Although the Cleveland Browns appear to be the frontrunners to star in this season’s HBO reality show Hard Knocks, the Houston Texans are also in the running. The self proclaimed first ever sports-based reality series follows one NFL team through it’s offseason activities, training camp and preseason.
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On Monday, Texans’ owner Bob McNair confirmed that his franchise was mulling over the opportunity as the series looks for teams to volunteer first, before the league forces a club to participate.
"“It’s something we’re considering, but I haven’t decided,” McNair told the Houston Chronicle on Monday at the NFL’s Annual Owners Meeting in Arizona. “It’s a distraction, but it’s something people like to see…Our first responsibility is to do everything we can to win on the field. So the question is, what impact does that have on you?”"
Texan’s head coach Bill O’Brien has gone on record as not wanting his team to appear on the show. Previous head coach Gary Kubiak believed the Hard Knock series was a competitive disadvantage for the spotlighted franchise.
If the Texans decide not to volunteer to be the subject of the HBO reality series, they could be forced to do so by the NFL. According to league rules, only franchises who have appeared on the series in the past 10 years are exempt. Also exempt are teams with a first-year head coach and clubs that have been in playoffs in the last two years.
That leaves the Texans as one of nine NFL franchises who could be forced to appear as the subject of the show. The other teams in consideration are the Washington Redskins, the New York Giants, the Tennessee Titans, the St. Louis Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Minnesota Vikings, and the aforementioned Browns.
Here’s a list of all the teams who have appeared on the series in the past:
Baltimore Ravens (2001)
Dallas Cowboys (2002)
Kansas City Chiefs (2007)
Dallas Cowboys (2008)
Cincinnati Bengals (2009)
New York Jets (2010)
Cincinnati Bengals (2013)
Atlanta Falcons (2014)