Link: Hard Knocks Major Distraction?
Eric Edholm of ProFootballWeekly.com recently gathered a quote from either a NFL scout, coach or front-office personnel, (he doesn’t say which), regarding the Jets on “Hard Knocks.”
“In the AFC, I really like what the Jets have done. (The New York area) was given the Super Bowl bid. They have a chance to get there. I don’t like the distraction that HBO (‘Hard Knocks’) brings. Have any teams who have let (the cameras) into their camp ever gone on to win? I wouldn’t want to deal with it. They have gotten older, too. But there is a lot of talent on that roster now. They have the pieces to push the Patriots aside.”
No team has ever been on Hard Knocks and advanced passed the divisional round. However, if there is any coach that can keep his team focused, it is Rex. What do you guys think. Will Hard Knocks be a distraction for the Jets?
49 Responses to Link: Hard Knocks Major Distraction?
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Wolf says:
Can’t wait for August 11th.
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Tom B says:
No it will not be a distraction. None of the teams they have focused on with Hard Knocks SHOULD have won, so who cares?
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NJets says:
We are talking about teams like the Chiefs and the Bengals. Its not like those two teams were in a position to win anyways. Hard Knocks didn’t stop them from winning it all.
The Cowboys didn’t do horribly, and the Ravens were already coming off a winning season.
If having cameras there during the offseason is the difference between winning and losing, then we weren’t meant to win to being with. The attention and the media exposure that comes with winning is natural. If they can’t handle it, then they aren’t ready to win.
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Dieselcorn says:
The Bengals hosted Hard Knocks last year and had a great season, better than the prior year. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they had to play the hottest team in the NFL at the end of the season. The J E T S
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Nick says:
Ask yourself this…would Bill Parcells or Belicheck ever allow it? It’s a clear cut money grab by Woody. THis is not something you do for the team, it’s something you do for your pocketbook.
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starz31 says:
This is all during Training camp. Rex will be on the players to focus and he’ll be able to tell if they’re distracted. Once the season starts and the games count the cameras will be long gone.
There is already plenty of media coverage for this team. It’s freaking OTAs and we’re getting player breakdowns. They already have to deal with this.
Either way, I can’t wait to watch.
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Diesel, plus the Bengals had to endure two GIANT emotional distractions during the season with their DC and Henry. To be able to do what they did despite that is more impressive than despite hard knocks,
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mole57 says:
I’d argue that the Bengals over-achieved last season — no one expected them to even make the playoffs, let alone sweep their division.
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Nick,
Who cares? Rex has a personality for this. And these are professional athletes, they are in the public eye 24/7, so extra cameras aren’t going to make them freak out. And I don’t know how much money you make simply being on the show, if it was such a high amount wouldn’t more teams be vying for the spot?
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Andrew says:
Nah, it’s gonna be AMAZING!
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PA Matt says:
I think it has an immaterial effect. Let’s focus on what’s important. We, as fans, are ging to thoroughly enjoy this. Maybe Woody wanted to give something to the fans for their enjoyment? After all, football is supposed to be fun…
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Man I like to think we are diffrent.. so throw out all the statistics… Last year we were almost out of the playoffs but we still made it didnt we.
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I don’t understand why people like Nick think Woody is this money hungry bastard.
He’s part of the Johnson and Johnson family. Hes a billionaire. Im pretty sure he doesn’t care about / need more money.
The Jets are his passion. He wants win. He wants to give the fans more exposure. NOTHING wrong with that.
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Brenden -
Woody is hoping to sell PSL’s with the exposure. So it’s a HUGE money maker if it can excite the fan base.
And yes, Rex has the personality for this…but we say that for every issue (ie. troubled players). The guy is just a football coach, lets not make a second year coach out to be able to do anything and everything.
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NJets -
I’ve actually always like Woody…but this PSL thing has changed it for me… He’s only building HALF a stadiumn, 300 million of which comes from league funds I believe, and yet he’s going the PSL route. It’s a total rip off. 25 years from now when they build a new stadiumn what are they going to be worth?
That being said, I am very excited to WATCH Hard Knocks….jsut not sure it’s the best thing for the team.
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Nick,
You can write off Rex’s personality all you want, but the fact is players have been clamoring to play under him since he’s become a head coach. His personality/coaching style is a legitimate reason people believe he can get these “troubled” players focused. Although football/the locker room has never been any of their problems.
Woody is still not recovering more then 15% of his total cost ($850 million) from PSLs, even if he sells every one of them. And since PSLs are the reality of the sports world now (even “superduper niceguy owner” Rooney of the Steelers used PSLs). So hate the system, not the man.
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The Patriots built a stadium not too long ago and didn’t go the PSL route….
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PSLs are a reality people. You don’t just build a state of the art building (for the benefit of the fans and the team) and expect private funding to not make some of their money back.
No one is forcing you to pay for them. If you can’t you don’t, and you go on stubhub and buy your tickets a game at a time.
They built a state of the art stadium so we can get the hell of a crappy old GIANTS stadium. They managed to get a super bowl there. They got us a buttload of talent this offseason, an inspiring coach, and a reason to care about the team.
