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Hard Knocks: Houston Texans 2015
- Thread starter Playoffs
- Start date
You & DocBar are correct. I shouldn't have opened my mouth when grown folk be talk'n.
Texans are going to Richmond, the Richmond crowd will be bigger.
Aug. 11, 9 p.m.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
PDS @PatDStat
Was also told that this is the hottest temperatures the Hard Knocks crew have had to deal with since the start of the series. #Texans
Hard Knocks started filming the #Texans on July 21st. Was told that people will appreciate Bill O’Brien after the Hard Knocks is finished.
In each crew there is camera operator, sound mixer and production assistant. 30 total for the Hard Knocks Crew. #Texans
What does Hard Knocks have at #Texans camp? 5 crews, 2 assistant cameras, 14 robotic cameras, 3 field producers, 2 prodoction coordinators
Hard Knocks started filming the #Texans on July 21st. Was told that people will appreciate Bill O’Brien after the Hard Knocks is finished.
In each crew there is camera operator, sound mixer and production assistant. 30 total for the Hard Knocks Crew. #Texans
What does Hard Knocks have at #Texans camp? 5 crews, 2 assistant cameras, 14 robotic cameras, 3 field producers, 2 prodoction coordinators
The cameras followed the Falcons to Houston...just saying...
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett, right, could play a major role on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this season as he competes for the starting gig.
HBO ready to pull back the curtain at Texans camp
NFL Films director Matt Dissinger is a veteran of eight seasons of "Hard Knocks," the workplace drama that happens to focus on one of the most emotional, closely watched workplaces in American culture. He has seen a lot and knows what to expect.
But even Dissinger, standing a few feet away from one of his camera crews Saturday morning at the Texans' practice field outside NRG Stadium, was amazed at the astonishing synergy that has emerged between Texans fans and the team's most visible player, J.J. Watt.
Having witnessed three hours of fans screaming Watt's name during practice and clamoring for autographs afterward, Dissinger said, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, to be honest. Every team has its stars, but I don't think I've seen anything quite like the J.J. phenomenon.
"I don't think I've ever seen a superstar who is as engaged with his fans as he is. He's a special guy, that's for sure."
So Dissinger has that going for him as he and his five camera crews began the series of 16-hour days that will take them through Texans training camp and up to the Aug. 11 premiere of the NFL Films production on HBO.
NFL Films crew members have been at work since late last week, getting to know players and coaches and preparing storylines for the initial telecast.
Before Saturday's first 8 a.m. practice, crew members were up at the crack of dawn, filming the sunrise as a potential scene-setter for the opening episode.
Rise and shine
Filming will begin most days at 6 a.m. and will continue - using the five camera crews and 14 robotic cameras across the Texans complex - until coaches leave at 10 or 11 p.m.. Eight to 10 coaches and players are wired for sound each day, wearing microphones at practice or during off-field sessions.
After years as one of the last strongholds of old-style filmmaking, NFL Films went digital last year. Crews each day upload their data cards to company headquarters in Mount Laurel, N.J., where crews under the direction of supervising producer Ken Rodgers log hours of footage from handheld and robotic cameras.
"I try to get with my field producers each day and compare notes on what we have seen and heard," Dissinger said. "Maybe something a coach says in a team meeting will spur us in a particular direction."
But they can't see everything, so they frequently depend on producers in Mount Laurel to back them up. The director says he frequently has watched a particular moment during a "Hard Knocks" episode and asked, "Where did that come from?"
Going behind the scenes
Between footage captured by NFL Films crews and the robotic cameras stationed in offices and meeting rooms, producers estimate they feed about 350 hours of video for each hour that sees air during the five-part series. An outsized percentage comes during the period leading up to the first episode, which is in many ways the toughest to program because of the need to establish storylines and personalities for viewers who are not familiar with a particular team.
While the public got to see crews at work Saturday, the strength of "Hard Knocks" is the behind-the-scenes access in offices and meeting rooms. And while Watt will certainly have a role in the series, the heart of the show is the jostling for roster spots involving lesser-known players.
"Come the end of camp, we'll be talking about who is up for those final spots – who is going to make it, who might not make it. That is where our best storytelling comes into play," Dissinger said. "We're here to tell stories about people, like the undrafted rookie getting his shot. That is where the real drama comes in."
After a week in Houston, both camps are learning to co-exist. Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Saturday that players and coaches "are used to the cameras already." Dissinger said crew members "are just scratching the surface" in getting to know the team in hopes of landing what they describe as a "stolen moment" that will resonate with viewers.
"Any time you can witness something that is true and genuine, like a coach imparting wisdom or a compliment, that is what 'Hard Knocks' is all about. That is what we pride ourselves on," Dissinger said. "We want to bring you places where you haven't been. We're the one show that can do that."
But even Dissinger, standing a few feet away from one of his camera crews Saturday morning at the Texans' practice field outside NRG Stadium, was amazed at the astonishing synergy that has emerged between Texans fans and the team's most visible player, J.J. Watt.
Having witnessed three hours of fans screaming Watt's name during practice and clamoring for autographs afterward, Dissinger said, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, to be honest. Every team has its stars, but I don't think I've seen anything quite like the J.J. phenomenon.
"I don't think I've ever seen a superstar who is as engaged with his fans as he is. He's a special guy, that's for sure."
So Dissinger has that going for him as he and his five camera crews began the series of 16-hour days that will take them through Texans training camp and up to the Aug. 11 premiere of the NFL Films production on HBO.
NFL Films crew members have been at work since late last week, getting to know players and coaches and preparing storylines for the initial telecast.
