RAUNCHY XFL LONG WAY FROM EARNING RESPECT.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

On one channel Saturday night, the XFL debuted with the Orlando Rage's scantily clad cheerleaders bumping and grinding to the Aretha Franklin song ``Respect.'' They mouthed the words as if they were asking for some from the folks at home.

On another channel, the verdict in the teen-age sexual assault trial of former NFL tight end Mark Chmura was being read. He was acquitted. He cried tears of joy.

Sex, violence, football and television. It's bizarro Americana.

And if it's all the rage, we respectfully decline.

It's too bad NBC didn't interrupt its XFL debut coverage like other networks did for the Chmura breaking news, because all those watching who believed that football rules and real-life rules are different would have cheered loudly.

As it was, the XFL's Las Vegas-New York/New Jersey main telecast showed off just how far a network will go to dress it up, then strip it down to titillate the spectators who don't know about Court TV.

It's the Jerry Springer League. It's illegitimate sport. Once you get past the hype to see the gimmick, it all becomes clear.

And the problem was in this case, the target audience with the fast-food mentality that tends to sniff it out and then make a decision before moving out to the next shiny object probably didn't stick around past the first half hour.

From the opening video presentation of WWF star The Rock to the close with Jerry ``King'' Lawler oogling over the Rage cheerleaders, it was a pro wrestling-with-helmets giant-screen presentation. Football was secondary.

Reality TV is what NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol tried to call it, but the reality is, the players wore nicknames on their back of their jerseys instead of their real names, and more four-letter words probably made it onto the telecast than were censored out for the family entertainment presentation.

And what wasn't censored, the sexual double-entendre was as thick as they could lay it on.

A video clip of Las Vegas defensive back Brandon Sanders with a cheerleader in the locker room has him saying he likes the ``bump and run'' rule. Wink, if you know what I mean.

And then there was Lawler, the WWF former wrestler and announcer for Vince McMahon's primary source of income. Since the primary game sloppily dragged on with Vegas leading 19-0 to start the fourth quarter, NBC switched to the backup game between Chicago and Orlando.

A shot of the Orlando cheerleaders was all it took for Lawler to lay it on thick.

``I love the WWF,'' he screamed. ``I love America. The land of milk and honeys.''

And the dumb blondes with microphones sent into the stands to try to ask questions of the inebriated fans during lulls in the non-action just perpetuated the notion.

You'd like to laugh along and actually enjoy it. But after a short while, you honestly can't.

The only interesting technical toys of the NBC telecast - the high overhead camera that followed the plays from behind and the audio feed that could be heard from the coach to the quarterback, and then the quarterback to his teammates in the huddle - were then often forgotten once the quarterback had to call a time out because he couldn't get a play off in time, or he overthrew a receiver.

And the ``all access'' halftime that was hyped by analyst Jesse ``The Broadcaster'' Ventura as a chance to see Hitmen coach Rusty Tillman ``go ballistic'' because his team was losing was nothing of the sort.

``I'm surprised he's doing more coaching than yelling,'' said Ventura. ``We thought we'd get an explosion out of him.''

Maybe because Tillman was the only one out there not playing to the cameras and microphones.

It was obvious why most networks don't do much more with the sideline reporters after Fred Roggin and Mike Adamle were mostly unsuccessful getting anything of substance during live interviews.

On one play, Roggin held a mike in front of Las Vegas running back Rod Smart after a long catch-and-run and said, ``Talk about the play.'' Smart - the smart one wearing HE HATE ME on his back where his name should be - huffed and puffed, then turned around and ran back into the game. Seems it was still going on.

Maybe it was just opening night technical problems that brought the strange cuts from overhead to sideline cameras in the middle of plays, which made it difficult to follow the action. Maybe it was just mix-ups when one audio feed was on top of another, with the broadcasters trying to talk over that.

Or maybe it was just that Chmura had the best seat Saturday night to watch the XFL debut - as far away from it as possible.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Saturday night's debut of the XFL is viewed by patrons of Weber's Place in Reseda. NBC introduced the league, which features overhead cameras and audio feeds from the field.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer