NEWSLETTER
Even though the Bears have done everything to avoid appearing HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, Chicago’s football team is one of a handful of squads the NFL can force onto the show.
The Bears — along with the Commanders, Jets, and Saints — are among the teams the league can nudge onto the show because they fit particular criteria. Teams that are exempt from “Hard Knocks” are those with (1) a first-year head coach, (2) made the playoffs each of the last two years, and (3) have been on the show within the last 10 years. Chicago’s band of footballers don’t check any of those boxes, so they are eligible for the HBO spotlight series if no other NFL team volunteers.
However, it doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards for “Hard Knocks” to host the Bears. Especially not with reporting from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who seems to hint that the New York Jets appear to have an interest in thrusting themselves into the limelight:
“I think the business people, and really high-up people with the Jets, all the way up to the ownership would probably be pretty psyched about it,” is among the things Rapoport says during the segment with The Pat McAfee Show. As far as I’m concerned, ownership being “pretty psyched” about the possibility is a tell. It isn’t much of a stretch to think that the Jets are positioning themselves to be HBO’s choice. The Jets might as well be screaming “PICK ME!” from the top of the Empire State Building with this report. And if that’s the case, then let ’em have their shine.
Give us access to Zach Wilson as he tries to remain relevant in the league. Show us some behind-the-scenes footage of Aaron Rodgers turning a Taylor Swift sing-a-long into a morale-building exercise. Let us see how Chicago’s very own Laken Tomlinson is living in the Big Apple. The Jets have stories to tell. And because they’re the Jets, I bet there will be some weird ones. I’d tune in for the quirky stuff. After all, I need something to fill my time this summer if baseball isn’t going to cut it.
This isn’t to say the Bears aren’t a compelling team. They are! And I totally understand why fans would want to see them under the HBO microscope. But it simply doesn’t seem to be in the works. It’s not like they want to be on it anyway. Chairman George McCaskey made that much clear earlier this year.
Besides, I have bigger plans for HBO and the Bears. I’ve been thinking about a Bears-inspired Succession spin-off to pitch. My script needs work, but I’ve got some ideas. Just hear me out…