Before Saturday's first 8 a.m. practice, crew members were up at the crack of dawn, filming the sunrise as a potential scene-setter for the opening episode.
Rise and shine
Filming will begin most days at 6 a.m. and will continue - using the five camera crews and 14 robotic cameras across the Texans complex - until coaches leave at 10 or 11 p.m.. Eight to 10 coaches and players are wired for sound each day, wearing microphones at practice or during off-field sessions.
After years as one of the last strongholds of old-style filmmaking, NFL Films went digital last year. Crews each day upload their data cards to company headquarters in Mount Laurel, N.J., where crews under the direction of supervising producer Ken Rodgers log hours of footage from handheld and robotic cameras.
"I try to get with my field producers each day and compare notes on what we have seen and heard," Dissinger said. "Maybe something a coach says in a team meeting will spur us in a particular direction."
But they can't see everything, so they frequently depend on producers in Mount Laurel to back them up. The director says he frequently has watched a particular moment during a "Hard Knocks" episode and asked, "Where did that come from?"
Going behind the scenes
Between footage captured by NFL Films crews and the robotic cameras stationed in offices and meeting rooms, producers estimate they feed about 350 hours of video for each hour that sees air during the five-part series. An outsized percentage comes during the period leading up to the first episode, which is in many ways the toughest to program because of the need to establish storylines and personalities for viewers who are not familiar with a particular team.
While the public got to see crews at work Saturday, the strength of "Hard Knocks" is the behind-the-scenes access in offices and meeting rooms. And while Watt will certainly have a role in the series, the heart of the show is the jostling for roster spots involving lesser-known players.
"Come the end of camp, we'll be talking about who is up for those final spots – who is going to make it, who might not make it. That is where our best storytelling comes into play," Dissinger said. "We're here to tell stories about people, like the undrafted rookie getting his shot. That is where the real drama comes in."
After a week in Houston, both camps are learning to co-exist. Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Saturday that players and coaches "are used to the cameras already." Dissinger said crew members "are just scratching the surface" in getting to know the team in hopes of landing what they describe as a "stolen moment" that will resonate with viewers.
"Any time you can witness something that is true and genuine, like a coach imparting wisdom or a compliment, that is what 'Hard Knocks' is all about. That is what we pride ourselves on," Dissinger said. "We want to bring you places where you haven't been. We're the one show that can do that."
This has probably been answered already however is there another place to watch this outside of HBO? I don't subscribe to HBO and never even watched it when I had it free.
paycheck71
Hall of Fame
NFL Network will probably replay them later in the week or the week after.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
HBO, HBO Now, HBO on demand, HBO Go are all I know of to watch in August.
You just need to bite the bullet and get a year's free subscription like everyone else.
paycheck71
Hall of Fame
Actually, now that we're close enough, NFL Network schedule is available on nfl.com for the entire month of August, and I don't see a single Hard Knocks episode listed. I was fairly sure they replayed them last year because I remember catching one being edited for language, but I must have imagined it, or it was later in the season.
So, looks like Playoffs is right, you're limited to all the HBO platforms.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
Kodi. It's free.
If u don't want to put it on your computer you can buy a firestick for like $40 (maybe cheaper) and install it on there.
You'll get hard knocks and whatever the heck else you want...movies and TV.
I just installed Kodi on my Amazon Fire TV. Do you look for Hard Knocks directly or some repository with HBO?
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
Tuesday: August, 11 at 10 PM Eastern (9 PM our time) is the first episode.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
You will look for hard knocks directly in an addon.
My favorite addons are genesis, ice films and 1channel. Genesis is best for watching already aired shows like a day old imo. Ice films you can watch shows that just aired...like as soon as they're off.
You have to install a repository though first. That's how you get all the good addons. sounds like you are past that step though.
You can add hard knocks the series to your favorites do u can just quickly pull it up.
This is my favorite repository: https://superrepo.org/get-started/
Once you get used to it all you'll love it.
So once you get the repository installed, go get the addons you want. I named three above that are good for movies and tv shows. Once in the addon just search hard knocks. Pretty easy once you're used to it.
Last edited:
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
Remaking the Mean Joe Green commercial with JJ would be great. But it would be missing the element of surprise because JJs persona is so much nicer than Mean Joe's was at the time.
amazing80
Hall of Fame
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
michael phillips @michaelphillipsRTD
Average attendance, first four days of Redskins camp (always starts on a Thu.):
2013: 10,815
2014: 7,526
2015: 4,525
http://t.co/eUSBwoXc67
2013: 10,815
2014: 7,526
2015: 4,525
http://t.co/eUSBwoXc67
Kaiser Toro
Native Mod
That should be expected given the excitement with RG3. If prior to RG3, 4.5k was the average, it would be shoddy reporting.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
From HT.COM:
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Regrettable lines from HBO's 'Hard Knocks'
Sooo, what will be our regrettable line...?
Seeing is typically believing, although we've all been around long enough to know that this doesn't apply to NFL training camp.
Hyperbole doesn't even begin to define the relentless optimism coming from coaches and players alike, but then again, that is why we all love the league.
In so many ways, training camp is the rebirth of the fan lifecycle. All is well, everyone is growing and no one has lost a game yet. All of the undrafted free agents have unique skill sets and will somehow squeeze onto the roster. All of the draft picks will pan out.
Sometimes, though, these statements get out of control and sound absolutely ridiculous in hindsight.
So in the spirit of the upcoming season of Hard Knocks featuring the Houston Texans, we've combed through all of the previous seasons to find the comments and statements that sound the most ridiculous as time has passed.
While the 2010 Jets could very well have populated the list on their own we're going to try and spread it around as much as possible.
