Interested In Bucs on “Hard Knocks”
May 9th, 2011
Well, it seems the rumors that the Bucs may be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” has reached the computer screen of coffee-slurping, popcorn-shoveling, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving Peter King of Sports Illustrated.
In his must-read weekly Monday Morning Quarterback, King briefly touches the subject of the Bucs and HBO.
I think I’d watch the Bucs on Hard Knocks, and I’d be interested. But it won’t be the must-see TV series the Jets made with HBO and NFL Films last year. No team would be.
This is the type of mentality Joe has cautioned Bucs fans about. It’s New York producer mentality, the type of thought that runs TV networks.
Yeah, sure, Bucs fans in droves will watch the Bucs on “Hard Knocks,” but what of the rest of the country?
Eight years ago the Bucs would have been perfect for “Hard Knocks.” The team was loaded with larger-than-life personalities, many nationally known like Warren Sapp, Meshawn Johnson and Chucky.
On the other hand, seeing how Raheem Morris interacts with everyone, he could quickly become an NFL household name not unlike Herm Edwards became when “Hard Knocks” featured the Chiefs.
Then there is always the danger element of a camera crew following around Aqib Talib — provided he is still with the team — who already had an aversion to the Fourth Estate and Joe can only imagine how his bitterness may have simmered in recent months.
May 9th, 2011 at 11:25 am
First off, I couldnt care less if the rest of the country doesnt watch, I will. Secondly, I dont understand why some fans on here dont want us to be on the show. If you have ever seen hard knocks, you know that as fan you will NEVER get to know the players like you would on that show.
So what if we get more pub, thats good. So what if we lose some practice squad scrubs, we arent a bad team anymore and those marginal guys arent going to make the team.
If the price to pay is a little distraction, I will gladly take that. I have wanted my team to be on that show ever since the first time I saw it. Now that it can happen, I dont care what the costs are, as a fan you are crazy if you dont want the Bucs to be hard knocks!
May 9th, 2011 at 11:39 am
Raheem Morris will EMBARRASS himself on hard knocks. Which is why I’d love to see it. Fingers Crossed!!!
May 9th, 2011 at 11:42 am
What a scumbag. So you hope for your “favorite” team’s HC to embarass himself and as a result embarass the entire franchise!
You and the other punks on this site deserve a good bitchslap.
May 9th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Raheem would be entertaining to watch. I believe he is a good coach. No other head coach made 2nd half adjustments better than Raheem. Raheem also seems like a hell of a teacher.
May 9th, 2011 at 11:51 am
“So you hope for your “favorite” team’s HC to embarass himself”
Absolutely. If the HC is an idiot who can’t complete sentences, then what better way to bring this to light than put him on the national spotlight. That’s the whole POINT! I would LOVE to listen to outside comments about Raheem Morris’ unqualified coaching techniques and embarrassing communication skills. It would be awesome to hear it from non-homers.
Afterall, it’s all entertainment right? Sports are purely for entertainment purposes right? So why not enjoy the folly’s of Raheem on Hard Knocks? That sh!t would be funny as hell.
And if it happens, I’ll recruit tomas2.2 over to HBO’s Hard Knocks forum to engage in the rest of the nation’s sentiment of “How in the Hell did this guy get hired as a head coach in the national football league???”
I can’t wait.
May 9th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Wow. What a fan.
May 9th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
WeNeedDefense’s comments aside (far aside), I can see this arguement from both perspectives.
I can understand the uneasiness on distractions entering the locker room at this point of rebuilding. I can understand the expectation that several players (such as Talib) would play up to the cameras or do something stupid. There are certainly a few negatives.
But by the same token…there are also positives.
This is an opportunity that does not come along often. It puts the Bucs out there into the National Media like no other method. Creating anticipation in getting to know the players would help a lot.
And then you have the win/loss record of those teams that are featured. 4 of 6 I think had playoff seasons? Am I right?
And as far as the show being watchable…
Frankly…I have NEVER watched the show. Simply because the teams on it did not interest me. I would suspect that’s the case with a lot of fans.
But there are also diehard football fans that watch regardless, and they helped make the show a success.
And when people watch the show with the Bucs featured on it, the Bucs will develop more fans, and the viewership and fanbase will increase.
My concern is…
…that the producers try to create situations on the show to increase drama. It would not take much to get Talib to lose his cool, or to convince Trueblood to retaliate during play.
I’ll tell you one thing though…I would have the entire season on DVD!
May 9th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Only little girls don’t like Raheem Morris anymore.
May 9th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
WENEEDDEFENSE says
“Raheem Morris’ unqualified coaching techniques”
Yeah man … You got him .. Raheem doesnt know how to coach ..
Such an overqualified Message Boarder … Im Jealous
May 9th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I hope they stay out of the limelight or off any show like this. I want them to be underdogs. Keep everything on the dl.
May 9th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
Firing up my DVR now. As far as Raheem not completing sentences, he sounded pretty good over at 717 on S Howard Ave. Freeman and his buds hang out at Drynk on S Howard as well.
Listen, its about winning football games, not press conferences. If the players respond to you, they will win for you. Thats why Gruden had to go. Loved him to death, but his coaching style was getting old, and the players shut him off.
I am excited that our Bucs are being considered for Hard Knocks. Most Buc fans feel the same way. Now we can listen to stories about our team, and not have to listen to the Brady-Manning-Bush-Brees-Rivers-Favre trash all the time.
May 9th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Weneed: i am happy to serve if called upon. I am desperately hoping for the bucs to appear on hard knocks – I have been to practices during the Wyche, Dungy, Gruden and Morris regimes. The morris practiced are by far the most casual, loose and disorganized by comparison. I would like the league to see them and comment.
