Earlier this month, there were several reports that the University of North Carolina football team would be featured in the latest edition of the NFL Films documentary Hard Knocks. However, following the most recent edition of the series, which featured the New York Giants, it was uncertain whether another NFL franchise would agree to be a part of the HBO series.
Ultimately, the reports about the Tar Heels’ participation turned out to be false just days after they first surfaced. Current general manager of the University of North Carolina football team, Michael Lombardi, joined The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to explain why the program decided not to take part in the documentary series.
“The problem was we control the story we need to tell here,” said Lombardi. “The story we want to tell doesn’t end after we play TCU. The story we want to tell is the story about how we’re rebuilding this program.”
Lombardi is entering his first year with the University as new head coach Bill Belichick takes the reins of a football program that has recorded only four winning seasons in the past eight years. He emphasized what he is looking forward to this coming season and explained what Hard Knocks would not have been able to capture for a viewing audience.
“How we’re going to honor the great players who have come before us,” noted Lombardi. “How we’re going to restore Tar Heel football and make this stadium come alive on Saturday afternoons like a lot of other schools in the ACC. That’s the story we want to tell. When it stops after the first game like Hard Knocks does, it doesn’t really do us any good to tell that story.”
Furthermore, Lombardi explained that the program wanted to be in control of how its story was framed, particularly regarding the program’s efforts in building, recruiting, and other aspects that extend well into the late fall.
“It can’t stop at Labor Day,” said Lombardi. “That was more the issue.”
He also pointed out that there was significant misinformation circulating, attributing it to “somebody who runs a website, who’s never gotten it right.”
Meanwhile, Hard Knocks has faced considerable criticism for its coverage of last season’s edition, which focused on the New York Giants’ offseason. The series notably highlighted the failed contract negotiations with running back Saquon Barkley, putting the situation on public display.
Additionally, the five-episode season documented the team’s inability to execute a draft-day trade that could have significantly altered the organization’s trajectory. The show also appeared to depict a franchise lacking a clear identity or direction, with multiple executives shown pursuing conflicting visions for the team.
As a result, many NFL franchises have begun reconsidering the potential impact of Hard Knocks on their organizations. This year marks the 25th season of the series, which remains a flagship documentary offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of a football program on HBO.
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