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Vince McMahon is ready for some football

By Adam Strangis

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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All signs point to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon bringing back a professional football league.

The rumors have been circulating for months now that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was itching to get back into the world of professional football. Today, it seems that may actually happen, as there’s a major announcement coming our way, via Darren Rovell and the WWE Twitter page.

At this point, details are a little sketchy. McMahon has filed for trademarks to use the old XFL name, the same name from his failed attempt at a football league in 2001. Also, McMahon sold around $100 million in WWE stock to fund a new investment company called Alpha Entertainment. The ultimate goal seems to be to start his own professional football league yet again.

WATCH: Vince McMahon’s announcement, presumably for the XFL

This seems like a very curious decision. The XFL failed pretty miserably the first time around because the product flat out wasn’t that good. The recent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the XFL was fascinating but the on-field product never lived up to the hype. If these players were the best, they would be playing in the NFL. The old XFL had some pretty crazy rules and tried to amp up the violence in football.

It’s unclear if that would fly given everything we continue to learn about concussions and other effects football has on the body. In fairness, it’s not clear what type of rules the league would implement. It’s certainly possible that McMahon has learned some lessons from previous failures and has a new plan of attack.

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McMahon has never been one to shy away from a challenge and that’s exactly what he’ll have with a brand new football league. Even if he doesn’t try to challenge the NFL head on, starting a pro sports league from scratch is not easy. However, McMahon has built WWE from a regional wrestling promotion to a worldwide phenomenon. If there’s a man who can learn from experience and build a new brand, it’s probably him.

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