WWE's Bruce Prichard recalls the time Vince McMahon considered buying Vikings

Before launching his own professional football league, WWE chairman Vince McMahon was apparently interested in purchasing an NFL team.

On a recent episode of the "Something To Wrestle With" podcast, former WWE producer Bruce Pritchard discussed rumors that McMahon considered buying the Minnesota Vikings when the team was put up for sale in 1998.

"We didn't know what the hell he was talking about really at first," Prichard said (starts at the 35-minute mark of the podcast). "More than anything it was a publicity stunt, because they were floating out there that the Vikings were up for sale and Vince floated it out there that he was interested in it.

"And I dare say that had the price been right, he might've even bought the damn thing for publicity purposes to say, 'OK, the WWF just bought the Minnesota Vikings and Vince McMahon is now entering the football arena.' So it worked, got people talking."

McMahon launched the XFL in 1999, which led to the league's lone season in 2001. The second iteration of the XFL is set to begin play in February 2020, and will reportedly cost McMahon close to $500 million over the first three years.