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Forum: NFL enters Super Bowl week on a positive note

The vibe around the NFL should be positive this week before Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, as this season’s storylines have been encouraging compared to previous years. Yes, there will be a great deal of concern about the state of officiating and the rules, and it was unfortunate that the league’s marquee conference championship games were overshadowed by the controversial decisions of the officials.

In August, high-level sources talked to me about the issues they were watching most closely for the upcoming season. The biggest one that didn’t go in the league’s favor was how correctly and consistently penalties are called. This continued controversy may affect the future of Al Riveron, who is in his second year as senior vice president of officiating.

But, overall, the NFL and its partners have a good story to tell. The anthem never became an issue; President Donald Trump redirected his ire elsewhere; ratings rebounded nicely; and while the league saw a slight drop in overall attendance, the distribution systems with Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek all seemed to successfully coexist.

Among individual insiders we’re watching, Commissioner Roger Goodell maintained a very low profile — which by most accounts was successful and by design. Jerry Jones was more focused on his playoff-bound Cowboys rather than poking owners on contentious league issues. ESPN’s new president, Jimmy Pitaro, deftly improved relationships with the league, as NFL insiders speak of a more open, engaged and appreciative demeanor from the Worldwide Leader. While Arthur Blank’s Falcons didn’t perform on the field, he can show the world a new Atlanta and serve as host at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Executives Michael Rubin and John Collins were being closely watched by insiders, and from the business growth of Fanatics and On Location, respectively, those seem to be good investments by the league. There was the issue of alignment of ownership and the league office, and while no divisive issues truly emerged this season, the changing face of ownership in recent and upcoming months — Jerry Richardson sold the Panthers to David Tepper last spring while the Seahawks’ Paul Allen and the Texans’ Bob McNair died this past fall — is an issue to watch. But it’s also about alignment between management and players, and we’ll get a better sense of that relationship this week in Atlanta and during upcoming CBA talks.

Finally, in looking at the events around Super Bowl week, there is a clear theme of inclusion, equality and using the power of sports as a force for social good. There is the Players Coalition’s first-ever press conference with the media, RISE’s public events and efforts around equality, and the league for the first time tying its noteworthy Walter Payton Man of the Year Award to a public community effort featuring the nominees from each of the respective teams. These all seem like positive initiatives to showcase the value of sports and today’s athletes. After being on the ground in Atlanta for nearly a week, I’ll have a better sense of the issues to watch next season and beyond. But this week the league should feel as good as it has in a long time.

SEEKING YOUR IDEAS: In 2017, we introduced our Celebration of Service Award at the Sports Business Awards, and over the last two years, we have honored two very worthy nonprofits — the Homeless World Cup and PeacePlayers International. The award seeks to recognize groups that have worked tirelessly to improve people’s lives and society through the power of sports. As we prepare for the 2019 Sports Business Awards in May, we welcome your thoughts on organizations using sports to improve our world. If you know of a group that is worth a look, please let me know.

JOIN US DURING NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND: If you plan on attending the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte next month, please let us know. Charlotte is our hometown and our headquarters are just a short walk from the heart of the city, including most of the major hotels and the Spectrum Center. We are hosting an open house at our offices on Friday, Feb. 15, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and would love to have you stop by to see our office and meet our staff in a fun, casual setting. If you’re interested in coming by, please let me know. It would be great to see you.

You can also download the First Look transcript.

Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

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