HBO's new sports drama show, Ballers, debuted Sunday night ... and so far, the NFL hasn't thrown any flags.

Ballers, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has the former WWE pro wrestler and movie star playing Spencer Strassmore, a retired NFL player-turned-sports agent. The debut episode not only refers to the NFL several times, but it name-drops the Miami Dolphins and even shows their name, logo and uniforms. And the show doesn't let up on its NFL references after that, freely mentioning the league and its teams in subsequent episodes. On top of that, the show also includes cameos of retired and active NFL players and coaches.

The question is will the NFL crack down on the show or will they even complain at all? The league has long been protective of its teams' names and logos, but hasn't come down on HBO for any type of infringement for Ballers and as one report points out ... maybe they won't.

Don't forget that the NFL has a relationship with HBO via the popular Hard Knock series, which mutually benefits the network with ratings and the league by giving fans a close-up, real look at the inner workings of its football teams. Perhaps that's why the league is letting the network slide.

As we think about it, does Ballers' mentions of the NFL and Dolphins with some profanity hurt the shield more than real-life news about players' bouts with domestic violence? Definitely not. If anything, it might make people like the NFL more.

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