It may seem like common sense, but the Buffalo Bills and “Hard Knocks” are a match made in heaven for HBO.
So NFL Films vice president and executive producer Ken Rodgers detailed why the Bills were a perfect fit for “Hard Knocks” this training camp.
The NFL altered the rules to allow Buffalo to appear on the annual HBO training-camp show, since teams that had qualified for the playoffs previously were ineligible.
But of all the teams, Buffalo made the most sense to HBO.
Why Are The Bills Perfect For ‘Hard Knocks?’
The Bills of course are star-laden, led by reigning MVP Josh Allen, and they have been knocking on the door of the Super Bowl the past five seasons.
Yet, there was an “it” factor in regards to the Bills being on “Hard Knocks” for the first time.
“It felt like we had enough years here of an audience outside the Buffalo Billsâ fandom knowing the Bills, but not knowing enough about the Bills,” Rodgers told The Athletic. “Theyâve gotten their national appearances. Theyâve gotten their playoff runs. Theyâve gotten their awards, including last yearâs MVP. But I donât think enough people know about them and what their philosophy is and what mindset created this current run of success.
“Thatâs a shame, and it makes me feel like theyâre the perfect team to expose outside their own fandom. ‘Hard Knocks’ has a larger, casual fan base than most other NFL programming.”
Rodgers, who directed the 1990s Bills documentary “Four Falls of Buffalo,” has directed “Hard Knocks” since 2007. He appreciates the organization’s, and especially coach Sean McDermott’s public ambivalence to being featured.
But Rodgers also thinks the Bills will benefit nationally from the experience.
“Almost every coach wants to stay under the radar, but âHard Knocks,â to its credit, is so popular that it really raises the profile of the team we feature,” Rodgers said. “Itâs antithetical to an organizationâs goals sometimes.
“But the way I view it â and I think this is exactly how the Bills are treating it â is that the football staff probably doesnât want to travel to Europe for games, probably donât want to play on Thursday nights or Monday nights. If they could, they would play at home at 1 oâclock on Sunday every week. Routines, you know?
“But the National Football League is, in the end, an entertainment business and a licensing business and a fan engagement business. Once youâre chosen to play in Europe, once youâre playing on Thursday night out on the West Coast, you accept it, you move on, you manage it and you try to maximize that experience.”
When Does ‘Hard Knocks’ Air?
NFL Films reportedly deployed 35 crewmembers to Western New York to feature the Bills, and among the topics they are sure to tackle will be Allen’s recent nuptials with actor/singer Hailee Steinfeld.
But Bills fans who are pining to see just how their beloved team is portrayed will have to wait until Aug. 5 for the first episode. The show will air every Tuesday for five weeks through Sept. 2, and even Rodgers isn’t sure what will happen.
“I donât mean to sound mystical, but itâs about being open to the universe,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens, and weâre going to cover it. People always ask us, ‘Whatâs going to be on the next episode?’ We sort of laugh because whatever it is hasnât happened yet, literally. We donât know!”
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