Did the NFL ever have an issue with "1st & Ten"

[TMC]

I say this because in the year 2003, ESPN had am original scripted drama called Playmakers, which was canceled and promptly buried from future existence simply because the National Football League didn't like it.

But didn't 1st & Ten do the same thing at least concept-wise over two decades prior? If the NFL didn't raise hell over it, was it because it came about during the early days of HBO, thus the chances were high that not that many people were going to see it?

Of course, unlike ESPN, HBO has never broadcast live NFL games (although, HBO did for many years, carry the weekly recap show, Inside the NFL) nor is it really core to its overall business model. So of course, it's natural to assume that the NFL being angry at ESPN would not exactly be in ESPN's best interest.