NFL Denies Roger Goodell Called Mark Wahlberg To Stop 'Ballers'

BOSTON (CBS) -- As much as NFL fans may want the story about Roger Goodell personally calling Mark Wahlberg to be true, especially around New England, the league has already denied the allegations made by the Hollywood A-lister and Ballers executive producer.

In case you missed it, Wahlberg gave an interview with ESPN's Mike & Mike show on Friday and said he had received calls from "people like Roger Goodell" telling him "You can't do this," in reference to the HBO show starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson that follows the lives of fictional NFL players and frequently features cameos from real-life players.

Whatever "this" is, it apparently was not Goodell himself who said that to Wahlberg. An unnamed NFL official told Pro Football Talk that no such call took place, then NFL senior VP of communications Natalie Ravitz tweeted Sunday evening that the call from Goodell never happened.

It would have been surprising if Goodell really had raised these concerns personally with Wahlberg, rather than someone more directly involved in the production of the show, or whether the league had any issues with Ballers' restrained subject matter when it comes to the lives of current and former NFL players.

In:
• HBO
• NFL
• Roger Goodell