After many NFL owners declined to have their teams featured on “Hard Knocks: Offseason,” they are now reportedly upset with the decision to pivot to Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels.
The NFL Films and HBO series struggled to get any NFL teams to bite on the upcoming offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” — so a former NFL coach’s new college team was the next best option.
“We’re told that some owners aren’t thrilled with the decision to feature Belichick on an NFL-owned platform,” ProFootballTalk reported.
“Beyond the specific bridges Belichick has obliterated and the more general attacks on pro football as spearheaded by his consigliere, Mike Lombardi, Belichick is inching toward persona non grata territory as far as some NFL owners are concerned,” Mike Florio reported for the outlet.
If Belichick wants to make an NFL return sometime down the line, he’s certainly not putting himself in good favor if many of the league’s owners are fed up with him.
NFL Films presumably had no plans to shift its focus to the college level until Belichick came knocking and “aggressively pursued,” according to ProFootballTalk, the opportunity to have his team be the next “Hard Knocks” subject.
“Per multiple sources, the surprise move flows from the close-knit relationship between Belichick and NFL Films V.P./executive producer Ken Rodgers,” the outlet wrote.
Belichick was mostly a man of mystery in his 24 seasons with the New England Patriots.
He often gave dry, empty answers to the media and didn’t appear to love the spotlight.
That has certainly since changed after his retirement, as he landed numerous TV and media gigs in his time away from coaching and now has been vying to have his team’s offseason plastered on HBO.
By declining “Hard Knocks” opportunities, NFL teams seemingly wanted to avoid embarrassing moments of their offseasons being broadcast to a wider audience, such as the Giants’ Saquon Barkley trade debacle last offseason.
But after learning of owners’ frustrations with “Hard Knocks” choosing Belichick’s Tar Heels, it appears owners would’ve been happier had one accepted an invite.
