The Cincinnati Bengals will be the featured team on HBO's "Hard Knocks" when a new season premieres Aug. 6.
It will mark the Bengals' second star turn on the popular documentary series in the last four years. If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way, more teams will be involved with the show going forward.
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"We're talking about some kind of formal rotation where teams participate in the show on a more regular basis," Goodell told the Bengals' team site last week. "Not necessarily more frequently, but on a regular basis so that it is a shared obligation and it would give more teams an opportunity to have this."
"Hard Knocks" is beloved programming for NFL fans, but many teams have chosen to keep the all-access show at a distance. It was reported that the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons all turned down an offer to appear on the show this summer. Seahawks general manager John Schneider told "PFT Live" that his team was also approached, but Seattle was not interested.
Goodell is an obviously persuasive force within the NFL sphere, so don't be surprised if we begin to see improved participation going forward. This is not a bad thing for NFL fans.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
