It was announced earlier in the summer that the Cincinnati Bengals would be the subject of this "Hard Knocks" on HBO, and the time for its debut is upon us. The series will kick of next Wednesday, August 12th at 10pm, and should provide for some interesting television. Via HBO PR....

HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Cincinnati Bengals team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE CINCINNATI BENGALS debuts next month. The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – kicks off its fifth season WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO and presented in HD. New hour-long episodes air subsequent Wednesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 9 season finale, with regular encore plays on Thursdays.

“We are delighted that HARD KNOCKS will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on head coach Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals,” says Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. “There will be plenty on the line during training camp for veterans, free agents and rookies alike, and we are eager to chronicle all the passion, heartache and achievement.”

“This is a fascinating team,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol. “They’ve got a lot to prove to themselves and to the fans. As Coach Lewis has said, ‘This is a team with a chip on their shoulder.’ Training camp is a laboratory of human emotions and the Bengals have a compelling mix of personalities that should make for
dramatic television.”

Well I should say so, Marvin. The fact that you should have been fired two years ago, half your team has been arrested AND you brought Chris Henry back for a seventh time, should make for "dramatic television". I can't wait!

Yes! Our prayers have been answered folks. A week or so ago, I mentioned that the Bengals were being considered for the HBO show Hard Knocks, and today the team will announce that they are accepting the cable channel's offer. Via the Cincy Inquirer....

The Bengals are expected to be officially named on Thursday as the team that will appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp.”

The team has scheduled a noon press conference at Paul Brown Stadium to make “an announcement regarding a major development for the Bengals 2009 preseason."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and NFL Films President Steve Sabol are expected to be among the speakers.

The Bengals would be the fourth team to appear on the HBO series. Lewis was the defensive coordinator at Baltimore during the first season in 2001. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer appeared in the second season in 2002, which featured Dallas.

That is just about the best news, I've heard in awhile. If there are not solo story lines following Chris Henry and Andre Smith, I'm going to be very upset. Good job, HBO.

'Hard Knocks' taps Bengals (Cincinnati Inquirer)

Please, please, please let this happen! The Cincy Enquirer, via First Cuts, is reporting that the producers of HBO's Hard Knocks are seriously considering following the Bengals for the show this Summer....

The Bengals are being considered to be the featured team on this year's Hard Knocks:Training Camp series, which is aired on HBO in late July and August. No final decision has been made though by HBO or NFL Films, which produces the series. Both HBO and NFL Films like teams that train away from their home complexes during training camp, which makes the Bengals a fit. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also has experience with what the series entails. He was the defensive coordinator at Baltimore during the first year the series ran in 2000. There is one factor though that would make this seem like a weird arrangement -- team owner Mike Brown rarely gives interviews anymore (and he would have to be on TV plenty for this series).

What a great idea, HBO! This will bring an entirely new meaning to the term "Hard Knocks", especially when you consider that they just brought in head case Andre Smith into the fold. This better happen!

HBO Considers Bengals For 'Hard Knocks' (First Cuts)

This segment of Hard Knocks started out as a look into how some players, like Terrell Owens, deal with the media. Somehow though it quickly turned into a montage of Peter King shoveling his face with popcorn and I couldn't stop laughing.

Hahaha. How random was that? After the Josh Elliott pizza story, I think we officially know how to shut up Peter King. Just put a vat of food in front of him (now if that could only work for him in print as well....hmmmm?).

Also, how pissed would you be if you were painted in that light? Peter King probably didn't take it this way but he seriously got punked by HBO and the Cowboys.

I'm still of the mind set that Hard Knocks is pretty much always entertaining, but this season hasn't been the greatest. It definitely pales in comparison to previous years, but it still has its moments. I've pulled out everything "relevant" from the second that's noteworthy and our grand total is a three minutes. That's pretty bad for an hour show.

Episode Two Featuring: Jerry Jones' Grandkids, Magic Johnson, Ms. Price, Zach Thomas' Ass Muscles, Shrinkage and T.O.'s Driving Habits (it's a tad NSFW so be careful)

In all honesty, you're not really missing anything if you don't get HBO. Hopefully these clips will give you a sense of what's going down, but I think this quote from Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News sums the show up best....

Romo continues to be a bit player while the cameras appear to love Terrell Owens almost as much as he loves himself.

Almost halfway through the series and not a single tense moment. Things will heat up just as they did in The Godfather. They have to. Or else they'll have to change the series name to Soft Knocks.

'Knocks' a tough way to find out you've been cut (Dallas Morning News)

I was looking forward to the first episode of Hard Knocks almost as much as I was looking forward to the Hall of Fame Game. I also can't say I was disappointed in the least either. Being the start of camp there wasn't much Football outside of a gigantic block from Marion Barber, but the first showing was still good. Pacman was Pacman, T.O. was T.O. and Jerry was Jerry.

I put together a four minute clip of highlights in case you missed the showing or don't have HBO. Enjoy!

