Hard Knocks has changed. The award-winning HBO series, in its earlier iterations, used to be about football. Hardcore Xs and Os. Players struggling through the summer grind of training camp. Coordinators drilling their charges to learn the massive playbook. Small-school rookies adapting to the bright lights of the NFL. “The Turk” summoning the next cut victim to the coach’s office for a gutting and dream-destroying conversation.
But this most recent installment- the Cowboys’ third go-round on the show- has become something else. Sure, the beautiful cinematography is still there. The gorgeous slo-mo shots. The bone-jarring close-ups. The so-close-you’re-in-the-huddle mics. The stirring orchestral soundtrack. The velvety tones of narrator Liev Schreiber turning it all into epic poetry.
But the pendulum has swung from gritty gridiron drama to pure human interest hour. Hard Knocks has become Warm & Fuzzy Lovetaps.
That said, it’s still appointment television for Cowboys fans craving any connection to their team. And in that regard, this season of the series has continued its tradition of introducing unknown players to viewers and turning them into fan favorites. Isaac Alarcon, Azur Kamara, and JaQuan Hardy are all new stars in Dallas, thanks to their personal backstories as shared by the program.
But perhaps no one has stolen the show this season quite like Aaiden Diggs, the son of Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. From pantomiming his dad’s footwork to performing his own touchdown dance to cheering in the stands during the preseason game against the Texans, the precocious four-year-old has shown an infectious TV persona that’s perhaps even bigger than that of team owner Jerry Jones.
Aaiden endeared himself to the HBO audience in Episode 3 when he was “really a little bit of confused” about who his favorite quarterback was.
In the season finale, Aaiden finally meets Dak Prescott… and promptly calls him by that other QB’s name.
Aaiden Diggs finally got to meet @Dak, but he was still a little confused. 😂@DallasCowboys | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/6G6LnImJXv
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 7, 2021
Hard Knocks: The Dallas Cowboys comes to a close on HBO with the episode that premieres Tuesday night.
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