The XFL was a $100M disaster. Except at the SF Giants ballpark.

"The XFL was born out of a partnership between the WWF and NBC, with Vince McMahon believing the NFL was 'afraid' to play smashmouth football in the modern era. The league aimed to revive aggressive play while incorporating elements of professional wrestling, such as on-field cameras and storylines."

"The Bay Area got one of the eight teams in July 2000, and the Demons originally were going to play in San Jose before the Giants swooped in and offered their brand new ballpark for the team."

"I'm a marketing guy, an event guy, so I loved it. Not everybody loved it, not everybody in the organization loved it, but we had sort of said, 'We're gonna try to do other things.' So the XFL was one of the more outrageous things that we did."

Mike Pawlawski serves as a color commentator and mental skills coach, reminiscing about the XFL and the San Francisco Demons. The XFL, launched in 2001, was a collaboration between the WWF and NBC, aiming to revive aggressive football. Vince McMahon believed the NFL avoided hard-hitting play. The league invested $100 million, and the Demons were initially set to play in San Jose but moved to the Giants' new ballpark. Former marketing leader Pat Gallagher recalls the XFL as an outrageous venture, despite mixed feelings within the organization.

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