NEW YORK (AP) - There will be no summer sequel for the Jets on "Hard Knocks" this season.
A person familiar with the decision said the team decided to not participate in the hit HBO show this year after being approached by the cable network about appearing again.
Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez & Co. were big stars and drew huge ratings two years ago - the last time the show aired - but the Jets opted to pass on doing it again this summer, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because neither the team nor the cable network had announced the decision.
The Atlanta Falcons have also turned down the chance at appearing on the show this season.
The arrival of Tim Tebow and the dynamic between him and Sanchez would have made for intriguing television, but the person said the Jets' decision stemmed from having a new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, who is installing a new system. The team used similar reasoning for turning down the show in 2009, Ryan's first season as head coach, in trying to limit distractions during training camp.
The person says, however, that the Jets would be open to appearing on a future season of "Hard Knocks."
Ryan, owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum all praised HBO and NFL Films for the way they handled filming their training camp in Cortland, N.Y., in 2010. Many of the players said they even forgot the cameras were there most of the time. But Ryan and Tannenbaum also expressed reservations this offseason about doing it this year, particularly with the team missing the playoffs last season and dealing with some locker room tension.
The team has been tightlipped so far on how it will use Tebow, the versatile backup quarterback, in the offense, so keeping those plans under wraps might have also played a role in the overall decision.
