Last year, HBO’s popular “Hard Knocks” show was one of many casualties of the NFL lockout. The show wasn’t killed forever by the lack of an offseason in 2011, and HBO is looking for a team to follow.
According to Adam Schein of Fox Sports, the Denver Broncos was the first choice by HBO. When contacted about possibly being part of the show, Schein says HBO was “flat out denied.” That piece of the report should surprise no one as Peyton Manning usually likes to keep things close to the chest, and the Broncos as a whole have no reason to add any unneeded distractions to their offseason. They have the potential to be a great team in 2012 with Manning at the helm, and they know it.
After being shot down by the Broncos, HBO reached out to the New York Jets about featuring the Jets once again. According to Schein’s report, Woody Johnson, the Jets owner, is all in favor of doing the show. Johnson can be compared to the attention seeking co-worker that never quite gets it right. You know who I’m talking about.
The interesting turn in Shein’s report comes when it’s said that Rex Ryan is against the project, and Ryan doesn’t want any added distractions or a “circus type atmosphere around the Jets.” It would seem that Ryan may have learned his lesson, and considering the acquisition of Tim Tebow, a circus type atmosphere is exactly what Rex Ryan and the Jets would have.
In the end, it’ll be Woody Johnson’s decision if the Jets will once again Host HBO and “Hard Knocks.” If Johnson is truly serious about making New York his town and not the Giants’, he’ll stay away from the show. The way to become the team in New York is to start winning championships. If the LA Clippers had 15 championships and the Lakers only had 2, do you think the Lakers would be LA’s basketball team? No. Not a chance.
The backup plan for HBO, according to Schein, is to feature both the 49ers and the Ravens, focusing on the dynamic Harbaugh brothers coaching those teams. While it’s nothing even remotely close to being as entertaining as watching Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow fight for the Jets’ starting quarterback job, it would still make for great TV. The report also mentions that the Jacksonville Jaguars have reached out to HBO, saying they’d love to do the show.