I suspect that the glazers would ask for some creative and editing control so as not to embarrass rah rah – kind of like what they have with the newspapers when they edit/translate his quotes. This would kill the entertainment value but protect their inexpensive head coach.
May 9th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
100% agreed Thomas. At least you still can keep it real my man.
May 9th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
And yet we still went 10-6. Who’d a thunk
May 9th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
No CBA, no Hard Knocks… Don’t get your hopes up, there will be no CBA agreement prior to training camps starting…..
May 9th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
The only show I want us on is on Sunday afternoons, occasionally a Saturday or Monday.
YouNeedTampons and Thomas, we’re all entitled to an opinion but I have to wonder if this is really your opinion or if you’re striving for attention. How can you really believe Raheem is so incompetent? Does proper grammar win football games? I mostly just hope he doesn’t end up on a Coors Light commercial. Thomas, who cares if practice is casual or disorganized as long as they’re learning what they need to learn. Game day is all that matters. If you guys don’t see the instant success Raheem Morris obtained when management quit micromanaging with those uncoordinators, then you’re not watching the same team I am.
May 9th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Espo – I have heard others make the argument that you made that lower intensity practices may have some benefit in today’s game. Clearly the players like it. That is what I think RAh brings to the table – he is a peer to the players and provides them with they type of atmosphere that they prefer – I happen to think that is a negative and leads to the sort of off the field problems we have been dealing with b/c it is hard to discipline your buddies.
But maybe there is some benefit to the causal practices. If there is any place where I MAY have misevaluated Rah it would be in that regard, meaning that I believe it to be a complete negative that he is a player-buddy, casual peer to them and not a boss. I know that some players reject the BOSS method. However, Bellichick, Parcells, Coughlin and most other Super Bowl coaches have succeeded that way.
I agree with you that coherent and proper speaking probably isn’t all that important when it comes to communicating to players. However, this is a billion dollar organization and when broadcasting the product to the public I believe that it hurts perception of the quality of the org by having some of what Rah, the head coach, says on HBO. All of that would be minimized by winning. All I really care about is the access that we would get, that I have had before to discuss here on JBF.
I certainly was embarrassed by a lot of what Rex Ryan broadcast on HBO although I found it very entertaining and also believe that Rex is mostly a motivator that runs the defense ( probably not an ideal head coach either).
May 9th, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Rex Ryan would fare better in the WWE.
May 9th, 2011 at 9:15 pm
I don’t think the tone set in practice has anything to do with off the field issues. Aqib didn’t stop to consider the extra 12 pushups he’d have to do for each pistol whip? Extra lap for each shot fired? How about an extra hour at the range for bad aim?
I admit I haven’t seen it myself but I’m sure Raheem is easily capable of playing drill seargent. These are grown men. Treat them as such until they cross you. I don’t train football players but I do train and I am very effective if I say so. Being a tyrant will get mixed results at best and earn resent from members of your team. Players with a grudge will lose confidence in scheme/philosophy and in their coach. You have to have confidence in your training or else there is no point in doing it.
Let Raheem’s record speak for itself and if it slides we can Monday morning QB all we want.
May 9th, 2011 at 10:29 pm
@Chris FWC 🙂
Very good point.
@Thomas 2.2
Are you a jets fan? Why else would rex embarass you?
Casual Practices
There is a huge benefit to them…preventing injuries. And with this team, they need to do all they can to prevent them.
The two new Dline coaches may just liven things up too.
May 10th, 2011 at 2:17 am
You guys make like the national media has never heard Raheem speak or something. Apparently they must not be as critical of his mastery of the English language as some of our “fans”. Once again, guess you are just so much more intelligent than everyone else.
I have never had any problem understanding Raheem anyway, so I fail to understand where you guys are coming from. He speaks with a tremendous amount of passion, which believe it or not is a very good way to motivate the players. I guess you guys prefer the Bill Bellicheat type of press conferences. I’m sure you also hate when players celebrate after scoring a TD too. You guys are just old school (not that there is anything wrong with that). If as a player you can feel the passion which your coach has, it will only make you play harder. Granted, that is not how every coach acts, but the most important thing is that a coach is himself. As a former athlete, there is nothing worse than to play under a coach who is not true to himself when he speaks. It is very easy to sense. I would ask Former Buc (if he is reading this) if that is true.
Finally, Thomas is anything you have been to training camp practices which are open to the public. That is not a fair way to judge how all the practices really are. The “real” practices are closed to the public, so you really have no idea what a real practice is like (and of course, neither do I). I’ve seen quite a bit of Morris mic’ed up, and he has very good control of the team. If you’ve seen the one with Mike Williams, he jumps him real good for complaining to the refs. He has also pulled Freeman to the side to calm him down. These guys listen to him, and more importantly respond to him. Whether or not he can keep that kind of respect for years to come remains to be seen.
May 10th, 2011 at 5:09 am
@Pete Dutcher,
Man, you’ve really missed out by never seeing the show. No matter what the team they are covering, the show is great. My wife, who is by no means a big football fan (I can barely get her to wake up to watch the 4th quarter of Bucs games – games come on at 7am here) even watches the show with me every year. It’s just very well made, and very entertaining. It’s also very funny, as they catch the players and coaches goofing off and having fun. It gives a really good glimpse of what happens behind the scenes at training camp. Even though I despise the Jets, last season was the best one yet, mainly because of Rex Ryan. Yes, he is vulgar and cocky, but you could totally see why his players love playing for him. I suspect the same would be the case if we were on Hard Knocks. Let’s just hope there is a training camp next season.