Flush with the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and coming off a one-win season, the Cleveland Browns seem to be the perfect fit for HBO’s annual show “Hard Knocks” that follows around a team during training camp.
Unfortunately for the cable station and the NFL, Browns head coach Hue Jackson isn’t interested in his team being featured on the show.
“Oh, my God. I’m not interested in that,” Jackson said about the show, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m interested in just coaching our team and getting our team better.”
That’s pretty much as assertive as it gets.
The issue here is that Jackson doesn’t have any say over who is picked for the show. The only real guideline is that teams with first-year head coaches cannot be featured. This precluded Cleveland’s involvement last season. It won’t again in 2017.
HBO tends to pick teams that have more drama surrounding them. Most of those teams end up having to switch head coaches, meaning they can’t be featured. This leaves the Browns as an optimal option for the station.