Hard Knocks Football
It seems that HBO is going to run another
“Hard Knocks” football special this year.
Last year, this show followed my home-team and super bowl champion
Ravens through
training camp and the preseason. This year they are going to switch gears and
head to Texas to profile my second favorite team, the
Dallas Cowboys.
First, a bit on the show itself. By and large, I really enjoyed it last season.
Obviously, as a big fan of the Ravens, I thought that the opportunity to see what
happens more or less behind closed doors was quite interesting. The
show certainly had its slow points but it also had a couple of memorable moments.
(like “The Goose” locking the tight ends, including Shannon Sharpe, in a
trailer or a bit of rookie hazing that ended with a poor gentleman taking
an ice bath). The focus on rookies that were on the fringe of getting cut and
some unfortunate injuries suffered by the team added just that bit of drama that
was needed.
The coverage now heads to Dallas. For those who don’t know, Dallas has been
my favorite football team for as long as I can remember. I know what many of
you are thinking: “Oh no, a Dallas fan. How could you?” All I can say is
that I got it honest. I grew up in a house of Cowboy fans, namely my two
brothers. The Cowboys were good in the seventies, my brothers would cheer
away every Sunday, I was young and impressionable, and it stuck. When they
got good again in the early nineties, my love for the sport was just hitting
stride. It all clicked, particularly since poor old Baltimore didn’t have a
team of its own. When it gained one, just a few scant years ago, Dallas had to
slip down a notch to make room for the hometown boys.
My only problem with the show is that this season just can’t be as good as the last.
The records of the two teams in the season following the show could end up
being quite similar. Dallas, although lacking at the quarterback position, is
looking quite solid in both defense and at the running back position. Their
wide recievers are reasonably solid. They could (I repeat could) compete for a
playoff spot, much like my Ravens did last year. This year Dallas seems to
be on its way up. The Ravens, little did we know, were on their way down.
However, this might not mean much to the show for two
reasons. One, the show takes place in the preseason. At this point, it is
all about the hype. The Ravens had a super bowl trophy. The Cowboys
have quite a large following. The ratings may end up being better but the content
probably won’t. Two, the Cowboys just don’t have the cast of characters that made
the show so much fun with the Ravens. Let’s replace Brian Billick with Dave Campo. Let’s
replace Tony Sirigusa with La’Roi Glover. Replace Shannon Sharpe with … well, you can’t
really replace that mouth with anyone outside of Mick Jagger. Can you? It just
won’t have the same ring to it. There is no replacing the personalities that
made up the Ravens last year.
In any case, I’ll be watching and hoping for the best. I’m voting for the
Cowboys this year, if only to stem the tide of tears over what has become a
rebuilding year for the Ravens.
