It was recently reported that the Cleveland Browns are the top choice to be featured in this year’s version of the HBO series “Hard Knocks”.
However, the team met with NFL Films earlier this week and reportedly told them they wouldn’t volunteer to be the team showcased in this season’s version of the long-running show.
You think?
It could potentially become a three-ring circus. The filming of the series would take place during training camp and would likely turn into the “Johnny Football” show with all the publicity that has surrounded him for the past year. Head coach Mike Pettine, who was with the New York Jets when they were featured on “Hard Knocks”, spoke from first-hand experience when he shared this.
You just weigh everything in. Because being a part of ‘Hard Knocks,’ having been there, knowing they’re going to look to cover the team’s biggest current storylines, it’s obvious that he (Johnny Manziel) would be a point of attention.
Currently, Manziel is in rehab after checking himself in back on January 28. He is expected to participate in the offseason workouts that start on April 20, although no definitive date for his return has been set. Arriving to practice with camera crews and press in his face is not the type of attention the Browns would want for Manziel at this stage of his recovery process.
Even though the Browns did not volunteer to be on the show, they could still be forced to go through with the series versus a team who actually volunteered. When asked about how he would handle being on the show despite the team’s lack of desire to do so, Pettine called that scenario hypothetical.
Photo: USA Today