Posted by Will BrinsonThings are getting a little awkward for HBO, as another team -- this time the Detroit Lions -- has declined to appear on "Hard Knocks."
Previously, the Bucs said no, and then Denver declined to appear, now the Lions.
Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions turned down the opportunity earlier this month, though no one's issuing a comment about the decision.
"It’s one thing to have cameras on the practice field. These guys are used to that and every day there’s cameras, fans watching them practice and things like that," Schwartz said last year about the show. "But when you start getting into meeting rooms, when you start getting into the cafeteria, into the dorms, into the locker room and things like that, it changes the vibe."
The Lions would actually be a pretty spectacular show to watch -- Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh will be an epic defensive tackle tandem starting as soon as there's football, Detroit is -- already -- a popular playoff sleeper in the NFL, and Matthew Stafford's ability to overcome injury heading into 2011 is a major storyline.
Plus, I'd tune in just to watch Jim Schwartz listen to Metallica in his office. But, the front office also knows this is a team trying to shed a losing culture that's permeated the entire organization for many years, and it's probably a smart move to keep egos, etc., in check by leaving the cameras at he door.
But, hey, there's always the Atlanta, guys!
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