Texans Owner Bob McNair believes the team appearing on HBO's "Hard Knocks" will "benefit not only his franchise but also the NFL at large, given all the negatives the league has confronted of late," according to Dale Robertson of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. McNair said, "The last year has not been the best year for public relations for the NFL. Our team has not had the kind of problems that have existed with many teams. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for the rest of the country to see that we've got a first-class group of players and coaches. This is the way we'd like to see the game presented. I think it's something that will be very positive -- and not just for us, but for the league." HBO yesterday officially announced the Texans landed the gig, and Robertson writes the "star attraction from the get-go figures to be DE J.J. Watt. "Hard Knocks" co-Dir and Producer Matt Dissinger will "head up a crew of about 30, broken into 'five or six groups of two or three people.'" Dissinger: "We also have up to eight robotic cameras that we place in the coaches' offices. What eventually happens inevitably in every one of these camps is that we blend into the background, and at some point between weeks one and two, inevitably a coach or player will say, 'Man, I don't even notice you guys are around anymore'" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/28).
CANDID CAMERA: ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli wrote Texans coach Bill O'Brien "fits the mold of a coach who wants to be extra-careful about what is revealed." Ganguli: "So how did O'Brien feel about the idea of NFL Films cameras ... infiltrating his space?" McNair was asked twice about it yesterday during the press conference, and said, "We had discussions about it. The main thing is that we're not going to be doing anything that's going to give any of our opponents a competitive advantage and NFL Films understands that. Really that's not what they're trying to represent and present, so that was the main focus of any discussion. I think we're all comfortable with it" (ESPN.com, 5/27). HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said that the Texans "represent all the elements that have helped define the 'Hard Knocks' training camp series as a unique brand for sports and reality TV." He added, "What makes the show special is the combination of a great franchise and great personalities and access so that we can pursue the storylines that are of most interest to our viewers. Houston has a lot of new high-impact players and a quarterback battle brewing, all the great elements you look for" (CHRON.com, 5/27).
BROWN OUT: In Cleveland, Tom Reed reported the Browns met with "Hard Knocks" producers at the NFL owners meetings in March and "expressed a desire not to participate." Among their reasons was a "desire to shield" QB Johnny Manziel from "further publicity after he spent more than two months in an inpatient rehabilitation facility specializing in alcohol and drug addiction treatment." The Browns were "one of nine teams eligible based on criteria set forth by the league" (CLEVELAND.com, 5/27). Browns coach Mike Pettine: "When we decided not to volunteer for Hard Knocks, we discussed everything that was involved with it. ... You just weigh everything in. Because being a part of Hard Knocks, knowing they’re going to look to cover the team’s biggest, current storylines, it’s obvious that (Manziel) would be a point of attention" (OHIO.com, 5/27).
