The Broncos, Bears and Saints can’t say no if the NFL asks them to be featured on ‘Hard Knocks’ this summer.
Each summer, NFL Films cameras follow a team through training camp and preseason for Hard Knocks, HBO’s behind-the-scenes look at an NFL team.
Any team can volunteer for the show, but they rarely do, so the NFL has a mandate that teams that meet certain requirements can be forced into the show.
If a team (1) does not have a new head coach, (2) has not made the playoffs within the last three years and (3) has not been featured on Hard Knocks within the last 10 years, they can’t say no if asked to be featured on the show.
The Denver Broncos are one of three teams that match all of those criteria, joining the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. If they stick with Derek Carr, the Saints seem to be the least intriguing option. The Bears might be the top choice if they use the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft on a quarterback. The Broncos might have a new rookie QB this summer as well.
The NFL announced the 2023 Hard Knocks team (the New York Jets) last July. Two years ago, the 2022 team (the Detroit Lions) was announced in March. It’s unclear when the 2024 team will be announced.
For the second year in a row, the Bears can be forced to appear on Hard Knocks. Will this finally be the year it happens?
The Chicago Bears narrowly avoided Hard Knocks in 2023. Will that be the case in 2024? For the second year in a row, the Bears are one of a few teams in the NFL that can be forced to be the focus of the long-running HBO series Hard Knocks during training camp.
Hard Knocks follows one NFL team throughout their training camp, providing fans with glimpses into players and coaches journeys as they prepare for the upcoming season. Any team can volunteer to be featured, but certain teams can be forced to do it if there are no takers.
If a team has made the playoffs within the last two seasons, has hired a new coach, or has appeared on the show within the last 10 years, they are exempt from that year’s Hard Knocks. The New York Jets were featured last year after the NFL forced them to do it, having been one of four teams eligible. The Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos are the only teams that do not fit that criteria this year.
Three teams could be forced to do Hard Knocks next season if no teams volunteer:
Halas Hall would make for an intriguing setting for next season’s series, given the possibility of having a rookie quarterback like Caleb Williams in the fold as well as boasting an ascending team, particularly on defense. But chairman George McCaskey has been adamant about not having the cameras around in past seasons, and his stance likely hasn’t changed. “We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on Hard Knocks,” McCaskey said during last year’s owners meetings. “31 others,” he clarified.
Time will tell if the league will respect his wishes, but the Bears may not be able to avoid the series this year.
If you’ve ever wanted to dine at the fictional Satriale’s Pork Store from The Sopranos, today is (potentially) your lucky day.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show debuting its pilot, HBO announced a partnership with Postmates that allows fans of the show to eat like a made man.
Unfortunately, only fans in New York and Los Angeles (and surprisingly not New Jersey!) can enjoy this deal. But if you live in either of those cities, you can potentially have an iconic meal styled like a Satriale sandwich delivered to your doorsteps.
All this from a slice of gabagool? We're bringing Satriale's to life for one day only through an exclusive partnership with @Postmates to celebrate 25 years of #TheSopranos. Fans in New York and LA can open the app and order The Gabagool, powered by Ggiata Delicatessen and… pic.twitter.com/F0Y6L19MbX
For fans who live in Los Angeles, they can use the Postmates app to deliver from one of the Ggiata Delicatessen locations. Meanwhile, folks in New York can find the sandwich from Regina’s Grocery.
Both restaurants, for today only, are searchable under Satriale’s.
They will have the sandwich (for $10 before delivery fees) listed as The Gabagool, which is what series lead Tony Soprano calls the Italian cold-cut meat also known as capicola.
Even though it is disappointing that this sandwich is only available in a limited quantity and while supplies last at participating locations, that will make it even more special for the lucky few who get their hands on such a treat.
Report: Broadcaster Larry Merchant, 92, is in a critical care unit after being rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital.
Larry Merchant, the longtime television analyst for HBO Boxing, is in the critical care unit of a Los Angeles-area hospital, TMZ is reporting.
The outlet is reporting that an ambulance transported Merchant, 92, from his home to a nearby hospital at around 6 p.m. Thursday. TMZ had no further information.
Merchant became an institution at HBO with his sharp, insightful commentary alongside blow-by-blow broadcaster Jim Lampley. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Merchant started his career as a sportswriter, most notably with the Philadelphia Daily News and New York Post.
