August is here.
And that means two things.
One school will be starting soon, much to the chagrin of students and teachers alike.
But!
It also means football.
Cue the bells from NFL Films.
August means high school football camp. College football revving up and the NFL training camp.
There is also another August tradition, Hard Knocks. HBO made a big splash with its sports show offering an intimate look inside the NFL’s locker room and training camp.
It shows the raw side of football. Players trying to make the team. Established pro’s trying to balance a demanding job and a family. You watch players get crushed as they realize their dream of making it to the NFL isn’t going to happen.
This year marks the first time the Lions will be chronicled on the series.
While last year’s record might not have been ideal, the Lions have been one of the more interesting teams.
Dan Campbell, the team’s bombastic and endearing coach, has a knack for garnering head lines and will never be accused of being boring.
It reminds me of the year Rex Ryan was featured. I expect the next to be abuzz with clips.
There are a couple other players I expect to be featured this season. Rookie pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson grew up in Michigan and played for U of M. I imagine that is too good for the editors to pass up.
Running back Jamaal Williams is also one of the funniest players in the league and if his interviews are anything to go by then he will be fun to watch.
And part of the charm of Hard Knocks are the stars no one expects. Often back up players feature prominently and it allows the viewer to get invested in a player just trying to get by.
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