The Cleveland Browns were tapped to be the team of this year's Hard Knocks on HBO. Congratulations to the Browns. No team wants to do this annual show but due to the incredible popularity of it the NFL forces a team to do so. Each year the league hopes that a team volunteers but no team does. They are left with having to shove a team under the training camp microscope. The following exempts teams from that shove:
1) they have appeared on the show in the last ten years
2) they have a first-year head coach
3) they have reached the plays in either of the last two seasons
This year, that left six teams that could be forced into Hard Knocks. The Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins. The Browns got the shove.
The good thing for the teams forced to do Hard Knocks is that it's the great people of NFL Films that produces it. The bad thing is that no matter how non-invasive the NFL Films people are the teams have to deal with something other than football for the entirety of training camp. Coaches hate that.
No matter how much the teams hate doing Hard Knocks, the coaches in particular, it's entertaining. At times it's wildly entertaining. With NFL Films involved it's a fantastic production. Fans love it. The NFL obviously loves it because it's another avenue to expand the brand and, more importantly, it's a money-maker. And that's why the league forces a team to do it every year.
One drawback to the Browns being the team is that long-time Browns tackle Joe Thomas won't be involved. His humor would've been a highlight but he retired this offseason. Next stop of Thomas: Canton. The Browns still have coaches and players that I'd like to get to know better. Hue Jackson, Duke Johnson, David Njoku, Jarvis Landry, Kevin Zeitler, Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett, Christian Kirksey, Joe Schobert, Jabrill Peppers, etc. Maybe we'll see a lit bit of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. Every season of Hard Knocks introduces us to delightful coaches and players. One coach that I hope has a very low profile this summer is Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. I've already seen more than I ever want to see of him.
Previous Hard Knocks Teams
2001 Baltimore Ravens
2002 Dallas Cowboys
2007 Kansas City Chiefs
2008 Dallas Cowboys
2009 Cincinnati Bengals
2010 New York Jets
2012 Miami Dolphins
2013 Cincinnati Bengals
2014 Atlanta Falcons
2015 Houston Texans
2016 Los Angeles Rams
2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The show was cancelled in 2011 due to the offseason lockout and fun CBA negotiations.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was on Hard Knocks three times.
2002 Dallas Cowboys
2009 Cincinnati Bengals
2013 Cincinnati Bengals
I truly believe that he'd lose his damn mind if he had to deal with this nuisance as a head coach. He just has to keep winning and getting his team in the playoffs to avoid the nightmare.
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