“Hard Knocks” For The Baltimore Ravens?
By Riley B
HBO’s Hard Knocks has become a popular show that gets a fan’s blood pumping for the upcoming season. It provides an in-depth perspective on a team’s training camp and offseason while getting ready for the upcoming football season. Hard Knocks inaugural season starred the Baltimore Ravens coming fresh off of a Superbowl win and looking to repeat. Since then, teams such as the Cowboys, Chiefs, Bengals, and most recently the Jets, have appeared on the program. Currently, Hard Knocks is searching for a team to follow this offseason for its seventh installment.
The Buccaneers, Broncos, and Lions have all turned down offers to star as the focused team in this years’ Hard Knocks. The Atlanta Falcons are rumored to be a team of interest, but nothing official has been reported. Ten years after their previous Hard Knocks appearance, could the Baltimore Ravens make another run at a Superbowl with the extra attention drawn from the show?
The Baltimore Ravens have some great personalities including Terrell “T-Sizzle” Suggs, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, and Terrence Cody. Highlighted could be Ray Ray’s ability to play at the level he does after 15 seasons and Joe Flacco’s maturity as the new team leader. The Ravens have always provided some good comical value during interviews and would draw enough views as they look to make a playoff push this year.
As much as I would love to watch an early preview of my favorite team, the unnecessary attention would be an unwarranted distraction to a team that needs to remain focused on an already short offseason. All the hype put around the Jets last year made it look more like a Hollywood production rather than a football team. Granted, the team did make it to the AFC Championship, but taking an inside look at the organization left more room for criticizing rather than improvement. But that’s just one guys take on the matter. Whether you agree or disagree, share your thoughts below.