"Hard Knocks" is like an orphan knocking on the doors of NFL teams looking for a home. With a deadline set, it has had no luck finding shelter yet.
The Seattle Seahawks were one of those teams that said "no thanks." Head coach Pete Carroll explained why during an interview with NFL Network on Friday.
"That's just not going to suit what we're trying to get done here," Carroll said. "I think it's a great show, I love watching it, I loved Rex (and) the Bengals.
"I just don't want to put that in the middle of our process," he went on. "We're trying to win football games and hopefully we can entertain that way than rather on the show. It's just not our style here."
Carroll's comments illustrate the stigma that's managed to attach itself to the "Hard Knocks" project. HBO and NFL Films were undoubtedly disappointed when they couldn't get a team to sign on last summer, though it couldn't have been a shock given the time crunch created by the lockout.
Now we're dealing with a different animal. Even if a team wanted to do the show, it's easy to understand why it wouldn't. If "Hard Knocks" has earned the reputation as an intrusive vanity project that distracts from the real goal, why would you want to associate yourself with it?
It's not a welcome reality, since "Hard Knocks" is arguably the best show ever about life inside the NFL. But it appears fans (and HBO) could miss out.
