15 years ago, HBO’s acclaimed “Hard Knocks” series made its debut by covering the Baltimore Ravens’ training camp in 2001.
Tonight, the series will return to cover the opening of Los Angeles Rams’ training camp, and if the offseason so far is any indication, it is shaping up to be one of the show’s best seasons yet.
With the Rams return to LA, the arrival of rookie quarterback Jared Goff, and the disarming charisma of head coach Jeff Fisher (okay, maybe not that part), this might be the most anticipated season of “Hard Knocks” yet.
I know that as a massive NFL fan, I’m very excited for the return of the series tonight. However, as a fan of the Ravens, I would like to see the series eventually return to cover them.
In my opinion, the 2001 season was fantastic; fresh off of a Super Bowl title, the Ravens were rife with storylines, some of which included the development of rookie tight end Todd Heap, as well as the team’s plans to make do without running back Jamal Lewis who had suffered a season ending injury.
A return to cover the Ravens again would be incredibly interesting from multiple standpoints. If the Ravens were to do so, several of the personalities that are currently on the team would shine.
Ravens’ Steve Smith Sr. would likely be gone, but others such as Terrell Suggs, Eric Weddle, and Brandon Williams would bring a certain memorable charm to the series that we’ve seen from players on other teams such as Chad Johnson and Charles James in recent seasons.
Some of the other positives for the Ravens would include quarterback Joe Flacco getting a chance to showcase his personality after years of being unfairly maligned for supposedly lacking one, as well as an unfiltered look at how Ravens head coach John Harbaugh operates behind closed doors.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline would be a look at how the front office operates during training camp, as Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and assistant general manager Eric DeCosta are often praised for their ability to bring in unheralded talents that prove themselves throughout the summer.
While I don’t think it is likely to happen anytime soon, I would love to see the Ravens get the “Hard Knocks” treatment once again. What about you? Let us know in the comments down below.