Criticizing Woody and his motives is just dumb at this point.
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Brad says:
This is so stupid. Its not a distraction. The only reason it may be considered a distraction for teams like the Bengals and Chiefs is because they’re not used to all of the media attention. In New York theres gonna be tons of cameras at every practice and in the locker room after anyway, whats the difference if theres one more with a few more interviews? They will still be allowed to have their closed practices with no cameras allowed for all the secret stuff. I don’t see any concern at all.
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Andy says:
I agree with starz. The Jets are in one of the biggest media markets in the world. The Jets are always doing things with the cameras on. NY is a tough place to play. So being on one more channel on tv is not that big of a deal especially when there are numerous tv, radio newspaper interent media already there covering the Jets. The Bengals Ravens do not have to deal with the constant pressure of the media and being under the microscope as NY is.
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Nick,
They went the “take money from every taxpaying adult in the state, even the ones who don’t even watch football” route. Is that more fair? The Jets could’ve applied for government funding like the Yankees/Mets did, but they didn’t. I don’t think that’s greed, greed would be taking money from people who won’t ever even use the facility.
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ramble914 says:
All I can say is “child…please”!!!
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Njets -
Making the asumption that a buisnessman’s motivation for putting his team on tv, inorder to drive ticket sales, is most certaintly not DUMB. Considering it dumb, is naive at best.
I can seperate Woody, the buisnessman who is trying to squeak out each and every freakin buck, with Woody the owner who truly loves his team and the game.
He is both a good owner, and a Basebowl at the same time.
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Nick,
Criticizing Woody’s motivation is pointless man. Of course hes a business man, and of course putting them on tv will ensure revnues. But whats the alternative? Less exposure for the team you love, no new stadium, and an owner that doesnt care about the team.
I just don’t understand the logic behind criticizing something that at the end of the day benefits you. Football is entertainment so why would you be against someone feeding you more of it at no direct cost to you? You don’t HAVE to buy a PSL. You don’t have to fund a new stadium. Im not sure how Woody’s investments affect fans negatively.
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BamBam says:
At the risk of repeating myself …
BamBam, on March 17th, 2010 at 6:17 pm Said:
Hey Jack,
So you don’t view this as a distraction???Ravens – 2001 – Went 10-6, lost in divisional round (2000 they were 12-4 and won the SB!!)
Cowboys – 2002 – Went 4-12 (5-11 in 2001)
Chiefs – 2007 – Went 4-12 (9-7 in 2006 and lost in divisional)
Cowboys – 2008 – Went 9-7 (13-3 in 2007 and lost in divisional)
Bengals – 2009 – Went 10-6, and lost to the best team in the AFC (the only outlier as they were 4-11-1 in 2008) -
At the risk of me repeating Cimci who was repeating me:
(Cimci published this the next day.)
2001 Ravens: 12-4 [Super Bowl] (previous year) — 10-6 [Playoffs] (‘Knocks’ Year) — 3-1 (First 4)
2002 Cowboys: 5-11 — 5-11 — 2-2
2007 Chiefs: 9-7 [Playoffs] — 4-12 — 2-2
2008 Cowboys: 13-3 [Playoffs] — 9-7 — 3-1
2009 Bengals: 4-11-1 — 10-6 [Playoffs] — 3-1 -
NJets -
All it COST fans were many of their families season tickets. But hey, out with the old in with the new. I’m sure the team will enjoy the polite applause the new ticket holders will generate.
I’ve been to a lot of Mets games in the last two years you can absolutly notice the difference. The crowds are dead. Granted the team is sucking…but the higher prices are killing the crowds and hurting the teams.
Please don’t confuse this rant with any less love for the team or the game. I just think its sad. I took my nephew to his first baseball game a month or so ago ago. Mets vs. Atlanta on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Place was half empty and quiet as a church mouse. It’s just sad.
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Pdubbs says:
Yet another scrub looking for reasons why the Jets do well. It is starting to become a stretch.
Hard knocks will put this team in the spotlight where it belongs. It has been a very long time since the Jets have recieved this much attention and other teams are just crying.
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Nick,
Polite applause? Please. I am one of the people who finally got a chance for a season ticket. I’ve been on the waiting list for so long, and I’m finally there. It’s not going to be corporate suits that are in those seats. It’s going to be fans that love this team jsut as much as the people who didn’t renew their seats.
As for the Mets, it has nothing to do with price. It has to do with injuries. Seats at Citifield are almost identical in price to Shea. It’s the product on the field that is driving people out of the stands. People are fed up with the regime, the ticket prices are fair. You can get $10 tickets (before about $6 in charges) to any game you want to. If the team was 10 games over .500 than every game would be packed.
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Shane L. says:
I do think it’s a distraction and did not think it was a good idea. Vince Lombardi always said though that he likes the cameras there cuz the guys work harder. They don’t wanna look bad on film. He told cameramen to hold up their cameras sometimes even if they weren’t shooting. That’s the positive way to look at it I guess lol.
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WW85 says:
I’d like to hear what former Knocks players have to say. I would think guys will work harder with the cameras on them all the time. I guess the downside is that some players may be scared to take risks & may not be themselves. I can see how it could be a distraction from letting the team develop as it naturally should. Pluses & minuses. really not clear to me at all.
