Raiders to appear in the next edition of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’
It’s now the Oakland Raiders’ turn.
HBO announced Tuesday that the Raiders will be featured in the 14th edition of the series “Hard Knocks.” The show gives a behind-the-scenes look at an NFL team during summer camp.
“Everyone wants to be Raider. Now they’ll find out what is takes to become one,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a team-issued release.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden is no stranger to television. He spent nine years as the lead analyst on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” before returning to the sidelines as the Raiders’ coach last season.
Gruden had expressed reservations about the Raiders’ participation but the team was one of five that could be forced to be on the show because they didn’t make the playoffs the last two seasons, didn’t have a new coach and hadn’t done the show the last 10 years.
The Raiders were an attractive choice due to their upcoming season being their last in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas. They also had some offseason acquisitions, trading for star wide receiver Antonio Brown, signing controversial free agents Vontaze Burfict and Richie Incognito and drafting three first-round draft picks in Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Abram. They also hired former TV analyst Mike Mayock as general manager.
Brown and quarterback Derek Carr tweeted their excitement that Raider Nation would be part of the series.
The other candidates for this season of “Hard Knocks” were the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.
Last season, the Cleveland Browns were featured. The Rams appeared in 2016.
The first of five episodes is set to air on Aug. 6.
Twitter: @edmgonzalez
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