The Buffalo Bills were seen as one of a handful of finalists to be chosen for the HBO series "Hard Knocks" during this year's training camp. Thursday, the announcement came out that the Atlanta Falcons, not the Bills, would be appearing on the program.
Buffalo coach Doug Marrone was pretty shaken up over the announcement.
"It doesn’t matter. If they say the Buffalo Bills have to do it, we do it," Maronne told reporters via buffalobills.com. "If they say the Buffalo Bills don’t have to do it then we don’t have to do it. I don’t worry about it. I just don’t worry about it. I never even thought about it."
C'mon coach, tell us what you really think.
Marrone's obvious distaste for the subject likely has to do with the new rules league owners passed this year on the subject. They state a team can be forced into appearing on the show if: 1) The team does not have a new head coach; 2) Has not appeared in the playoffs in two years; and 3) Has not participated in the series in the last 10 years.
The Bills qualified in all three categories. And their high-profile draft pick, wide receiver Sammy Watkins, made for an intriguing storyline, combined with sophomore quarterback E.J. Manuel coming back in full health.
Alternatively, the Falcons had an out, as they went to the conference championships in 2012. Owner Arthur Black is excited about the opportunity, however, telling the team's website that "we are excited about the opportunity to give our fans a behind the scenes look at what it takes to prepare an NFL team for the rigors of a 16-game regular season and beyond."
Other than the Bills, there were seven other teams that could have been forced to participate in the show, which airs its first episode Tuesday, Aug. 5: the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers.
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