The Seahawks just sold for $9.6 billion. Every NFL owner smiled when they heard that number

Welcome to the Sunday 7...

Book launch week is behind me. Something I'd never done before — and it felt good to finally have it out there.

Today also happens to be my birthday. I won't do the full list of life thoughts again this year — though I'm including last year's 65 at 65 at the bottom for those who want it — but a few that keep coming back to me: consistency wins over intensity every time. Mood follows action. Doing less is doing more.

Now, on to the Sunday 7.

The Seahawks just sold for $9.6 billion — an NFL record. I remember when the Panthers sold for $2.275 billion in 2018 and people were astonished. That number has been lapped twice since. I'll tell you what this sale means for every other owner in the league, and why these are genuinely the best of times for NFL ownership.

I also want to talk about something that's been nagging at me watching the NBA this offseason: their cap is now effectively harder than the NFL's. The league spent years softening their cap with proration tricks and void years. The NBA quietly went the other direction. I'll explain what that means and where it's going.

Plus: baseball's business metrics are excellent heading into the All-Star break — and a lockout is still coming in December. Bryce Harper, a Cameo video, a FanDuel VIP, and the tangled web we've all woven with sports betting. And the Big 12's $20 million Monster Energy deal — which I think is more defensible than most people are saying.

This week's Sunday 7:

📘 Smarter About Sports is out now. If you've read it, an Amazon review would mean a great deal. smarteraboutsports.comI

It was book launch week for me; something I had never done before. It felt good to finally have it out there, as it is all a new experience for me.

It was interesting doing media about it and what people want to talk about. Of course, they want to talk about Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, but a theme that has resonated — which I had hoped for in writing it — is the importance of relationships and treating people with respect, in a business that is, yes, business, but always personal. There are literally hundreds of stories and experiences that aim to give life lessons that apply well beyond the world of sports.

I also celebrate another birthday today. I will not list out my life thoughts here today as I did with last year's 65 at 65, but I'll reiterate a few that are life game-changers, at least for me:

Consistency wins over intensity every time;

Turn off all notifications, buzzers, badges, dings, rings, etc. A life (mostly) uninterrupted is so much better;

Getting some harder work done and an exercise session in the morning makes for a much lighter day;

Mood follows action. When you're stuck, don't ruminate, just do; and

Doing less is doing more: make time for what is important and less time for what is unimportant.

For those interested in reading it again, I am adding the entire 65 at 65 list at the bottom of this newsletter.

Now, on to the Sunday 7...