1. "Brodie Croyle is obviously the future of this football team," -- Herm Edwards, Chiefs head coach (2007)
Back in 2007, Hard Knocks featured an epic training camp battle between Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle, the 6-foot-2 third-round pick from 2006 out of Alabama. While Croyle ended up starting six games that season, he never quite materialized into the passer the Chiefs hoped he would. Miraculously, he finished out his four-year rookie deal and latched on with the Cardinals for another two seasons. He finished his NFL career with an 0-10 record as a starter, and never had more than those six starts in a season.
Edwards, though, seemed high on the Alabama star and it legitimately pained him to make this decision. The Hard Knocks footage makes it easy to understand why. Croyle was clearly the more handsome option. He got into his muddy pickup truck to drive to training camp like he was starring in a Wrangler commercial. Unfortunately, the torch was passed to Tyler Thigpen the following year. Plot twist! No one ever saw Thigpen coming!
2. "He's going to come in and help from Day One. He's not a guy that takes three or four years to develop" -- Byron Leftwich, Jaguars quarterback (2004) on the team's first-round draft pick, Reggie Williams.
The funny thing about this, one is that it took Williams almost exactly four years to develop. Williams caught 27 balls for 268 yards and a touchdown in that rookie season, and never made a true impact until 2007, when he had 10 touchdown receptions off 38 catches.
Williams was a minor star in that 2004 rendition of Hard Knocks, mostly due to his major-league size. An official during the preseason asked Del Rio if Williams was a tight end, which seemed to make Del Rio excited about the giant receiver he'd drafted. MEGATRON PART ONE!
Poor Jaguars.
3. "Trey Junkin, he's a great longsnapper," -- A personnel assistant to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (2002)
The dreary Trey Junkin subplot of 2002 couldn't have been more accurately foreshadowed than in Hard Knocks with the Cowboys in 2002. Junkin was retired but signed late in the 2002 preseason, making a joke about his age immediately upon entering the building (He was over 40 then). He was released a short time later for an inability to consistently get the ball back to the holder.
Obviously, Junkin is most remembered for the only game he played in later that season. The Giants signed him for the playoffs where Junkin botched a crucial snap. Although time has revealed plenty of other reasons why New York lost that particular game, he bravely took all the heat for it. In hindsight, he was a great longsnapper, just not in 2002.
4. "I've never been a distraction on Twitter," -- Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson (then Ochocinco) in 2009.
Johnson was upset about Marvin Lewis' social media policy, which prompted the mercurial wide receiver to speak out about his then-frequent usage of Twitter. Less than a year later, he was fined $25,000 for Tweeting during a preseason game. We're guessing Lewis considered this a distraction.
Johnson was like your favorite recurring Simpsons character throughout Hard Knocks, whether he was doing some bizarre training in the ocean, or he was telling the good American people about the value of eating at McDonald's every day. We're all hoping Hard Knocks heads to Montreal in 2016.
5. "No. 10? No. 10? Man, who traded for him? How smart that guy was" -- then-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum on an electric Santonio Holmes during practice.
In fairness to Mike Tannenbaum, the Holmes trade looked good for a little while, though major issues with the wide receiver were always lurking beneath the surface. Holmes was trying to be an assistant coach from the moment he walked in the door. His faux-leadership was like nails on a chalkboard to watch in retrospect. Oh, and he was also the focal point of a gigantic meltdown at the end of the 2011 season. It was the beginning of the end of the Rex Ryan era.
Watching this portion of the season, though, is like seeing those clips of the beginning of Woodstock '99. Everyone is just excited and there's no gigantic mess to clean up.
6. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. We're like a family out there. We spend so much time together and we put a lot of time into this. We have each other's backs -- then-Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (2012).
Oye. Richie. This comment came at the end of a particularly eerie segment where Incognito and the rest of Miami's offensive line shaved a bunch of awkward strips into Jonathan Martin's hair. While the rest of the coaching staff was talking about how "he doesn't say much," Martin was silently brooding over his treatment there. Obviously, things would never be the same in Miami again.
7. "We have given ourselves, as a franchise, a heck of a chance to come out of this thing with a Pro Bowl quarterback, or maybe two," -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 2002, speaking about Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson.
Remember this? Chad Hutchinson, a TWO SPORT STAR! Quincy Carter...the next RANDALL CUNNINGHAM! Though we're not sure how Jones envisioned both of them waltzing into the Pro Bowl, it became immediately clear that the 2002 Cowboys weren't setting any offensive records. Hutchinson ended up starting nine games and Carter took the other seven. Goodness, every time I read one of these names I'm more and more amazed that the Patriots have had just one actual starter since 2000.
Watching two seasons worth of Cowboys Hard Knocks, though, did make me appreciate Jerry Jones on a new level. The guy is an eternal optimist, which gives him that corporate glaze despite the fact that he's spent his entire life around football.
Not mentioned here is the swanky party at Dave Campo's house that Jones shows up to before making a beeline for the margarita machine. Man, I miss Dave Campo.
8. "I'm telling you, this kid is coming. He's coming!" -- Rex Ryan in 2010 on Vernon Gholston.
Ryan and his 2010 Jets will round out this list, though he was capable of so much more. Watching the Jets' 2010 Hard Knocks was like watching a war movie that followed the losing -- but plucky and emotionally earnest -- side. You got attached to the characters, you believed. Then, five years later, everyone is wearing different uniforms and pretending this whole thing never happened. As for Gholston, he has yet to register a sack in the NFL.
9. "You know what? I love (the talking). Whatever you're doing, do it again," -- Jets owner Woody Johnson to Rex Ryan before a preseason game in 2010.
