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NFL Refutes Mark Wahlberg's Claim League Tried To Discourage 'Ballers' Appearances

Mark Wahlberg's claims that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called him to discourage creating the HBO series "Ballers" is "being directly refuted by a league spokesperson," according to Hayden Bird of BOSTON.com. NFL Senior VP/Communications Natalie Ravitz on Sunday "tweeted three times to various links, denying that any conversation between Goodell and Wahlberg ever took place." Wahlberg, an executive producer of "Ballers," on ESPN Radio Friday indicated that Goodell "was one of a few people to call him during the creation" of the show to "discourage production, as it portrayed the NFL in a less than positive light" (BOSTON.com, 7/18). In DC, Cindy Boren notes "Ballers," which "had its season premiere Sunday night and uses NFL teams and logos, is a lot like “Playmakers,” a show that aired in '03 on ESPN and one that the league "helped kill." The NFL "largely ignored 'Ballers' in its first season, but it has a relationship with HBO, which also puts on 'Hard Knocks' every summer." Wahlberg said that the show "wanted authenticity from cameos with current and former players" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/19).

DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES? ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser noted HBO is "not trying to get ‘Monday Night Football’ or ‘Sunday Night Football’ or ‘Thursday Night Football.’" Kornheiser: "They can do what they want with ‘Ballers’ as opposed to ESPN and ‘Playmakers,’ where there was a certain sensitivity.” He guessed that while Goodell likely did not personally call Wahlberg, someone from the NFL probably did. He said, "That’s their job, they’re supposed to lobby. ... If they find something depicting them in a way that they don't like, they're supposed to lobby" ("PTI," ESPN, 7/18). ESPN's David Jacoby said, "Here’s the difference: ESPN has a multibillion dollar partnership with the NFL, HBO does not. … If you're the NFL, it’s not the greatest depiction of your league or your players' behavior, but it’s also accurate." He also speculated that Wahlberg likely "received word through back channel sources that Roger Goodell was unhappy and he was trying to block athletes from going on the show” (“Jalen & Jacoby,” ESPN2, 7/19). ESPN’s Bomani Jones said he doubted Wahlberg talked directly to Goodell about not allowing NFL players to appear on “Ballers,” but he said, “I believe someone from the NFL made that call." However, Jones wondered how keeping players off the show would "serve the interest of the league one bit” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 7/18). ESPN's Dan Le Batard: "I do believe that Roger Goodell and the NFL have a problem with how that show depicts players, because ‘Playmakers’ on ESPN was the show before this show and it got gone in a hurry, at least in part because the NFL didn’t want it around” ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 7/18).

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: CSNMIDATLANTIC.com's J.J. Regan noted Ravens LB Terrell Suggs appeared in the show's season premiere Sunday, and despite Wahlberg's claims about the league, the Ravens seemed "just fine with that." The team "tweeted out a clip from the show" yesterday (CSNMIDATLANTIC.com, 7/18). Le Batard noted a scene from Sunday’s episode featuring a fight between Suggs and lead actor Dwayne Johnson’s character was going to be filmed in the same studio as “Highly Questionable.” He said, "People from ‘Ballers’ came in here, and it suddenly got gone all of a sudden. Why? My guess is the NFL didn’t want ESPN being a part of that” (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 7/18).

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