He joined HBO in 1978 and was at ringside until his retirement in 2012.
Report: Broadcaster Larry Merchant, 92, is in a critical care unit after being rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital.
Larry Merchant, the longtime television analyst for HBO Boxing, is in the critical care unit of a Los Angeles-area hospital, TMZ is reporting.
The outlet is reporting that an ambulance transported Merchant, 92, from his home to a nearby hospital at around 6 p.m. Thursday. TMZ had no further information.
Merchant became an institution at HBO with his sharp, insightful commentary alongside blow-by-blow broadcaster Jim Lampley. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Merchant started his career as a sportswriter, most notably with the Philadelphia Daily News and New York Post.
He joined HBO in 1978 and was at ringside until his retirement in 2012.
Miami’s HC is excited about the opportunity for his team on ‘Hard Knocks In Season.’
The Miami Dolphins have been getting plenty of attention this season, as they’ve started the year out 5-2 through their first seven games with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill both playing at MVP levels.
However, there’s always room for more eyeballs, and the Dolphins are getting exactly that, as they were announced as the featured team for this year’s in-season edition of “Hard Knocks.”
After the news broke, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel met with the media for his scheduled availability, and of course, he was asked about the team’s appearance on the show.
“I wouldn’t call it a team decision,” McDaniel said. “But at the same time, you guys know me well enough that I steer clear of worrying about things that we can’t control. It’s something that I conveyed to the team for the first time today, and I see some positives with this particular team, just knowing that there’s a lot of things in terms of when we do have success on the field, that people kind of are curious as to how that happens.
“I think they’ll see exactly where that comes from. I don’t think it’s a bad thing for people to see our day-in, day-out hard work. I know there’s a lot of guys on this team that will garner interest, really. I think that a platform for them to showcase who they are and really the fan base to get to know the players and coaches better, I can understand the value to the National Football League, to HBO, to NFL Films, and I can understand the value for the Miami Dolphins.”
“Hard Knocks” provides fans an opportunity to see how teams go about their business in the heat of the moment. We get to see how they deal with injuries, poor performances, incredible victories and the weekly grind of an NFL season.
McDaniel actually believes that Miami is prepared for the bright lights.
“It’s something that I think that this particular team is equipped to handle, just because the focus of really how they go about their day-in-day-out jobs,” McDaniel said. “I’m also very proud of this organization, having been in multiple. I know that this is, from the top down, a very healthy, all moving in one direction organization that I think it’s not bad for the organization to be seen as that, because it’s a cool place to work.
“We will take it for exactly what it is and make sure that we use it only to our advantage. It’s not a bad thing to – in the National Football League, the bottom line is if you’re getting done what your whole mission statement is, it’s going to be done under a spotlight. So getting used to having a weekly spotlight for this young team isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.”
McDaniel did say that the cameras haven’t started rolling just yet, but they’ll be going after the team’s trip to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany in Week 9.
Dr. Jerry Buss apparently loved John C. Reilly in the movie version of Chicago.
With just one episode left in the second season of Winning Time on HBO, fans are seeing a slightly different reception this time around.
The show was widely criticized for inaccuracies during its first season by some of the real-life individuals (including Jerry West,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson) portrayed in the show.
Although the Lakers originally said they had no comment about the show and were not supporting this project, we’ve seen a slight change of tune in the second season.
One very important person depicted in the show who is not critical of this season is Lakers owner Jeanie Buss (played by Hadley Robinson).
During Jeanie’s recent appearance on the official podcast of the show, she spoke about one of her interactions with John C. Reilly — who portrays her late father, Dr. Jerry Buss.
“John C. Reilly is absolutely breathtaking as my dad,” she said. “He’s absolutely fabulous.”
Jeanie said that she first met Reilly when he was attending a Lakers game. She decided to introduce herself to him because she knew that he was going to play her father in the show.
At first, according to Jeanie, the actor seemed nervous that he was going to get kicked out of the game.
Instead, however, she told him a heartwarming story about a moment she shared with her father when they went to the movies, one of their shared passions, and saw Chicago (2002) in theaters.
“He was really good … [he is] somebody that can be so funny [and] can play such a tragic character,” she said.