This one is funny specifically because, five years later, the team had a marketing meeting that asked the team and coach to stop talking. At the moment, Johnson was reveling in all the positive attention and reactions from fans. After a few losing seasons though, he literally had marketing people come in and shut it down. BOLD NOT BRASH!
10. "Who is No. 3, is that a wide receiver? Just wanted to make sure they didn't have an option quarterback in there," -- Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine on Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.
Yeah, that was Victor Cruz. Of course, he wasn't Victor Cruz back then, but it's funny to think that he was so incredibly obscure that Pettine was worried there was a quarterback he didn't prepare for. This preseason game clip from Hard Knocks is beautiful for so many reasons, I had to watch it twice. There's Rhett Bomar and Jim Sorgi absolutely slinging the football, and of course a meeting with Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin on the field afterward where Coughlin totally pretends to know who Cruz was before the game started.
Ah, memories.
Hyperbole doesn't even begin to define the relentless optimism coming from coaches and players alike, but then again, that is why we all love the league.
In so many ways, training camp is the rebirth of the fan lifecycle. All is well, everyone is growing and no one has lost a game yet. All of the undrafted free agents have unique skill sets and will somehow squeeze onto the roster. All of the draft picks will pan out.
Sometimes, though, these statements get out of control and sound absolutely ridiculous in hindsight.
So in the spirit of the upcoming season of Hard Knocks featuring the Houston Texans, we've combed through all of the previous seasons to find the comments and statements that sound the most ridiculous as time has passed.
While the 2010 Jets could very well have populated the list on their own we're going to try and spread it around as much as possible.
1. "Brodie Croyle is obviously the future of this football team," -- Herm Edwards, Chiefs head coach (2007)
Back in 2007, Hard Knocks featured an epic training camp battle between Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle, the 6-foot-2 third-round pick from 2006 out of Alabama. While Croyle ended up starting six games that season, he never quite materialized into the passer the Chiefs hoped he would. Miraculously, he finished out his four-year rookie deal and latched on with the Cardinals for another two seasons. He finished his NFL career with an 0-10 record as a starter, and never had more than those six starts in a season.
Edwards, though, seemed high on the Alabama star and it legitimately pained him to make this decision. The Hard Knocks footage makes it easy to understand why. Croyle was clearly the more handsome option. He got into his muddy pickup truck to drive to training camp like he was starring in a Wrangler commercial. Unfortunately, the torch was passed to Tyler Thigpen the following year. Plot twist! No one ever saw Thigpen coming!
2. "He's going to come in and help from Day One. He's not a guy that takes three or four years to develop" -- Byron Leftwich, Jaguars quarterback (2004) on the team's first-round draft pick, Reggie Williams.
The funny thing about this, one is that it took Williams almost exactly four years to develop. Williams caught 27 balls for 268 yards and a touchdown in that rookie season, and never made a true impact until 2007, when he had 10 touchdown receptions off 38 catches.
Williams was a minor star in that 2004 rendition of Hard Knocks, mostly due to his major-league size. An official during the preseason asked Del Rio if Williams was a tight end, which seemed to make Del Rio excited about the giant receiver he'd drafted. MEGATRON PART ONE!
Poor Jaguars.
3. "Trey Junkin, he's a great longsnapper," -- A personnel assistant to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (2002)
The dreary Trey Junkin subplot of 2002 couldn't have been more accurately foreshadowed than in Hard Knocks with the Cowboys in 2002. Junkin was retired but signed late in the 2002 preseason, making a joke about his age immediately upon entering the building (He was over 40 then). He was released a short time later for an inability to consistently get the ball back to the holder.
Obviously, Junkin is most remembered for the only game he played in later that season. The Giants signed him for the playoffs where Junkin botched a crucial snap. Although time has revealed plenty of other reasons why New York lost that particular game, he bravely took all the heat for it. In hindsight, he was a great longsnapper, just not in 2002.
4. "I've never been a distraction on Twitter," -- Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson (then Ochocinco) in 2009.
Johnson was upset about Marvin Lewis' social media policy, which prompted the mercurial wide receiver to speak out about his then-frequent usage of Twitter. Less than a year later, he was fined $25,000 for Tweeting during a preseason game. We're guessing Lewis considered this a distraction.
Johnson was like your favorite recurring Simpsons character throughout Hard Knocks, whether he was doing some bizarre training in the ocean, or he was telling the good American people about the value of eating at McDonald's every day. We're all hoping Hard Knocks heads to Montreal in 2016.
5. "No. 10? No. 10? Man, who traded for him? How smart that guy was" -- then-Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum on an electric Santonio Holmes during practice.
In fairness to Mike Tannenbaum, the Holmes trade looked good for a little while, though major issues with the wide receiver were always lurking beneath the surface. Holmes was trying to be an assistant coach from the moment he walked in the door. His faux-leadership was like nails on a chalkboard to watch in retrospect. Oh, and he was also the focal point of a gigantic meltdown at the end of the 2011 season. It was the beginning of the end of the Rex Ryan era.
Watching this portion of the season, though, is like seeing those clips of the beginning of Woodstock '99. Everyone is just excited and there's no gigantic mess to clean up.
6. "You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. We're like a family out there. We spend so much time together and we put a lot of time into this. We have each other's backs -- then-Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (2012).
Oye. Richie. This comment came at the end of a particularly eerie segment where Incognito and the rest of Miami's offensive line shaved a bunch of awkward strips into Jonathan Martin's hair. While the rest of the coaching staff was talking about how "he doesn't say much," Martin was silently brooding over his treatment there. Obviously, things would never be the same in Miami again.
