More "Hard Knocks"

The NFL likes the HBO series "Hard Knocks" so much that they have taken it upon themselves to force teams to do the show. A rule was passed at the most recent NFL Fall Meeting that allowed the league to appoint a team for the series if no other teams volunteered. It is a fine program and I'd like to see it continue but I don't think that it's right to force a team to do the show. It's pretty invasive. I can't imagine coaches being to thrilled with that invasion.

It's being reported that all organizations will be eligible with the exception of those teams that have a first-year head coach; teams that have made the playoffs in at least one of the last two seasons; and teams that have participated in the series in the last ten seasons.

It's simple elimination to determine the teams that are eligible for selection for "Hard Knocks," if no team volunteers. Here they are:

Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers
St. Louis Rams

First of all, it's hard to believe that the Steelers haven't been to the playoffs the last two seasons. That's not a bad group to choose from if the NFL gets no volunteers for "Hard Knocks." The Bears, Giants, and Steelers have strong national followings. The Bills and Jaguars might be the only teams of the group that might be something of a mystery to most of the viewers. I think that the Arizona Cardinals might be the most interesting of the group. They are a team on the rise in a brutal division. They have young talented players, especially on defense, like Patrick Peterson, Darryl Washington, and Tyrann Mathieu and a nice mix of veterans with Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, and Calais Campbell.

When the NFL decided that the show was important enough to force teams to participate, I immediately thought of Bill Belichick if the New England Patriots were chosen. That would be a fun conversation.