What the bleep is going on?
HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” which rode the profanity of Jets head coach Rex Ryan to record ratings last summer, can’t find a team willing to sign up for this year’s version.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos this week said they would not be interested in serving as subjects for the training-camp reality show, perhaps in part because there may not be a training camp.
The NFL has locked out its players, and preparations for next season have been indefinitely delayed. Teams may not want to be subjected to the scrutiny of the HBO/NFL Films cameras if work at camp is compressed or rushed.
A poll by ESPN shows the Detroit Lions as the overwhelming choice of fans, but several of their players have said no thanks.
“It’s definitely a cool show to watch during camp — everybody tries to get back to the hotel on Sundays to watch it,” defensive lineman Cliff Avril told Mlive.com. “But I don’t know if I want to be the guy they’re talking bad about upstairs.”
The Broncos were attractive because of quarterback Tim Tebow, but a spokesman told CBS Sports yesterday the team “would rely on other platforms.” The Buccaneers “respectfully declined” Monday with a message on the team’s Facebook page.