Jeanie said that her father likely would not have had the same disappointment that others portrayed in the show like West and Abdul-Jabbar felt.
“I think he’d be really honored that you were playing him,” she continued.
This is not the first time that Jeanie has praised Reilly’s portrayal of her father. She had similar comments last month during an interview on AM 570 LA Sports.
“I know some people are like, ‘I can’t believe you’re watching that show!’ I said, ‘You know what? I really miss my dad so much. It’s kind of nice to see him.'”
Jeanie said that the costume department of Winning Time tried to get in touch with her father’s old tailor.
While the tailor had since passed away, his son had since taken over the business. Now, whenever she watches the show, it even looks like she is watching her dad.
“The wardrobe that he wears — that is what was making me crazy. Those were outfits that my dad actually wore.”
HBO’s Winning Time reminded us Magic Johnson wanted to leave the Lakers during his third season in the league.
Editor’s note: All interviews for this story were completed prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Magic Johnson played for the Lakers during the entirety of his NBA career. But all of that nearly ended when he demanded a trade in 1981.
Such frustration seemed unlikely when Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP as a rookie in 1980. Fans saw the joys of victory during the first season of HBO’s Winning Time when Paul Westhead (brilliantly portrayed by Jason Segel) improbably led the Lakers to win an NBA championship during his first year as interim head coach.
“Season 1 is about a guy stepping into his adulthood and it’s a series of unlikely circumstances that leads to an unlikely victory,” Jason Segel told For The Win. “It’s really a story of underdog triumph.”
Warrick Page/HBO
But after he became the permanent head coach of the team the following season, his new offensive game plan “did not endear him” to Johnson or his similarly skeptical teammates.
Stubbornly, he stuck to his intuition and may have lost the locker room in the process.
“[Season 2] is the story of somebody who probably didn’t belong to be in this position in the first place trying to hold the ring of power and just not being able to do it,” Segel said. “He can’t see his way out of pride.”
Los Angeles began the 1981-82 season with a 2-4 record and the chemistry on the team was awful. According to sportswriter Jeff Pearlman, the author of the Winning Time source material, Johnson refused to board the team bus after the Lakers lost to the Spurs during the sixth game of the season.
Winning Time is elite television they got Magic Johnson cooking Utah Jazz fans 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/IzT5CUMQfy
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) August 28, 2023
A few games later, Johnson and Westhead reached a breaking point during a game against the Jazz at the Salt Palace in Utah (via Los Angeles Times):
After receiving a postgame lecture from Westhead, Magic … said: “I can’t play here anymore. I want to leave. I want to be traded. I can’t deal with it no more. I’ve got to go in and ask [Buss] to trade me.”
HoopsHype recently ranked Johnson’s trade request as the second-most important in league history. The reason is that, despite riding a five-game win streak, Westhead was fired the next day.
Westhead was eventually replaced by longtime Lakers head coach Pat Riley, who is portrayed in the show by Adrien Brody. The two coaches, who were once friends, saw their relationship dissolve largely over differing opinions about how to coach Johnson.
“In order to save himself and Magic and help everyone live up to their potential, it causes a rift in his friendship with Paul,” Brody explained. “There’s really a lot of humanity going on in the game and their lives.”
Segel recalls a pivotal moment in the timeline of the two coaches that happens on screen.
“Pat Riley has been protecting me from myself for most of the season,” Segel said. “There is a moment where I go to go after Magic and Pat stops me and I turn on Pat and I say, ‘What, Pat?’ really aggressively and you see on Adrien’s face and he makes the decision to just say nothing. He lets me end it.”
Riley admirably stepped up with Westhead no longer in the picture.
Led by Riley after Westhead was ousted, the Lakers were 50-21 (.704) to end the season and Los Angeles went on to win another championship. That may not have happened if Johnson hadn’t publicly requested his trade, which then effectively forced Westhead out of his position.
Jason Segel is putting on a masterclass as Paul Westhead in Winning Time
According to Rodney Barnes, who is an executive producer and writer on the show, Segel was able to perfectly capture Westhead’s many flaws during this season of Winning Time.
“Everybody is not cut out for [the job],” Barnes said. “To have the pressure of a [personality like] Pat Riley sitting next to you the whole time and what that does to you emotionally and psychologically … Jason Segel is fantastic.”
