Vince McMahon’s XFL revival will premiere in January 2020 -- without gimmicks or politics

ESPN

The new XFL will be in stark contrast to the version that ran on NBC in 2001. There will be no flashy cheerleaders or crazy antics. And players will be forced to stand during the National Anthem -- unlike the NFL. The new XFL will consist of eight teams on a 10-week schedule. “I wanted to do this since the day we stopped the other one," McMahon tells ESPN. "A chance to do it with no partners, strictly funded by me, which would allow me to look in the mirror and say, 'You were the one who screwed this up,' or 'You made this thing a success.'" McMahon hopes to differentiate the XFL from the NFL with faster games that last about two hours. McMahon also emphasized that his players won’t be allowed to be political on the playing field. "People don't want social and political issues coming into play when they are trying to be entertained," McMahon said. "We want someone who wants to take a knee to do their version of that on their personal time."

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