I dunno about that, NFC north had a similar schedule where the bears had no division games until very late, have they just don't that across the board this year to ensure more important games at the end of the season?
Agree the episodes could be longer but it has meant the pace has been a bit higher, and also they are doing more episodes than normal, I think?
Bears one was pretty terrible mainly because the Bears front office exercised ruthless control over the content. To the extent that they even eliminated all bad language between the players.
'Hard Knocks' makes drastic change for Bears: Why there's no profanity on the HBO show this season - CBSSports.com
AFC North has been fun. Each episode has actually been too short at ~40 minutes. With 4 teams to get through I think there was definitely scope for a 65 minute cut (fitting a 90 min time slot) that wouldn't have been filler. I've been wondering whether all the late season AFC North v AFC North games were scheduled specifically with this program in mind (Steelers didn't have a division game until Week 11), or whether Hard Knocks picked this division because of the schedule.
Reviving this thread after three years because tbh I still always watch it!
Last off season they did a front-office focused one about the Giants, which is hilarious viewing now given how much focus it puts on the decisions to trade saquon and pay Jones, but I found boring at the time. Their regular show this year was about the bears, which I was excited about but turned out to be pretty dull.
BUT the reason I'm bringing this up again is that they're currently doing a fantastic in season series about the AFC North, which I've been riveted by. Definitely the most high energy season in years and a lot of fun, especially the Tomlin stuff. Worth catching up on, and next week's episode, with the four teams playing one another, should be a great finale to it.
There wasn't a single player I was rooting for or cared about come the end of the series.
But yes, I'll continue watching and won't have to wait too long for another fix - there's an in-season version coming with the Colts from November 17 and it'll run every week until the end of their campaign.
I'm always going to end up watching it again each year so I probably shouldn't whine. It's a well made show, beautifully shot, and it's inherently interesting to me how NFL teams prepare and the culture of the places. But the novelty has long since worn off and the level of insight has waned, as it's always going to do. But by any measure it's been a dull enough season.
If you're focusing on big name players you kind of need them to be interesting like Chad Johnson, which Dak isn't at all. If you're going to focus on the way a team is run, like the management and the coaching etc, you definitely need a little more warts and all stuff like Rex Ryan or the likes. Jerry Jones had quite clearly stamped his authority on what they can and can't do here, that's as plain as the nose on your face.
If you're going to focus on people on the bubble of the roster, great, I love that stuff, and they had two great ones here with the lineman from Mexico and the short-sighted running back. But there just isn't enough focus on them as people this season. They interviewed the Mexican dude's family in one episode and that was fantastic, but they haven't followed up much with them at that human level, which is what makes the on-field stuff work as drama. This week's episode was completely aimless, just showing people shooting the breeze (a little of that is fine) and then a really extended and not funny bit from an amateur comedy night, and then finally they get to the game but they haven't really set up the drama.
Too much of it was just puffing up the Cowboys franchise. The thing that's gotten the most praise, the drone shot, epitomised that for me. It's technically very impressive, but it says a lot that a glorified establishing shot is the highlight of the whole show. More to the point it was a massive branding exercise, with the drone fliying through a Ford truck then toward a Ford logo before going on endlessly with how impressive the Frisco facility is, which frankly I don't care about. To me that shot was the ultimate in style over substance, which sums up the season.
But hell yes I'm going to keep watching, because it's still fun, well produced, it gets me in the mood for the season (especially with hurling ending, the difference in American pro sport culture is so massive that it's entertaining to watch for that reason alone), and it comes on here on a Wednesday night so it's not like I'm doing anything else!
Yeah I'm watching but it's pretty poor fare. The players regularly come across as idiots, and nothing of note has really happened. Agreed on that facility though... it's class.
Anyone watching this year's? It hasn't been very exciting imo but I'm still tuning in weekly. The drone footage in Episode 3 was the highlight so far, the Cowboys' facility is unreal.
paulie21 wrote: » Did Sky show episode 3? Had it recorded but was boxing when I went to watch it
jack presley wrote: » I know the novelty of HK wore off a few years back and the excitement of being behind the scenes is gone now but this season has been particularly poor. I can’t think of any storyline I’m interested in after 3 weeks.
BKWDR wrote: » Anyone else watching the players getting covid tested and thinking , 'eh they really aren't shoving the cotton bud that far up their nose at all...'
The real mccoy 91 wrote: » Can anyone point me in the direction of episode 2? Didnt seem to be on sky sports action at 10 on saturday like it was last week so struggling to find it
The real mccoy 91 wrote: » Yeah a big hulabaloo for very little change bar a few more shows been broadcast here. Hard knocks starting Saturday night think it's at 10 on sky sports action but may be wrong on the time and channel
The real mccoy 91 wrote: » https://twitter.com/SkySportsNFL/status/1293228983069347840?s=19