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Bent says: I watched the Chiefs in 2007. They sucked. Would they have not sucked if they weren’t on HBO? Of course not, they were terrible.
I don’t think it will have a negative effect.
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Let’s also be realistic, these cameras aren’t going to be following every player, 24/7. It’s not a big-budget movie. That’s why they have to develop stories out of the film that they get, because it’s not all-encompassing.
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Brendan -
I’m sure guy’s like you are going to be going nuts and trying to keep the same vibe as during last seasons Pats game alive all year, but i think you’ll be in the minority and i think you’ll get frustraited with the lack of noise around you…..I COMPLETELY hope i am wrong, only time will tell.
As for the Mets, the game I went to I paid $170 for two tickets in the upper deck (front row) off the mets web site (yeah there are cheaper options). After parking and food, few beers, icream, it was easily a $270 day. You can’t expect people to do that on a regular basis. If the team is fantastic, sure, the stadiumn will be filled, but other then that it’s nuts.
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k.c. says:
I think that there is a FIRST for EVERYTHING!
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greene says:
Nick,
thats a BOLD statement to say Brendan will be the minority. I HIGHLY doubt that assumption. As long as the team wins, games are noisy as they can get, regardless of anything else.
and as for the mets, bad comparison. jets are becoming the excitement while mets break my heart almost every year.
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Nick,
I go to at least half the Mets home games a year. 12 pack of beer (we’ll round up and say $15 bucks), game tickets $20 bucks, and a few beers in side. I can go to a game for $60-$75 bucks. It’s no more expensive than Shea was.
I don’t buy into the “there won’t be a crowd” argument for a second. As soon as tickets start getting sold (by whoever buys them all up) individually, the stadium will be packed and full of insane, green-clad fans. I have no doubts. The team is the best it’s been in years, why on Earth would people not go to games?
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JDB says:
put as simply as possible.
Yes
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The issue of empty seats has to do with unsold PSLs & not about game to game demand. Woody has stated that unsold PSL seats will NOT be sold for individual games & thus there will be empty seats.
I understand Woody needs to protect PSL buyers, but I think he’s better off just raising the individual game prices(for unsold PSL seats) & then the PSL buyers won’t worry that the guy next to them paid half price, etc.
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The meadowlands are very different than Foxborough, MA. The Pats tried to actually build the stadium in Boston but wanted the city to shoulder more of the cost so it lost political support. They then floated Hartford, CT as a possible choice and Hartford was very much on board, but the team pretty much just used them for leverage to get MA to approve funding in the woods of MA. There is nothing around that area until Patriot Place was built which pretty much resembles an Outlet-style shopping center with some sports bars and restaurants. All owned by Mr. Kraft.
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WW85,
There won’t be empty seats. Someone (the team, the advertisers) will buy those seats in bulk, then resell them. There is ZERO chance they let those seats go unsold and risk a blackout. Zero. None. Zip. Nada.
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SackDance99 says:
Did “Hard Knocks” cause Antwan Odom to hurt his Achilles or Rey Maualuga to fracture his ankle? I think those in season injuries had a lot more to do with the Bengals’ demise. Moreover, it seemed like “Hard Knocks” invigorated the Bengals because they looked great at camp.
As for the Jets, they have to live in the media glare of New York, so how much worse could “Hard Knocks” be for them? I’m more worried about other teams raiding the Jets’ practice squad after getting a good look at the guys who don’t make the roster because it will be really hard to make this team’s roster. Inevitably, a good player with a load of promise will get cut with the idea of being signed on to the practice squad.
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dmazz says:
It certainly can be a distraction – We will wait and see the end result.
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juunit says:
Yup, obviously not something done for the team. It won’t matter to some of the players, while others will try to show off for the cameras. It definitely will not be a 100% positive thing for the team, and so it should not be done.
Are you kidding about Citi being the same price as Shea Brendan? You can’t honestly tell me those seats you’re getting at Citi are as good as the ones you had at Shea. I used to have season tickets (split four ways, so I’d attend 20 games a season) and the price increased a good three times as much as it used to be at Shea. The seats were in just about the same spot, but they weren’t as good. Further down the line and it was a row instead of a box… for three times as much. I don’t have my season tickets anymore.
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Lance Mehl says:
its a distraction but its in August .. not in December when key games are played .. I doubt anyone looks at a distraction in August when you’re playing for a playoff spot ..
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F 16 says:
Considering that we rarely get national exposure and taking into account that most fans still think we are the mutts of the NFL I think it will be the push this team needs to strive for the next level. Not to mention the feeding of the ego that this team needs. If you are preceived as being a good team on the rise you will strive to be a good team.
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“most other fans”
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JoeDog says:
> No team has ever been on Hard Knocks and advanced
> passed the divisional round.And how many data points do we have upon which we can make any generalizations? Hint: not enough.
Yes. Put simply this will be a distraction and Rex Ryan is not a god he is a coach. I have faith in him and everything but this can only be a distraction it can’t be anything good except for us as fans.