Ep. 108: The Battles that have Shaped the NFL Into a Cultural and Economic Powerhouse (and what it can teach us about the future of college sports), with Ken Belson
February 4, 2026 · 53 min · Season 1 · Episode 108
About this episode
The episode discusses the transformation of the NFL into a cultural and economic powerhouse, featuring insights from Ken Belson's book and the impact of college sports.
Send us Fan Mail It’s a Super Bowl special episode, and I’m joined by long-time NY Times reporter Ken Belson, to talk about his book 'Every Day is Sunday,' which focuses on how Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and others transformed the NFL into a cultural and economic powerhouse. We discuss the financial instability of the 1980s and 1990s, and key changes such as free agency, the salary cap, and revenue sharing. The impact of college NIL deals on the NFL, and what the NFL’s battles can teach...
People in this episode
Host: Gabe Feldman
Guest: Ken Belson
Topics covered
NFL history
cultural impact of sports
economic aspects of sports
college sports
free agency
salary cap
revenue sharing
Keywords
NFL
college sports
free agency
salary cap
revenue sharing
economic powerhouse
cultural impact
Ken Belson
Gabe Feldman
Every Day is Sunday
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NY Times
Books & works: Every Day is Sunday
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