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

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

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Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NY Times

Books & works: Every Day is Sunday

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