THE MMQB's Albert Breer reports Bengals Owner Mike Brown's children -- daughter Katie Blackburn, son-in-law Troy Blackburn and son Paul -- have "increasingly become more involved in running the team," according to accounts of people interviewing for the team's opening coaching position. Along with Bengals Dir of Player Personnel Duke Tobin, they are the "ones in the room for the interviews" (SI.com, 1/7). Meanwhile, the Bengals reportedly are interested in former Browns coach Hue Jackson for the vacancy, and NBC's Peter King said, "Mike Brown doesn't care what you think. ... He doesn't care what other owners think. He doesn't care what his fan base thinks. He cares about having a guy who he feels comfortable with to be about the coach in the Bengals way in this organization" ("PFT," NBCSN, 1/7).
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE: NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King notes the Rams and Chargers just two years ago were a "woebegone 9-23, and league owners were rolling their eyes at the possibility of the combo platter of two lousy teams owning this valuable piece of NFL property known as Los Angeles." But this year, they are a combined 26-7 and "legit members of the NFL's elite eight," with both playing in the Divisional round of the playoffs. King: "Nothing is forever in the NFL" (NBCSPORTS.com, 1/7).
FOR THE BRAND: DIGIDAY's Aditi Sangal writes the Eagles "want to be a sports entertainment brand with no offseason," and social media "plays a key role in how the team communicates with its fans year-round." Eagles Senior VP/Media & Marketing Jen Kavanagh said, "We're not a startup trying to figure this out. The engagement is there. You have to figure out how to capitalize on fun moments that give you amplification and connect you to the audience. You also can't be tone deaf. Numbers aren't always the things we make decisions around" (DIGIDAY.com, 1/7).
