- 2001
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Maniax Team Formation
The team’s name and logo were designed to lead the team’s fans into calling the team “The Ax”, a shortened form of the word “maniacs”. The Maniax Director of Player Personnel was Steve Ortmayer, who had become respected in the pro football world for helping to build the Super Bowl XVIII-champion Los Angeles Raiders. Steve Ehrhart, who had managed both ...
History of the Maniax
The Memphis Maniax was an American football team that played in the XFL during its single season of existence in 2001. The Maniax were based in Memphis, Tennessee, and played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The team was one of eight franchises that competed as members of the XFL, which was created by Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) and NBC to be a "more extreme" version of the National Football League (NFL).
Despite having talented players on their roster, such as quarterback Jim Druckenmiller and receiver Yo Murphy, the Maniax struggled throughout their inaugural season. They finished with a 3-8 record, good for fourth place out of sixth place overall among all XFL teams. However, they managed to pull off one upset victory over eventual league champion Los Angeles Xtreme when Druckenmiller threw two touchdown passes late in regulation to give them a 28-24 win on national television.
Though it only lasted for one year due to low ratings nationwide, many passionate fans remember fondly what could have been had this unique experiment been given more time or better marketing from its parent company WWF/E. For those interested enough about sports history or simply curious about what might have become if it wasn't so short-lived, the legacy left behind by Memphis' professional football franchise lives on even today amongst diehard supporters everywhere.
Maniax Products
Established
2001
City
Memphis
League History
2001 / XFL
Team History
2001 / Memphis Maniax
Nickname
Maniax – The Memphis Maniax was one of the eight original teams to join the XFL in 2001, and their nickname has an interesting origin story. The name was chosen to pay homage to the city’s rich musical heritage while emphasizing toughness and strength - two critical attributes for any successful football team.
The “Maniax” portion of the name is derived from mania, which means intense enthusiasm or excitement. This perfectly captures what it feels like when you attend a football game in Memphis – everyone is cheering on their favorite team with incredible enthusiasm! The second part of the name comes from Maximus Decimus Meridius, a character played by Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator. In this movie, Maximus leads his troops into battle with unmatched courage and ferocity; these qualities make up an excellent football player, so it made sense that they would use this reference for inspiration when creating their new nickname!
Overall, we think that choosing “Memphis Maniax” as their official moniker was a great decision – it captures some essential aspects of playing professional sports and pays tribute to music culture AND Hollywood history at once! We can't wait until next season rolls around so we can cheer on our beloved hometown heroes once again!
Championship
XFL Championships 0
Stadium
2001 / Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Owner
2001 / World Wrestling Federation
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Coach
2001 / Kippy Brown
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
