON: No. It's part of the game--knock the quarterback out. Now what? You go to the backup, and maybe you run more-fundamental plays. That's how it used to be in the NFL. It changes things: When you draft your backs, you'll want guys who are versatile, who can run and throw. The NFL would have Mr. and Mrs. America believe that there are only a few players who can make it in the NFL, but there's plenty of talent. There's a Super Bowl MVP who proved my point. For years no NFL team would give Kurt Warner a chance, and he languished in the Arena Football League. Next thing you know he's MVP of the Super Bowl. I'm not saying every XFL player is of that caliber, but they'll sure as hell have the same heart.
MCMAHON: I did not. I said it's not a league for pantywaists, that's true. But I was really talking about how the NFL has changed football. The billionaire owners--or at least millionaire owners--have changed the rules to protect their prime investment, the quarterback. It's ostensibly for the safety of the performer, but that hasn't got a damn thing to do with the game. Once you do that, it's no longer football as we know it and love it.
PLAYBOY: And the XFL will be?
MCMAHON: We're not going to protect the investment like NFL owners have: one hand on the quarterback and the whistle blows. It's not that way in collge, it's not that way in high school and it won't be that way in our league. I played both offense and defense in my day, and I remember what you're taught on defense: Knock the quarterback out of the game.
PLAYBOY: Once there's a famous XFL quarterback, you might be tempted to protect him, change the rules----
MCMAHON: No. It's part of the game--knock the quarterback out. Now what? You go to the backup, and maybe you run more-fundamental plays. That's how it used to be in the NFL. It changes things: When you draft your backs, you'll want guys who are versatile, who can run and throw. The NFL would have Mr. and Mrs. America believe that there are only a few players who can make it in the NFL, but there's plenty of talent. There's a Super Bowl MVP who proved my point. For years no NFL team would give Kurt Warner a chance, and he languished in the Arena Football League. Next thing you know he's MVP of the Super Bowl. I'm not saying every XFL player is of that caliber, but they'll sure as hell have the same heart.
Unless your drunk or something. Something weird had to have happened that he doesn't want to bring up or he has suppressed it.