Ahh, good times. I'm still not quite sure how Adam Jones gets to welcome anyone to the Cowboys, but I'm not going to be the one to argue with him. Other highlights from the show included the T.O.-Pacman one on one battle, Rookie RB Keon Lattimore (MD) falling up some stairs, and the coaches slobbering over Jason Witten. There was no Jessica Simpson, which is good, but you know she's coming on at some point. Should be a good season.

Your First Episode Of Hard Knocks In Just Four Minutes (Deadspin)

I know there have been a ton of posts here on the season debut of Hard Knocks, but I seriously can't get enough of the show. I'm still really interested to see what angle they ultimately take with the program, but here director Rob Gehring tries to answer that and some of the other questions about the show....

It's going to be a good time, and get this....Actor Liev Schrieber is back on narrator duty! I'll have more on the first episode and highlights tomorrow. Oh and Patrick Crayton, you really need to stop talking. Calling Green Bay's situation a soap opera? Pot meet kettle.

As if the Dallas Cowboys didn't have enough to worry about, now HBO Sports is trying to convince Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones to let HBO hang around for an entire season. Via the SA Express News....

HBO Sport president Ross Greenburg said he hasn’t ruled out the Cowboys being on “Hard Knocks” next summer when they return to San Antonio for camp.

Greenburg said he also recently talked with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about doing a series during the season.

“You never know,” Greenburg said Monday when asked if the Cowboys could be featured on “Hard Knocks” in back-to-back years. “I’d never rule it out because Jerry thinks so progressively, so dynamically, and this is a team that is on the cusp of doing something great this year. If they were to win the Super Bowl, it wouldn’t be bad to do the Super Bowl champions (on ‘Hard Knocks’).

“The other thing is (Jones) opened the door in a conference call last Friday to doing (a series on) the Cowboys during the regular season. Can you imagine? That’s a dream we’ve always had, so maybe someday that will happen as well.”

Obviously it wouldn't be until next season, and I certainly wouldn't disapprove of the idea, but talk about a huge distraction. If the Cowboys exit in the Playoffs again this year they'd be idiots to even consider this. I'm certainly not rooting for the team (lord knows), but you have to limit the distractions as best you can. I also read that Jerry Jones thinks that HBO's coverage of the team would actually help them train. Ummm suuuuuure. We shall see, overlord.

In the end, a whole season of Hard Knocks would be like NFL Films on steroids though. How awesome would that be? Especially if the team is full of plotlines like the Cowboys.

Notebook: HBO could extend Cowboys coverage (San Antonio Express-News)

So Hard Knocks' fifth season gets underway this Wednesday with the Dallas Cowboys the centerpiece of the training camp documentary. I presumed when the selection was announced that HBO wanted as much drama as possible, but they're saying that the ultimate goal isn't to turn the show into something that would air on E! Entertainment....

The inside-football training camp show seems to have called an audible, going Hollywood with the characters from "America's Team." But Ross Greenburg is trying hard to sack that notion.

"I'm telling you, we are going to attack this 'Hard Knocks' the same way we have attacked all of the other 'Hard Knocks,' " the HBO Sports president says.

"We're not going to make this an E! half-hour entertainment show on Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson."

"Ninety-five percent of our efforts will be focused on what happens on the field and in the locker room," Sabol says.

And Greenburg maintains that's the right call for this five-week run. "All I can say is, 'Trust us.' "

I call shenanigans but I guess only time will tell. I personally don't think you can have it both ways because hardcore fans will hate the soap opera aspect and the fans looking for drama will hate all the Football.

In other news, it's good to see that Jessica Simpson isn't still a distraction. From The Sun via SbB....

The Dukes Of Hazzard actress uses a webcam to transmit red-hot routines to Dallas Cowboys’ TONY ROMO — to keep alive their romance while they are apart.

A pal said: “Jess has no problem showing Tony her favourite ‘PUSSYCAT DOLLS’ routine. She will dance in front of her camera until she makes her man happy.”

“Jess does get paranoid, making sure Tony doesn’t have any of his Cowboys buddies peeking in on the show.”

I guess it'll be interesting one way or another!

Tackling Dummies (NY Post)
Jessica Simpson Wiggles On Webcam For Romo (Sports by Brooks)
Jessica's sexy web strips (The Sun)

If you've been reading the site for awhile you should be plenty aware of my affinity for the HBO Show Hard Knocks. Well prepare for the biggest soap opera of a team that the network could get. Via Dallas News....

The Dallas Cowboys are not only going back to California for training camp, they are expected to once again invite HBO to broadcast their every move.

A deal is "imminent" that will allow NFL Films to film five to six weeks of training camp in Oxnard, Calif. and air it on the HBO show Hard Knocks, according to a source.

Training camp opens in late July. Last season, the Cowboys held training camp in San Antonio.

I thought this was a bad idea at first considering they already covered the Cowboys in 2002, but that team had a guitar playing backup QB as the main storyline and this team has Ms. Jessica Simpson, T.O., and Pacman Jones. As much as I can't stand the Cowboys they are equally intriguing to me. They're a great choice as far as viewership goes, and any team is going to be more exciting than the Kansas City Chiefs.

Source: Dallas Cowboys deal with HBO 'imminent' (DallasNews.com)