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Hard Knocks a Blessing or Curse for Rams?

By Michael Booker

Mar 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Los Angeles Rams helmet and NFL Wilson Duke football and the Olympic torch at the peristyle end of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum will serve as the temporary home of the Rams after NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow Rams owner Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to relocate the franchise for the 2016 season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Los Angeles Rams helmet and NFL Wilson Duke football and the Olympic torch at the peristyle end of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum will serve as the temporary home of the Rams after NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow Rams owner Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to relocate the franchise for the 2016 season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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There is no doubt that the NFL is king here in the United States.  The NFL as an organization has managed to not only put a product on the field that people love to see, they continue to find new ways to stay in the public eye.  Whether it is the draft, or the start of free agency, fans never have to go too long before the NFL is front and center once again.

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One of the annual off-season events that fans have come to look forward to when it comes to the NFL is the HBO series, Hard Knocks.  When deciding on who will participate, the NFL looks at a number of factors.  For example, teams that have a new coach, have made the playoffs within the last two years, or have been on Hard Knocks in the last decade often are exempt from being forced to participate.  Given these rules, the Rams have been a team considered in the running for a few years now.

With the Rams moving to Los Angeles this year, it only makes sense that the NFL announced that starting on August 9th, 2016, the Rams will also be going to Hollywood.

So, now that the Rams participation in Hard Knocks is confirmed, should this be considered a good thing or bad thing to Rams fans?

One of the biggest knocks (pun intended) against the show in the past, as well as one of the biggest reasons fans should be concerned, has been the fact that it can create unnecessary distractions for a team.  While there is no real measurable data that shows Hard Knocks is a negative distraction for teams that participate, it can’t be denied that any scenario that causes a team to deviate from their normal routine at least poses a risk.  Given that the Rams are already dealing with a huge distraction in the form of a move to Los Angeles, it is a more than valid concern that this show might make for one too many distractions in a single off season.

This concern is magnified when you consider the fact that the Rams are one of the youngest teams in the NFL.  The Rams have a lot of question to answer this year, both on and off the field.  Putting this young team, lacking in veteran leadership at a number of key positions, in front of the cameras might potentially help to derail this season before it even begins.

On the flip side, there are a number of reason why fans should be excited about this announcement.  Distractions aside, this move makes a lot of sense for the team when it comes to connecting to the fans.  The Rams are showing a real effort to reach out and connect to their new community.  This show gives them an additional outlet to do just that.  This show will give a whole new group of potential Rams fans a chance to get to know this team and learn what it is like for players and an organization to make such a huge change.

Hard Knocks may also give a number of players on the Rams a real opportunity to make names for themselves and show their star power.  The Rams currently have two of the most exciting young players in the league in Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley.  Hard Knocks can be their coming out party, so to speak, to the Los Angeles community.

In an article for the Los Angeles Times, Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff shared a belief in many of the positives discussed above when speaking about this announcement:

“We have one of the youngest teams, a lot of talented players — back-to-back rookies of the year — that we want people to start getting exposure to.  What better way to do that than with ‘Hard Knocks’?”

But it is not just the front office showing excitement for this decision:

While the concerns about the team being on this show remain valid, it is clear the organization sees this as a good opportunity for the team.  With everyone from the players on up so excited, it is much more likely that everyone involved will do their best to make this experience a positive one for everyone involved.  Ready or not, the Los Angeles Rams are headed to primetime.

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