7. "We have given ourselves, as a franchise, a heck of a chance to come out of this thing with a Pro Bowl quarterback, or maybe two," -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 2002, speaking about Quincy Carter and Chad Hutchinson.
Remember this? Chad Hutchinson, a TWO SPORT STAR! Quincy Carter...the next RANDALL CUNNINGHAM! Though we're not sure how Jones envisioned both of them waltzing into the Pro Bowl, it became immediately clear that the 2002 Cowboys weren't setting any offensive records. Hutchinson ended up starting nine games and Carter took the other seven. Goodness, every time I read one of these names I'm more and more amazed that the Patriots have had just one actual starter since 2000.
Watching two seasons worth of Cowboys Hard Knocks, though, did make me appreciate Jerry Jones on a new level. The guy is an eternal optimist, which gives him that corporate glaze despite the fact that he's spent his entire life around football.
Not mentioned here is the swanky party at Dave Campo's house that Jones shows up to before making a beeline for the margarita machine. Man, I miss Dave Campo.
8. "I'm telling you, this kid is coming. He's coming!" -- Rex Ryan in 2010 on Vernon Gholston.
Ryan and his 2010 Jets will round out this list, though he was capable of so much more. Watching the Jets' 2010 Hard Knocks was like watching a war movie that followed the losing -- but plucky and emotionally earnest -- side. You got attached to the characters, you believed. Then, five years later, everyone is wearing different uniforms and pretending this whole thing never happened. As for Gholston, he has yet to register a sack in the NFL.
9. "You know what? I love (the talking). Whatever you're doing, do it again," -- Jets owner Woody Johnson to Rex Ryan before a preseason game in 2010.
This one is funny specifically because, five years later, the team had a marketing meeting that asked the team and coach to stop talking. At the moment, Johnson was reveling in all the positive attention and reactions from fans. After a few losing seasons though, he literally had marketing people come in and shut it down. BOLD NOT BRASH!
10. "Who is No. 3, is that a wide receiver? Just wanted to make sure they didn't have an option quarterback in there," -- Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine on Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.
Yeah, that was Victor Cruz. Of course, he wasn't Victor Cruz back then, but it's funny to think that he was so incredibly obscure that Pettine was worried there was a quarterback he didn't prepare for. This preseason game clip from Hard Knocks is beautiful for so many reasons, I had to watch it twice. There's Rhett Bomar and Jim Sorgi absolutely slinging the football, and of course a meeting with Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin on the field afterward where Coughlin totally pretends to know who Cruz was before the game started.
Ah, memories.
Sooo, what will be our regrettable line...?
"We're set at QB for years to come."???
Hard Knocks is coming, but does it really benefit a team?
Many (including me) think the Jets broke the Hard Knocks mold in 2010, and that every year since then the show has been trying to live up to something that won’t be recaptured until another Rex Ryan-coached team enters the spotlight again.
Before the Texans were selected as this year’s Hard Knocks guinea pig, Ryan danced around the possibility for doing in his first year with the Bills what he did in his second year with the Jets. Maybe he was being uncharacteristically coy. Or maybe he now realizes that his team didn’t really benefit from the assignment.
As the Texans prepare for the first episode of their turn under the Hard Knocks microscope, that’s the biggest question: Does it really help?
The Dolphins thought it would help. And it didn’t.
“When I see Bill Belichick allowing the Hard Knocks cameras into his organization, then I’ll believe the experience might be a good thing for the team,” Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tells Richard Deitsch of SI.com. “I do not think it serves the teams and I do not think it helped the Dolphins. Indeed, it made multiple players upset with coaches when they heard how some coaches spoke about them in private. It created some embarrassment for the players and fostered some distrust of the coaches. This from what players told me.”
It also didn’t help the Dolphins from a strategic standpoint, given that one opponent said he picked up the Miami snap count from watching the show. That opponent’s name is J.J. Watt, whose Texans will risk having their snap count picked up by opponents who watch this year’s show.
The late Steve Sabol, who like his father, Ed, should be in the Hall of Fame, routinely defended the Hard Knocks approach by pointing out that former Packers coach Vince Lombardi loved it when cameras were at practice, because it made his guys go at it harder. Steve Sabol said on many occasions that Lombardi would direct the NFL Films crews to pretend they were shooting practice even when the cameras didn’t have film in them.
Many (including me) think the Jets broke the Hard Knocks mold in 2010, and that every year since then the show has been trying to live up to something that won’t be recaptured until another Rex Ryan-coached team enters the spotlight again.
Before the Texans were selected as this year’s Hard Knocks guinea pig, Ryan danced around the possibility for doing in his first year with the Bills what he did in his second year with the Jets. Maybe he was being uncharacteristically coy. Or maybe he now realizes that his team didn’t really benefit from the assignment.
As the Texans prepare for the first episode of their turn under the Hard Knocks microscope, that’s the biggest question: Does it really help?
The Dolphins thought it would help. And it didn’t.
“When I see Bill Belichick allowing the Hard Knocks cameras into his organization, then I’ll believe the experience might be a good thing for the team,” Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tells Richard Deitsch of SI.com. “I do not think it serves the teams and I do not think it helped the Dolphins. Indeed, it made multiple players upset with coaches when they heard how some coaches spoke about them in private. It created some embarrassment for the players and fostered some distrust of the coaches. This from what players told me.”
It also didn’t help the Dolphins from a strategic standpoint, given that one opponent said he picked up the Miami snap count from watching the show. That opponent’s name is J.J. Watt, whose Texans will risk having their snap count picked up by opponents who watch this year’s show.
