We should hear news soon about which team will be taking on the starring role of HBO's Hard Knocks season 15. Yes, there have been 15 seasons of the beloved show already. There is also a Hard Knocks In Season that premiered last year with the Indianapolis Colts. The Chicago Bears are one of four teams that cannot say no to being the center of attention of the show this offseason. Let's look at why this is the case.
To be eligible to be the team featured on Hard Knocks, a team must have missed the playoffs for two years in a row. The head coach of the team cannot be in his first year as the head coach. Finally, the team has not been featured on the show within the last 10 years. As mentioned, only four teams qualify based on these rules - the Bears, the Jets, the Commanders and the Saints.
George McCaskey does not want Chicago Bears featured on Hard Knocks
Let's be honest, it should not shock anyone that the owners of the Chicago Bears do not want to be the centerpiece of the NFL show Hard Knocks. This franchise has been tight-lipped on so many things that literally mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, did we really believe this would change? According to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain, George McCaskey had this to say about the HBO hit series.
""We feel there are a number of teams that have compelling stories to tell on Hard Knocks.""George McCaskey, Chicago Bears Chairman
I know, he isn't coming out and saying he doesn't want to see the Bears on Hard Knocks with that statement. However, paired with a response to a follow-up question, it's very obvious. The question was simply -- Bears included?
With that, McCaskey wittingly responded...
""31 others""George McCaskey, Chicago Bears Chairman
It's obvious that George McCaskey is only fine with the Chicago Bears providing behind-the-scenes access to Bears fans when they can control the content. This is why we get a YouTube video every few months titled 1920 Football Drive. This is why training camp isn't available unless you attend. This is why you are restricted by what you provide on social media if a beat reporter. It's all a little suspect as keeping these so-called secrets hasn't helped them in any way.
What do you think? I ran a poll on Twitter yesterday and it is clear that more than 70% of fans would like to see the Chicago Bears featured on Hard Knocks. Where do you fall? Want to see them in that starring role or do you want to keep the secrets locked in a vault?