Much has been made about this year’s preseason version of Hard Knocks and the aversion that’s been cast from NFL teams, particularly the New York Jets. While teams have seemingly no interest in doing the HBO docuseries, the NFL doesn’t seem to care and is prepared to force a team to participate.
That became increasingly clear earlier this week. As per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, an NFL source says the New York Jets are “bracing” to be forced to do the show.
The Jets are bracing for an involuntary Hard Knocks assignment. https://t.co/ZgMxbBsY6b
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 26, 2023
That’s led to those in the sports media offering their general opinions on the Jets and Hard Knocks. WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti said on Boomer & Gio on Tuesday that the Jets on Hard Knocks would be “great TV and great theater.” He’s not the only one who seems to hold that opinion. But ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth was a bit more blunt in his assessment, and critical of the idea of Hard Knocks being a distraction.
Foxworth never appeared on Hard Knocks during his NFL career (2005-11). But he advocated on Wednesday’s edition of First Take that teams like the Jets should just do it.
On "First Take," Domonique Foxworth criticized the idea of "Hard Knocks" being a distraction for teams. "The idea that somehow Hard Knocks is a distraction, you're a garbage coach if some cameras showing up is going to distract your team from getting any better." pic.twitter.com/e1g5fluRvW
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 28, 2023
“What is training camp for, if not to prepare for the regular season?” Foxworth asked. “So, why not already expose yourself in a low-stakes situation, expose Aaron Rodgers to all of this attention? You’re gonna get it. It’s just gonna be five to 10 extra cameras. It’s not that challenging. The idea that somehow Hard Knocks is a distraction, you’re a garbage coach if some cameras showing up is going to distract your team from getting any better.
“And if it is a distraction, fine. Let’s prepare for how we’re going to deal with distractions in the regular season. Let’s practice that now when we’re just playing preseason games. I’ve never known anyone great to say, ‘Hmm…Let me see if I can find the easiest way to do this.’ Especially when you’re working out. You don’t put 10-pound weights on the bench press because it’s lighter. You put the heavyweights on so that you can get stronger and get better. Anyone who thinks that there’s some sort of distraction about Hard Knocks, that’s foolishness.”
The argument is certainly twofold.
Yes, NFL teams could view participating in Hard Knocks as a distraction. Or if you’re the New York Jets, you already have your own in-house version: Flight 23: Ascension. Now, that is a bit different from Hard Knocks, but the Jets don’t really have a choice in the matter of being on Hard Knocks. It seems like Foxworth belives that the Jets should embrace that attention, because if they have truly have Super Bowl aspirations, this won’t register on the richtor scale.
The idea that Hard Knocks is a debilitating distraction for teams took a hit with head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions embracing the coverage last year en route to a surprising nine-win season. (And if the Lions want to volunteer to do Hard Knocks again this year, we’d approve of that.) But it is looking like it will be the Jets (who have their own merits). And maybe it’s time the team leans into it, whether they like it or not.
[Awful Announcing on Twitter]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.