HBO Stalking The Bucs?
March 21st, 2011
In a story unrelated to a hair stylist, Disney NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas claims the Bucs are on the short list to be the next team featured on the HBO football reality show Hard Knocks.
And Yasinskas seems to think this could be a good thing for the Bucs organization, so he wrote on ESPN.com.
That, of course, comes only if there is a labor agreement and teams go to training camp in July or August. But the Bucs have been involved in talks, although no deal has been finalized.
This would make plenty of sense for the Bucs. They’re a team that struggled with attendance last season. Not a single game sold out at Raymond James Stadium and segments of the team’s fan base have not been positive about ownership.
As owner of the most popular Bucs-only website on planet earth, Joe would love nothing better than to see a profanity-laced, behind-the-scenes reality look at the team.
What freakin’ theater.
Raheem eating fruit and sharing core beliefs. Donald Penn bitching about weigh-ins. Aqib Talib squawking in his funny voice about his swag and life lessons learned in anger management. The film room giggles of Barrett Ruud getting steamrolled by no-name running backs. Eric Yarber vibing on camera. … Oh, Joe would have great fun.
But Joe the fan yearing for a Super Bowl title doesn’t want to see the Bucs on the show.
The potential for team chemistry to be ripped apart is way too great. Spin it however you want, football teams are too big and fragmented for Hard Knocks not to cause disruption.
March 21st, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Disagree totally Joe: I think Hard Knocks would be great exposure for the Bucs and their weak fan base. The more publicity the better. I personally think it would be awesome to see our team on a national show.
March 21st, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Joe here,
@Brad – Of course it’s great exposure. Duh. And it would be great fun, as Joe wrote. Will it help the Bucs win games? No, and it could hurt a likely vulnerable young club.
March 21st, 2011 at 7:56 pm
I believe it would have the opposite affect. The team will know the cameras are on and I believe it would make the team closer. Look how the Jets bonded. I know were young duh!! But I still think it could have a positive impact.
March 21st, 2011 at 7:59 pm
And another thing I believe that the fan base has a hard time following the team because the old stars have left. This would allow the fans to get to know the new stable of stars that are up and coming.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:00 pm
I really don’t know if it would hurt or help the team win games. But how awesome would it be to watch it, after being disregarded by most major sports networks last season.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:02 pm
This is the only thing that could make the coming season even more embarrassing.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:07 pm
What in the hell are you talking about Eric?
March 21st, 2011 at 8:08 pm
JOE!!!!- Cmon man!!! Lets not do Barrett Ruud like that. Chris Ivory of the Saints was the next most successful rookie rusher last year next to our own Blount object. The guy is an effective power rusher so lets not say Ruud got trucked by a no name unless you want to also call Legarrette a no name because he was undrafted like Ivory.
That being said I won’t be mad if the Bucs go Martez Wilson at #20!!! They just better resign Ruud and let Wilson play SAM\3-4\3-3-5 rush linebacker until he knows the D enough to replace Ruud in the middle in the base D.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Come on Joe – please get an editor (or someone to read before you post). Your knowledge and insight on all things Bucs is amazing but your spelling and grammar need work!
March 21st, 2011 at 8:11 pm
As far as hard knocks goes it would probably be a double edged sword. Obviously it would drum up excitement for the team overall on the attendance front but I would fear guys like a Donald Penn or some of the other more camera friendly guys being a little too concerned with being reality TV stars and less concerned with improving their play on the field.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Joe here,
@GrammarNazi – You’re out of your mind.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Joe here,
@gitarlvr – Please, don’t try to compare Blount and Ivory. First, Ivory’s a smaller back that shouldn’t be running over Ruud like that. Second, you can’t compare their seasons. No surprise that Ivory’s breakout game was against the Bucs.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:19 pm
Would Hard Knocks be blacked out in the bay area if too few people watched?
March 21st, 2011 at 8:23 pm
The Bucs on Hard Knocks would be awesome, if only for the inevitable criticism from Tony Dungy because someone said a curse word.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Hard knocks will just add more unnecessary distraction to a young football team who must FOCUS to avoid sophmore slumps.
However it would be fun to watch.
March 21st, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Joe- Im just saying your acting like Ivory sucks because he started the season as Pierre Thomas undrafted backup. Well Thomas got injured and Ivory proved to be a bigger badder running back in his absence. Just because he didn’t have a phenomenal year statistically in the Saints pass first offense doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the NFL’s up and coming power backs. The Saints wont resign Pierre Thomas this year. Why? Because Ivory is actually a pretty damn good if unspectacular back who gets the tough yards. He doesn’t hurdle guys for the big play ability of Blount but he is a hard running grinder and caught Ruud unaware in a situation where Ruud clearly was looking for him to juke to one side and he lowered the battering ram instead. That play is so over analyzed in Bucs fans minds, especially considering Ruud shedding a blocker to force a fumble and turnover on the goal line on the very same drive.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Joe,
You are wrong for getting us started on the Ruud discussion again. You had to know what that name does around here this off-season and you can just sit back and watch us fill up the cache with jabs and idle chatter about a 240 lb linebacker that will embarrass us if we do get the HBO deal.