The late Steve Sabol, who like his father, Ed, should be in the Hall of Fame, routinely defended the Hard Knocks approach by pointing out that former Packers coach Vince Lombardi loved it when cameras were at practice, because it made his guys go at it harder. Steve Sabol said on many occasions that Lombardi would direct the NFL Films crews to pretend they were shooting practice even when the cameras didn’t have film in them.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
I can just see the Hard Knocks producers watching Arian go down with injury and thinking about the storyline that just dropped into their laps for HKHT 2015 acting like Ellen DeGeneres' character did in the movie EdTV when Ed kissed his brother's girlfriend in front of the reality TV cameras...
From the 1:13 mark:
From the 1:13 mark:
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Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
"So when it says yes, I usually leave the office," O'Brien on his conversations with the robotic Hard Knocks camera in his office.
"I look up at the camera and I say ‘are you filming me?’ ... and the camera has a way of saying yes(moves up-and-down) or no(moves side-to-side)" O'Brien on Hard Knocks in his office
"I look up at the camera and I say ‘are you filming me?’ ... and the camera has a way of saying yes(moves up-and-down) or no(moves side-to-side)" O'Brien on Hard Knocks in his office
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DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Seriously love this guy.Tania Ganguli @taniaganguli
"So when it says yes, I usually leave the office," O'Brien on his conversations with the robotic Hard Knocks camera in his office.
"I look up at the camera and I say ‘are you filming me?’ ... and the camera has a way of saying yes(moves side-to-side) or no(moves up-and-down)" O'Brien on Hard Knocks in his office
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First episode Tuesday, August 11 9:00PM CDT HBO
Charles James may be one of their story lines, one angry dude...
Texans cornerback Charles James (31) sings as he is followed to practice
by a "Hard Knocks" film crew during camp workouts with the Redskins.
Texans' James beats obstacles, emerges with life and passion intact
Charles James may be one of their story lines, one angry dude...
Texans cornerback Charles James (31) sings as he is followed to practice
by a "Hard Knocks" film crew during camp workouts with the Redskins.
Texans' James beats obstacles, emerges with life and passion intact
The fight the Texans showed Saturday in Richmond, Va.? James has been punching back his whole football life.
Who is James?
Watch his forearm ricochet off his shoulder pads, trying to break through to his pumping heart, and let a 25-year-old man who always has been overlooked tell you with one fiery word.
"Passion," James said. "Passion."
It's thick in the blood of the 5-9, 179-pound Texans cornerback. All those "Hard Knocks" cameras following every move the team makes are worthless if they don't discover No. 31 before cut day.
No Texan can touch James' training camp limbo story. Nobody can tell him he isn't where he's supposed to be.
"I done been through it all. I have no problem starting from the bottom," said the third-year pro, whose name isn't found on the team's depth chart.
James didn't grow up with his biological father. That's where the similarities between him and his childhood hard-luck pro brethren end.
"I always had my mom," James said. "Love her to death."
He also loved J.D. Hall. But when the Mandarin High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) football coach was just believing in James as an athlete and young man, life took his mentor away. Hall died from a heart attack at 35.
"He showed me the ropes of how to become a better football player, become a better man," James said. "I did not have my father figure."
College football had no interest in James. There are lifetime millionaires who hold on to rejection letters and missed NFL draft spots, fueled by the cold memories of all those who overlooked them. Then there's James, who exited Mandarin without a scholarship offer from any of the football-obsessed programs in the country.
"None. Not one," said James, his eyes burning almost a decade later.
A new lease on life
His answer? Try to walk on at little-known Charleston Southern, a small Christian liberal arts university along the South Carolina coastline. Taking out a personal loan for about $40,000, James "stalked" practices while wading through NCAA academic issues. He paid his own way to the Buccaneers' lower-tier FCS games. Just as he was finding his way in Charleston, a rainy night in Jacksonville nearly ended his life.
James was riding around with friends and heading home when the car in which he was a passenger spun, jumped a curve and ran into a tree. His body flew toward the windshield, his head slammed into the dashboard and he blacked out. When James' friends came to, his lifeless frame was found slumped outside the car.
"Normally what happens is, you die. You go through that window because you don't have your seat belt on and you die," James said. "They both thought I was dead from the get-go. But God was with me that day. … I'm blessed to still be here, man."
Given new life at Charleston Southern, James never let go. He began as the seventh cornerback, running with the never-seen fours on the depth chart. His first start soon followed: Tim Tebow's No. 1 Florida Gators on Sept. 5, 2009, in Gainesville. James' four-year college career ended with three All-Big South honors and the school record for interceptions.
"His faith has allowed him to believe he can overcome almost anything in his life," said Hank Small, Charleston Southern's athletic director.
Living on the edge
Of course, James didn't receive an NFL scouting combine invite and...
Who is James?
Watch his forearm ricochet off his shoulder pads, trying to break through to his pumping heart, and let a 25-year-old man who always has been overlooked tell you with one fiery word.
"Passion," James said. "Passion."
It's thick in the blood of the 5-9, 179-pound Texans cornerback. All those "Hard Knocks" cameras following every move the team makes are worthless if they don't discover No. 31 before cut day.
No Texan can touch James' training camp limbo story. Nobody can tell him he isn't where he's supposed to be.
"I done been through it all. I have no problem starting from the bottom," said the third-year pro, whose name isn't found on the team's depth chart.
James didn't grow up with his biological father. That's where the similarities between him and his childhood hard-luck pro brethren end.
"I always had my mom," James said. "Love her to death."
He also loved J.D. Hall. But when the Mandarin High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) football coach was just believing in James as an athlete and young man, life took his mentor away. Hall died from a heart attack at 35.
"He showed me the ropes of how to become a better football player, become a better man," James said. "I did not have my father figure."
