Hitmen fans might not brave the cold much longer if their team continues to lose.(AP)

Make no mistake about it, McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation Entertainment empire he created have always been all about New York. And the more his company grows, the more McMahon has moved to meld his productions with all the grit and glitz that is the Big Apple.

And perhaps nowhere was that more evident than in the creation of the Hitmen. When McMahon first announced his intentions to create the XFL, he was reluctant to divulge where he planned to set up teams. Yet he made one thing clear -- there would be a New York team, even if, like his company's Stamford, Conn., headquarters, the team was located in another state.

And so the project began. With the announcement of the team's name, fans and insiders alike chuckled at his not-so-veiled reference to former champion Bret Hart, the man who, unintentionally, helped launch the late 90s boom in the WWF after his controversial exit gave McMahon the inspiration to take the company in a new direction. It was a boom that helped put McMahon in the financial position to pursue such a huge endeavor as the Xtreme Football League.

The Hitmen logo was sleek and intimidating. The uniforms were brooding and fierce. And no less than the legendary Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., (McMahon would have you ignore those last two letters) would be the home to these Hitmen, the anchors of the XFL.

And anchors they have been. Since their first game on the much-hyped NBC league debut and carrying on to last Sunday's mediocre attempt against the Birmingham Bolts, they have sunk to the bottom. With eight games left in the regular season, the Hitmen have more than enough time to recuperate and start racking up the Ws, but there is little reason to be optimistic.

Quarterback Charles Puleri continues to be the biggest embarrassment in the league. When approached by a sideline reporter during the Hitmen's home opener, it was difficult to hear Puleri defend his second consecutive poor performance over the 30,000-strong chants of "Puleri Sucks." He said he was OK with the jeers; that he was New York-born and bred and could accept the backlash. The backlash has only begun, Chuck.

The league continues to boast Puleri has "starred" in hit movies and has matinee-idol looks, all the while ignoring his unsuccessful past as a quarterback on any professional level. When asked by reporters whether he intended to keep Puleri as the starting quarterback in Week 2, Hitmen coach Rusty Tillman, with his signature apathy, responded, "He's from the Bronx."

The league is not doing itself any favors by continuing to pander to the New York market by having the unproven Puleri continue to lead the team just because he's "one of them."

But Puleri is not alone, a sub-par team continues to make mistakes that have only added fuel to the fire of XFL critics who complain about the quality of play. But the critics the team should most worry about are the ones in the stands. A sold-out Giants Stadium saw fans brave temperatures below zero to cheer on a team they were still unfamiliar with. And cheer they did. With the Hitmen's first touchdown of the season, the blustery cold seemed to disappear as fans exploded with excitement and hope that the Hitmen's shutout loss against the Las Vegas Outlaws was a one-time fluke.

By the fourth quarter, the "crowd" had been depleted to just 5,000, as many grumbled their way to the exits. Even the sight of the Hitmen cheerleaders wearing next to nothing in arctic temperatures isn't enough to bring the fans back to their side. Once again, the Hitmen got rubbed out.

Week 3 has the Hitmen facing the first-place Orlando Rage at Giants Stadium. Whether the fans will return for another heartbreak remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain, McMahon, who kicked off the Hitmen's home opener with an impassioned speech, might be the most frustrated fan of all.

If the XFL continues to draw 5 ratings on Saturday nights and put good crowds at the stadiums, McMahon will likely conclude the 2001 season with a smile on his face and a few new dollars in his pocket. But there is no question, the smile will be that much bigger if one of the teams playing in the league's championship game is wearing black and blue.

There's only one thing more satisfying than watching the home team go all the way. That's owning them.