With the premiere of HBO Sports and NFL Films’ documentary series Hard Knocks approaching, anticipation is building for the start of the National Football League’s regular season. Many sports media personalities have argued that the series has tapered off in recent years, radiating more contrived discourse than ever before. Whereas the series used to somewhat mark the beginning of football, it is being somewhat overshadowed by the Netflix hit documentary, Quarterback.
The eight-part Netflix original series from Omaha Productions and NFL Films gives viewers unparalleled access to three quarterbacks at different stages in their careers. Patrick Mahomes is a young superstar and former league MVP; Kirk Cousins is a veteran trying to win an elusive Vince Lombardi Trophy; and Marcus Mariota is fighting for his starting job with the Atlanta Falcons, and all have different stories to tell threaded by the sport.
Once it premiered, the series quickly catapulted to the No. 1 spot among Netflix shows, amazing and enthralling sports fans. 670 The Score sports radio host Dan Bernstein, however, is not among that cohort. In fact, he never heard of the series until it was mentioned to him by his co-host, Laurence Holmes, nor did he know much about its structure until discussion on the “Transition” segment.
“Peyton Manning has put together – whether it’s his own thing or the group of people that he’s put together – he is able to produce compelling football television,” Holmes said. “….This series has been better than the last five years of Hard Knocks.”
The New York Jets are reluctantly being featured on the training camp edition of Hard Knocks this year, with the first episode set to premiere on Aug. 8. Newly-acquired superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers has generated considerable intrigue, along with reigning offensive and defensive rookies of the year, Garrett Wilson and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, respectively. Led by head coach Robert Saleh, the team is looking to snap a 12-year playoff drought.
“Hard Knocks has dropped off, I think,” 670 The Score host David Haugh said. “I don’t know if it jumped the shark necessarily, but I will still likely watch that [although] it’s not the same as it used to be.”
“It’s performative now,” Bernstein added. “It’s become more self-aware and more performative and less sort of ‘fly on the wall,’ check out this kind of thing.”
Although Bernstein does not watch much television in his free time, he is willing to hear Holmes out and give him a chance. Tonight, he will be watching the third episode of the series centered on the hits quarterbacks have to take and the ongoing recovery process so they can discuss it on the air on Wednesday.
“They’re all pretty good,” Holmes said. “I don’t know that you need to watch them in order, so why don’t you watch Ep. 3, which is the ‘pain’ episode.”
“Okay, you tell me,” Bernstein replied.