College football had no interest in James. There are lifetime millionaires who hold on to rejection letters and missed NFL draft spots, fueled by the cold memories of all those who overlooked them. Then there's James, who exited Mandarin without a scholarship offer from any of the football-obsessed programs in the country.
"None. Not one," said James, his eyes burning almost a decade later.
A new lease on life
His answer? Try to walk on at little-known Charleston Southern, a small Christian liberal arts university along the South Carolina coastline. Taking out a personal loan for about $40,000, James "stalked" practices while wading through NCAA academic issues. He paid his own way to the Buccaneers' lower-tier FCS games. Just as he was finding his way in Charleston, a rainy night in Jacksonville nearly ended his life.
James was riding around with friends and heading home when the car in which he was a passenger spun, jumped a curve and ran into a tree. His body flew toward the windshield, his head slammed into the dashboard and he blacked out. When James' friends came to, his lifeless frame was found slumped outside the car.
"Normally what happens is, you die. You go through that window because you don't have your seat belt on and you die," James said. "They both thought I was dead from the get-go. But God was with me that day. … I'm blessed to still be here, man."
Given new life at Charleston Southern, James never let go. He began as the seventh cornerback, running with the never-seen fours on the depth chart. His first start soon followed: Tim Tebow's No. 1 Florida Gators on Sept. 5, 2009, in Gainesville. James' four-year college career ended with three All-Big South honors and the school record for interceptions.
"His faith has allowed him to believe he can overcome almost anything in his life," said Hank Small, Charleston Southern's athletic director.
Living on the edge
Of course, James didn't receive an NFL scouting combine invite and...
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Mari-OWNED!
Bucco Bruce
I'm sure there's a 0% chance it happens, but I'd love it if Hard Knocks is able to get footage of Jim Bernhardt with O'Brien. I've always been interested to see what their conversations are like, and see what exactly a "Director of Football Research" actually does. 
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Already done similar: http://www.patriots.com/video/2011/09/15/football-life-meet-bill-belichick
Part 1: http://www.veoh.com/watch/v64614229gf8BQksx
Part 2: http://www.veoh.com/watch/v64615776ZpmweRg2
I think they should force Belichick to actually answer questions at press conferences for 3 years... without "we're moving on..."
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CloakNNNdagger
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Didin't see this posted.
Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock 4h4 hours ago
The first episode of "Hard Knocks" with the Houston Texans comes on tomorrow at 9 pm CST on HBO.
Arian Foster injury
Camp Fights
QB battle
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HKHT promo: Vince playing roundball, throwing out "MJ", "Tim Duncan", and... Vlade Divac???
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000508454/Vince-Jordan-Wilfork-dominates-at-basketball
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000508454/Vince-Jordan-Wilfork-dominates-at-basketball
MEGA SWATT
All Pro
Just set the dvr. ( in case I forget to watch)
PapaL
Loose Screw
This prompted me to do the same. Thanks for the reminder!
Troy Chapman
Rookie
How did you embed the tweet?
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Actually I had to highlight this particular tweet, copy it, paste it.......then enclose it in quotes.
Troy Chapman
Rookie
oh ok
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Hard Knocks FAQ
The Houston Texans will be featured on the 10th season of “Hard Knocks”.
But what exactly does that mean, and what can we expect?
“Hard Knocks” is a sports-based reality documentary series produced by NFL Films and HBO which details the daily lives and routines, both personal and professional, of players, coaches and staff of an NFL team during its training camp and preseason.
The show offers a behind-the-scenes look at how a team prepares for an NFL season with a 30-person crew that shoots well over 1,500 hours of footage and has access to all aspects of the organization and its facilities, including team meetings, training rooms, living spaces, practice fields, offices and more.
“Hard Knocks” debuted in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens and has featured seven teams in its brief history, including the Ravens (2001), the Dallas Cowboys (2002, 2008), the Kansas City Chiefs (2007), the Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013), the New York Jets (2010), the Miami Dolphins (2012), and the Atlanta Falcons (2014).
The series, which has won 12 Sports Emmy Awards, and will feature five one-hour-long episodes.
Below are a few frequently asked questions about the series.
1. What time is each episode?
2. Other than live on HBO, where else can I watch 'Hard Knocks'?
HARD KNOCKS TALE OF THE TAPE
But what exactly does that mean, and what can we expect?
“Hard Knocks” is a sports-based reality documentary series produced by NFL Films and HBO which details the daily lives and routines, both personal and professional, of players, coaches and staff of an NFL team during its training camp and preseason.
The show offers a behind-the-scenes look at how a team prepares for an NFL season with a 30-person crew that shoots well over 1,500 hours of footage and has access to all aspects of the organization and its facilities, including team meetings, training rooms, living spaces, practice fields, offices and more.
“Hard Knocks” debuted in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens and has featured seven teams in its brief history, including the Ravens (2001), the Dallas Cowboys (2002, 2008), the Kansas City Chiefs (2007), the Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013), the New York Jets (2010), the Miami Dolphins (2012), and the Atlanta Falcons (2014).
The series, which has won 12 Sports Emmy Awards, and will feature five one-hour-long episodes.
Below are a few frequently asked questions about the series.
1. What time is each episode?
Episode #1
Debut: TUESDAY, AUG. 11 (9:00-10:00 p.m. CT)
Other hour-long episodes of the first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV – debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 8 season finale. Each episode replays Wednesday at 11:00 p.m.
Debut: TUESDAY, AUG. 11 (9:00-10:00 p.m. CT)
Other hour-long episodes of the first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV – debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 8 season finale. Each episode replays Wednesday at 11:00 p.m.
