EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Winter hit the XFL, and the weather beat up the new league big time.
Freezing temperatures and 22 mph wind that made it feel like 6 degrees sent most of the 36,458 fans at the New York-New Jersey Hitmen's home opener to the exits early Sunday night.
Only about 5,000 hardy fans were left when Charles Puleri's fourth-and-14 pass from the Birmingham 19-yard fell incomplete in the end zone, allowing the Bolts (1-1) to beat the Hitmen 19-12 in a very sloppily played game.
New York-New Jersey is 0-2 in the fledgling league owned by NBC and the World Wrestling Federation.
"It's just freezing," said Joel Rudy of Mount Laurel, who left at halftime. "It's as cold as I can remember. We weren't dressed properly."
"I'm freezing," added Tom Williams of Somerset, who attended the game with his 24-year-old son. "We need a new quarterback, too."
Stepfret Williams, who played 26 NFL games mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, paced the Bolts' victory. He caught a 70-yard second-quarter pass to set up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Casey Weldon to Quincy Jackson, and gave Birmingham the lead for good with a league-best 95-yard punt return for a touchdown with 8:12 left in the third quarter. Weldon's conversion pass to Kaipo McGuire extended the lead to 13-6.
Mike Archie's second 1-yard touchdown run got the Hitmen within a point with 8:14 left, but Puleri's pass for the point after was broken up by Eric Sloan.
Linebacker Keith Franklin closed out the scoring, returning a fumble by Hitmen receiver Anthony DiCosmo 12 yards for a touchdown with 3:32 to go.
While the game was close, both teams made mistake after mistake. There were five turnovers, 18 penalties for 141 yards and a couple of questionable calls by the officials, including one that seemed to deprive the Hitmen of at least a safety.
The Hitmen got their first touchdown after Weldon (17-of-26 for 190 yards) threw an interception on the opening series. New York-New Jersey also blocked a punt and partially blocked another in the first quarter.
The Hitmen were just as generous. Halfback Keith Elias had a ball stripped out of his arms at the Bolts 5 by Duane Bulter and Puleri (13-of-24 for 149) threw an interception.
"It's lacking. That's my comment," said Bob Spada of Wall, a high school coach who was a member of the Duke team that played in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 1961. "It's lacking in a lot of different aspects. The PA stuff and sideline stuff is all neat, but the play overall lacks in a lot of respects."
If there was a highlight for the Hitmen it was their cheerleaders, who braved the conditions clad in white halter tops, pinstripe hot pants and what appeared to be garters and full-length leather coats that were rarely buttoned.
"I'd like to take one of them home to my mother," said Greg Packer, 37, of Huntington, N.Y. "It's winter and nothing happens in the winter, so this makes up for it."