Few buy the Miami Dolphins' assertion that the decision to star in HBO's "Hard Knocks" was about football. The reality of the situation is that the team has had slumping ticket sales over the past few seasons and hopes to turn that around by appearing on the popular program.
The players certainly aren't happy about the added hoopla, possibly because they're being hit with requests from companies seeking to get their products some air time on the show, Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post reported Saturday.
"I've had a few companies here and there call me or my agent to try to get something rolling," said rookie tight end Les Brown.
Brown could be one of the stars of the series considering his background. He played basketball in college is pursuing an NFL career after spending the past few years as an accountant.
As Volin notes, there are rules governing endorsements that prohibit wearing non-approved apparel in interviews, but what a player wears during team or position meetings, or in a segment filmed at their home or outside of the building, is fair game.
"There are ways to make it look like it's not so blatantly obvious," said Davie, Florida-based player agent David Canter, who represents a number of Dolphins players including nose tackle Paul Soliai and cornerback Sean Smith.
Volin also points out the added exposure could do wonders for players entering the final year of their current contracts. One of those players is Smith, who turns 25 next month and at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, has the size teams are beginning to covet on the edge.
"Sean, probably more than anybody, can capitalize on it," said Canter. "If he plays well, he'll emerge as a household kind of name."