2. Other than live on HBO, where else can I watch 'Hard Knocks'?
Each episode available on HBO GO & HBO NOW the next morning.
HARD KNOCKS TALE OF THE TAPE
No. of NFL FILMS production staff assigned to HARD KNOCKS – 115
No. of crew that will be living with the team at training camp in Houston, TX – 30
No. of cameras assigned to shoot training camp – 14 (6 manned cameras; 8 robotic stationary cameras)
No. of hours expected to shoot – Over 1500 hours (300 per episode)
No. of consecutive days crew will work on the series – 46 (July 24 to Sept. 7)
No. of crew that will be living with the team at training camp in Houston, TX – 30
No. of cameras assigned to shoot training camp – 14 (6 manned cameras; 8 robotic stationary cameras)
No. of hours expected to shoot – Over 1500 hours (300 per episode)
No. of consecutive days crew will work on the series – 46 (July 24 to Sept. 7)
For anyone looking to watch that doesn't have cable - http://www.cutcabletoday.com/watch-hard-knocks-online/
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#TomSavageDontCare
Signed up for a free month of HBO Now yesterday just for Hard Knocks. The streaming in a PC web browser is terrible all jittery. Searching online there is no known solution for it.
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Behind the scenes with the Texans for 'Hard Knocks'
Tania Ganguli
Inanimate objects have become characters in Texans coach Bill O'Brien's life at work lately. They follow him around. They peer at him in his office. They cling to him, recording his words.
He talks to them sometimes.
"Hey you Hard Knocks guys, don't put that in there," he'll say into the microphone. Sometimes he'll talk to an unmanned camera stationed inside his office in Houston.
"I look up at the camera and I say, 'Are you filming me?'" O'Brien said.
The camera will nod.
"When it says yes, I usually leave the office," O'Brien said.
It's Drew Matyas, the robotic camera operator, who makes the camera answer O'Brien. He works from a windowless room in the annals of NRG Stadium previously used as a media work station before NFL Films settled into the building.
Tonight HBO will premiere the first episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans". The show is produced by NFL Films and many members of its 32-person crew will stay in Houston for the entire grueling six weeks of shooting. The first show comes from months of planning and weeks of constant filming. They'll shoot 350 hours for every one hour that airs.
For the past few seasons the Texans have been exempt from the show -- last year with a new head coach and prior because they were coming off playoff seasons. This morning, O'Brien sat down with director Matt Dissinger to review the show and make sure nothing in it affected their competitive advantage. Even hours before the show airs, scenes can be removed.
Five camera crews, one without sound, shoot most of the time. A sixth crew helps shoot practice. Fourteen robotic cameras are dispersed through O'Brien's office, general manager Rick Smith's office, the staff meeting room and four different position group rooms.
"I think in the beginning you really do notice them," O'Brien said. "They're there and it's hard not to notice them. But as time goes on, they definitely blend in. The director, Matt Dissinger, has been a really good guy to work with. It hasn't been an issue at all. Well, we'll see when the first show comes out. But to this point, it hasn't been an issue at all."
If O'Brien was apprehensive about the descent of Dissinger's crew into his facility, Dissinger says he hasn't seen it.
"The perception of what Hard Knocks is, is always worse than the reality," Dissinger said.
Tania Ganguli
Inanimate objects have become characters in Texans coach Bill O'Brien's life at work lately. They follow him around. They peer at him in his office. They cling to him, recording his words.
He talks to them sometimes.
"Hey you Hard Knocks guys, don't put that in there," he'll say into the microphone. Sometimes he'll talk to an unmanned camera stationed inside his office in Houston.
"I look up at the camera and I say, 'Are you filming me?'" O'Brien said.
The camera will nod.
"When it says yes, I usually leave the office," O'Brien said.
It's Drew Matyas, the robotic camera operator, who makes the camera answer O'Brien. He works from a windowless room in the annals of NRG Stadium previously used as a media work station before NFL Films settled into the building.
Tonight HBO will premiere the first episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans". The show is produced by NFL Films and many members of its 32-person crew will stay in Houston for the entire grueling six weeks of shooting. The first show comes from months of planning and weeks of constant filming. They'll shoot 350 hours for every one hour that airs.
For the past few seasons the Texans have been exempt from the show -- last year with a new head coach and prior because they were coming off playoff seasons. This morning, O'Brien sat down with director Matt Dissinger to review the show and make sure nothing in it affected their competitive advantage. Even hours before the show airs, scenes can be removed.
Five camera crews, one without sound, shoot most of the time. A sixth crew helps shoot practice. Fourteen robotic cameras are dispersed through O'Brien's office, general manager Rick Smith's office, the staff meeting room and four different position group rooms.
"I think in the beginning you really do notice them," O'Brien said. "They're there and it's hard not to notice them. But as time goes on, they definitely blend in. The director, Matt Dissinger, has been a really good guy to work with. It hasn't been an issue at all. Well, we'll see when the first show comes out. But to this point, it hasn't been an issue at all."
If O'Brien was apprehensive about the descent of Dissinger's crew into his facility, Dissinger says he hasn't seen it.
"The perception of what Hard Knocks is, is always worse than the reality," Dissinger said.
PapaL
Loose Screw
That means that the app users won't be able to see it live. ...whoa...
I like that O'Brien has a sense of humor about it, but you can tell his true feelings on it. He's not a showman like Rex Ryan. Dude is straight up head coach and is tolerating all of this to make his boss happy.
I think it is lame that some teams have done it twice, though. 10 years and 7 teams? Spread it around some.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
I believe it's shown at least three times before the next day's show. But on Demand is the most convenient.