On this date in WWF history: Vince McMahon invades Texas to find Stone Cold Steve Austin

How badly did Vince McMahon want to fire Stone Cold Steve Austin?

Badly enough to take himself, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco to Victoria, Texas, on Feb. 1, 1999, to try and provoke "The Rattlesnake" into striking him so that he could terminate his contract.

Firing Austin meant he wouldn't have to face him inside the steel cage at the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) St. Valentine's Day Massacre: "In Your House" pay-per-view (PPV) event later that month.

The two were paired off after McMahon, who eliminated Stone Cold to win the 1999 Royal Rumble, surrendered his title shot at WrestleMania to avoid facing the corporate champion, The Rock.

Unfortunately for Vinny Mac, Commissioner Shawn Michaels declared that his vacated spot would be awarded to the runner-up (Austin), sending the Chairman and CEO into a rage and impulsively agreeing to the steel cage match.

See him try to weasel his way out of it (and piss off a few Texans in the process), after the jump.

Any Cagesiders remember this silly skit?