User reviews

It should be noted, first and foremost, that this documentary will not be entirely clear to those not acquainted with the NFL. This show does not take one by the hand and explain all that is going on. It respects the football IQ of its viewers and makes numerous references to current players that are known to only those who have been following the NFL diligently in recent years. The strength of "Hard Knocks" is that it puts on display the real interactions between NFL players, coaches and people of power. It does a good job of capturing the attitude and style of thinking of this unique group of people. It is a world that, until seen, is still somewhat distant for even the most hard-core of football fans. One learns things like what exactly it is that coaches do, the kinds of hints they give their players, the minute details that determine whether one makes the cut or is placed on waiver wires.

One interesting aspect of the series was how blunt and cold-blooded the director of football operations, Jim Lippencott, was in releasing players. He stood in stark contrast to president/owner Mike Brown, a surprisingly affectionate man considering his position, who, it seemed, employed Lippencott simply because he did not have the heart to break unsettling news to his players, all of whom seem rather dear to him. One walks away feeling as if Brown is perhaps the most loyal and fatherly of NFL owners. This claim might be justifiable as his habit of taking in, grooming and retaining talented players with checkered pasts is unrivaled in the NFL. A key difference between Brown and, say, Al Davis, is that Brown does so with sincerity and grows quite attached to his players as evidenced by his comments made concerning Chris Henry, who passed away months after the filming of "Hard Knocks". Despite his troubles (which included multiple arrests), Brown strongly endorsed Henry and admits to his soft spot for the young, misunderstood wide receiver (Brown made an astonishing move by re-signing Henry shortly after having released him due to his latest bout with the law).

The only flaws this series had are related to dramatizing certain elements beyond necessity. This, of course, gives the documentary more of a story, which, is understandable considering the circumstances. Yet, one walks away feeling as if, the effect of players who, at best, will contribute minimally, was blown out of proportion. Though the coaches' assessments and reactions were real, it might be argued that the viewers were led to believe that lesser training camp competitions and certain, less-heralded rookies were essential to the Bengals' success.

My only two Hard Knocks I've seen are this and the Giants offseason one, so I'm drawing from a well of limited viewership.

The vibe of Bears hard knocks is all happy, rainbows and gumdrops since this is a team with a lot of hope going into the season. The Giants one was hilariously depressing, a real trainwreck that made for great TV.

Hardcore bears fanatics will definitely relish at the chance to get to know some of the lesser known players on the squad in stunning high definition HBO quality. Non-bears fans who are curious to get to know Caleb Williams will be pleasantly surprised at how normal and genuine a rich, Hollywood college QB like him really is.

As for the production, it's very respectful to Chicago culture and lore, but I expected a bit more creativity episode to episode. The finished product is entertaining, yet formulaic and predictable.

You can expect some funny clips of players bantering about random relatable stuff (ferrets, Love Island, Chicago culture...). Then some cool training camp action clips. Then the Bears tradition of making a rookie do a karaoke number (the God Bless the USA scene was legendary). Lastly, each episode finishes with an unbelievably well-shot preseason game.

My favorite elements of the episodes were definitely getting to know each player, and the preseason games.

Us bears fans got really lucky that they randomly dominated all 4 of their preseason games and scored tons of touchdowns, so the game sequences were really awesome to watch.

Overall it's just a cozy little show that gives a way to get to know the players before the season begins. And hey, hopefully we at least make the playoffs..

Bear down. 8/10.

Every year I get excited for this show and after watching it I'm pumped for the nfl season. HBO does a remarkable job letting the viewers inside nfl teams to catch a glimpse of what the life would be like. Makes me thankful for nfl football and thankful that my playing days are long gone.

Hard knocks is a really good watch if your a football fan in general. I like how it went into detail with the browns (because they were the featured team this year). By watching the Show I learned a lot about what it takes to get ready for the regular season and you realize how much work the team puts in during training camp just to get ready for the season. I also liked how it went into detail and featured certain players like Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, and Josh Gordon. I felt like that defiantly helped add to all the hype for Baker Mayfield. I also liked how it went into detail with the roster spot battles and featured the players that were on the cusp of making the 53 man roster. I think that proved how hard it is to make an NFL roster. Overall I'd recommend hard knocks to any NFL fan even if your not a browns fan. It is a great watch.

I had never watched Hard Knocks until last year with the Cowboys and in-season with the Colts. Love this series! I saw a behind-the-scenes video that showed a producer explaining that they hope to introduce you to your new second favorite team. That is exactly the vibe I get after watching each season. The camera work in-game in-season is incredible, and I love the human interest stories on every team they're able to capture. Makes you appreciate how hard these modern day gladiators have to work to make and stay on a team. And a shout-out to the composer of the theme song; I could listen to the Hard Knocks theme on repeat all day.

It's always been known that there's a disconnect between how the media/fans see the league and the team management, but this really helped to bridge the gap. Didn't learn too much from scouting and the combine episodes, but they didn't feel like filler episodes. A lot of the preseason and in season episodes tend to drag on so this was a refreshing change of pace.

Free agency was really the most fun to watch. Teams have to be able to adapt and have multiple plans in place for when another team outbids them. A lot of the GM phone calls reminded me of trying to work out trades in my 32 team dynasty leagues: everyone is looking to win the trade.

Rightfully so the draft got 2 episodes. It's pretty overwhelming the amount of prep that goes into scouting 200+ players but you get out what you put into it. Don't think it could have worked out much better for them!

All in all, great season. Hope they continue this series next year.

If you understand that this is an NFL promotional package written and edited by them with help from HBO then it's an ok watch.

Most of the stories are pointless, NFL players eating candy, riding bicycles as if they aren't regular guys. About 1/4 of the show is actual practice content as the teams don't want to reveal too much.

Be prepared to skip ahead a lot through the girlfriend stuff and scripted camera time in order to get to some decent content.

As an avid Hard Knocks enthusiast since it's inception, I can say this. The content is subpar to previous seasons to say the least. Liev Schriever who makes the show so compelling is almost nonexistent in the new season. Also, I have a hearing deficit. The subtitles that HBO are presenting don't match the the actual sound of the voices. In an attempt to lure NFL fans to the most exciting aspects of this season of Detroit Lions football, the series has focused solely on the coaching staff. There is and never will be a coach who makes up for an entire team's efforts. HBO should reconsider their approach next season if they want to keep Hard Knocks on the right Tracy. Footage of a player retuning his juggling skills didn't make any story interesting.