*You started this with the Ruud analogy and then Joe you defend him by saying he’s needed.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Joe- Im not trying to say Ruud is a physical presence in the middle. The fact is there are very few physical presences left in the middle in NFL 4-3 defenses. Middle linebacker in a 4-3 in the NFL is by and large considered a plugger position.(meaning you plug someone in at that position and focus on putting elite players at other positions) The Raiders got 255 lb. Rolando MccLain last year. There is no Rolando Mcclain available in free agency or the draft this year. Martez Wilson is comparable physically but more raw. The Bucs might draft Wilson at #20. He is more athletic than McClain. He is also underdeveloped. Some scouts think he will take off with NFL caliber coaching. The answer??? Who the hell knows.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Gitarlvr,
The fact that you are defending a grown man that just happens to be an NFL MLB is sickening. I do not care if Ivory wanted to two-step and do the electric slide, when they met in that hole something happened. It wasn’t pretty either and the player wearing pewter got the punishment on the end of that play. That’s not the only bad part of the issue but how about that has happened more than twice this year, even more than three times. You tell me if he is soft…
March 21st, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Joe here,
@Architek – Joe simply wrote the five or so things that popped into his head that might be entertaining on the Hard Knocks series. …Joe’s going to let you in on a secret: Joe has no time to think through all kinds of ways to introduce Barrett Ruud into discussion.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Architek-Im not really defending Ruud. He is soft. So are most of the NFl’s 4-3 cover 2 middle linebackers. Just know that thumping run stuffer isn’t the main role of a 4-3 cover 2 MLB in today’s cover 2 4-3. Thats why im kind of hoping the bucs draft Martez Wilson at #20 if Aldon Smith and Ryan Kerrigan are gone. I’m torn between him and Justin Houston. Houston could play DE in base 4-3 and linebacker in 3-4\3-3-5. Wilson could play MLB or SAM and 3-4\3-3-5 rush linebacker.
the big issue is that ruud is a pure 4-3 Tampa 3 MLB and the Bucs don’t purely play that scheme anymore. So Ruud has his advantages and weaknesses in the current scheme . Thats why the commish and others, including myself, are so high on Martez, because he has the potential to be effective in all the Bucs current defensive fronts 4-3\3-3-5\3-4.
BUT!!! If the bucs are going to draft a Martez with the intention of him utlimatley taking over MLb it makes perfect sense to sign Mr. Ruud the soft gentleman defense QB to a long term contract and start Wilson at SAM\rush linebacker until Wilson can call the D then cut Ruud.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:32 pm
sorry meant pure tampa 2 linebacker for folks that couldn’t discern that on their own.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Funny how we’ve all gone from trying to fix the offense to fixing the defense…
March 21st, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Also I apologize for starting the Ruud discussion again. I haven’t even been commenting for the past month or so due to my distaste for the Thomas\Eric nature these boards have taken on. Sorry to anyone who I pissed off by getting off topic. I guess Ruud is that polarizing that he is the one that brought me back.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Dang this is a rough crowd.
Can’t take a little joke.
Joe is grammatically challenged.
Sneaking secret Ruud messages to generate discussions.
I am questioning whether everyone is firmly committed to being their best selves. (or is that selfs?).
Can somebody please kick the dang pigskin?
March 21st, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Joe,
I know you are busy and it’s obvious as the site always have fresh info. It was humor.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Eric…I was about to post is the draft he yet?
March 21st, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Ugh… gitarlvr, you and your damn 3-4, 3-3-5, 4-6-1, 5-2, 5-3, 4-3, 6-2.
March 22nd, 2011 at 12:06 am
unrelated to this ruud bs…
I would be pumped to see the bucs on Hardknocks, first off for the fans. Also, I think this could make raheem more legitimate than ever, because his practice would be scrutinized by the entire country. And even the players would practice harder, no one likes to get caught screwing around on national tv. Whats wrong with Aqib having more swag? The more confidence the better, bring on the bright lights tampa.
March 22nd, 2011 at 1:14 am
I’m excited about the exposure but this can be very distracting for our young club. Although, I’m confident in Raheem that he’ll be aware of such a thing and keep them in check.
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:58 am
First off, I’m shocked they would consider the Bucs – such a small market team that most people around the country can’t name more than a couple players.
As a fan that just can’t get enough Bucs (especially living so far away in Hawaii), I can’t think of anything better than to get an inside look at training camp. I would probably watch each episode multiple times like my wife watches the Bachelor over and over. However, it is a little scary because of the potential distraction.
However, the more I think about it, the less it scares me. In fact, it seems that the teams on Hard Knocks tend to do pretty well that season (Jets this year, Bengals last year, Cowboys the year before that). Ultimately, if they are really a SB contender, I doubt the show makes much difference one way or the other.
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:26 am
Great point Hawaiian Buc!
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:25 am
I don’t care about the distraction. Ever since I saw the first hard knocks episode, I said “all I want is MY team to be on this show once before I die” and that time is now. We will never get a chance to see our players up close and personal like this… ever!
I’m all for taking this gamble… I’m greedy like that, I want as much inside Bucs info as I can get.
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:58 am
I know it’s selfish, but I’ve always wanted this team to be on hard knocks. But I do agree with Joe, it would likely affect team chemistry.
Maybe next year it wouldn’t, but I think it would this year.
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:00 am
On the other hand, it might get Bucs players back into the Pro Bowl discussion. Because we had a couple players that should have made it last year.
Popularity is the name of that game, and exposure might provide it.
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
The Bucs should really think about this and evaluate how this might affect their talented, young Quarterback…he seems like a level-headed kid with a lot of upside…But actually this proposal makes you wonder, if reinstated to play, Tiki Barber is begging the Bucs for a workout** for one last shot at the Primetime. Maybe cable TV can figure out the allure of Tiki, HA!!!
**nee to finally play alongside his brother, see the tears–makes for high drama