What the bleep is going on?
HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which rode the profanity of Jets head coach Rex Ryan to record ratings last summer, can’t seem to find a team willing to sign up for this year’s version.
The Atlanta Falcons on Monday became the latest team to pass when coach Mike Smith told NFL Network not this year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos earlier said they would not be interested serving as subjects for the training-camp reality show, perhaps in part because there may not be a training camp.
The NFL has locked out its players and preparations for next season have been indefinitely delayed. Teams may not want to be subjected to the scrutiny of the HBO/NFL Films cameras if work at camp is compressed or rushed.
A poll by ESPN shows the Detroit Lions as the overwhelming choice of fans, but several of their players have said no thanks.
“It’s definitely a cool show to watch during camp — everybody tries to get back to the hotel on Sundays to watch it,” defensive lineman Cliff Avril told Mlive.com. “But I don’t know if I want to be the guy they’re talking bad about upstairs.”
Mediabistro.com earlier reported the Falcons had not it ruled out.
“Two years ago we were approached and decided that it wasn’t right for us at that point,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said on SirusXM NFL Radio, according to the website. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t go down that road if it was presented to us at another time. We are much closer to being in that spot where it’s not going to be as much of a distraction as it would have been another time.”
The Broncos were attractive because of quarterback Tim Tebow, but a spokesman told CBS Sports the team “would rely on other platforms.” The Buccaneers “respectfully declined” with a message on the team’s Facebook page.
“The selection of a team for the ‘Hard Knocks’ series is a process. We are in the middle of that process right now,” HBO spokesman Ray Stallone said. “Since the traditional reporting date for NFL training camps is right about Aug. 1, we are working toward having a team in place before that date.
“Beyond that, we recognize it is not a typical offseason, so we will continue to monitor developments.”
The Jets, who agreed to appear in March 2010, were the first team to reach a conference championship game after appearing on the show. It drew a series-high for viewers, and raised the profile of Ryan, who also drew criticism for his endless use of swear words.
“I really can’t comment on which teams may or may not have turned it down. I know for us it turned out to be a great decision,” Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said in a radio interview this week. “With that said, every year is different, every dynamic is different. HBO and NFL Films, they were best in class, and it really was a great experience for us.”
The Jets and HBO ruled out of a sequel in February.
