Round Table: Hard Knocks

With Hard Knocks leaning towards taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, would you want the Patriots to ever take part in HBO’s hit series?

Stephen:  I would love to see the Patriots on Hard Knocks. It’s one of my favorite series, and it is the most in-depth look fans get at the everyday routine of the NFL offseason. It would be cool to see how these guys interact at training camp, how Bill Belichick is on the practice field and in the film room, and see the inner workings of the draft room and scouting processes.

Derek: I think Bill Belichick would let Rex Ryan lick his feet before he’d allow HBO’s camera crew to start filming his team during training camp.  That being said, as much as I mocked the Jets for their participation last summer, I think it would be pretty cool to get an up-close look at the team as they prepare for the season.  There may be some concern about the show being a distraction, but it didn’t seem to slow down New York much at all.  I think the bigger question is why HBO would ever consider basing the show around the Patriots.  Have you seen Bill Belichick get interviewed at the podium or heard Tom Brady’s pre-game quotes at his locker?  The Patriots on Hard Knocks would be bland by PBS standards, forget HBO.

Rick: Being a New Yorker, I loved the Hard Knocks series last year even though the Jets were the ones being starred on it. The fans would get to see inside the Patriots’ locker room and become closer to the players. It is a very tucked up organization in terms of information, which loses the continuity between fans and players. Belichick has become more outspoken in the offseason with not showing up to the breakfast on time, so maybe we are seeing more of an open Patriots’ system. I would like to see how our team runs training camp, but I doubt they will ever agree to that.

Jason:  I may be in the minority, but I really, really don’t want to see the Patriots on Hard Knocks. While it would certainly be cool as a fan to see more of the Patriots, I’m afraid that the show’s producers are not always going to be interested in showing everyone at their best and brightest. They will almost certainly put their own spin on developing stories and work to reinforce stereotypes about players and coaches to make the show more entertaining to the general public, and that can only cause a distraction. Hard Knocks might work for an undisciplined group of clowns like the Jets or a bunch of career criminals like the Bengals, but I don’t think it fits with New England’s style. With that said, if the show is able to portray an organization like the Bucs in a positive and unbiased light, my view on that subject might soften a little.