On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams speak with Los Angeles Rams CEO Kevin Demoff on the eve of a Super Bowl in which the team is both a host and a participant.
Demoff discusses how he’s splitting his time between those two two jobs. The Rams have spent a lot of money and draft capital to reach their first Super Bowl in three years. They’re 4.5-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals, who haven’t been in the NFL title game since 1989.
The team has also spent the last few years preparing to host the game at $5 billion SoFi Stadium, the most expensive building in the NFL, which opened in 2020 adjacent to the league’s new West Coast headquarters. Demoff discusses the stadium, the future of NFL venues, and the economics of owning a fancy new space in the entertainment capital of the U.S.
Lastly, Demoff discusses at length the league’s racial hiring practices, which were thrust into the spotlight last week when former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a civil rights complaint accusing the league of discrimination. Demoff discusses what’s worked and what hasn’t as the NFL tries to diversify its ranks, and why he thinks the entire coach hiring process needs to be overhauled.
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