Over the last few years, the intrigue and anticipation surrounding HBO’s “Hard Knocks” just hasn’t quite been there. Lately, the shows have been rather dull in comparison to previous years where you really got a great look behind the scenes and saw some great drama.
But lately, that just hasn’t happened.
That should change this year, especially with the in-season “Hard Knocks” that will feature the AFC North, in large part due to the presence of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
While names like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Myles Garrett and more are certainly intriguing in their own right, this will be the first time getting a true behind-the-scenes look at Tomlin. That has many fired up and anticipating the Dec. 3 debut for “Hard Knocks.”
That includes ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, a noted Steelers fan.
“Forget the damn quarterback controversy. Who the hell don’t wanna see Mike Tomlin on Hard Knocks?” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take when asked about his thoughts on HBO announcing the AFC North as the in-season edition. “Who don’t wanna see Mike Tomlin? You wanna see Mike Tomlin. You wanna see him and see how he’s going to act behind the scenes.”
Getting the chance to see how Tomlin operates in-season behind the scenes, addressing his team is rather intriguing. Tomlin has a certain way with words with the media, saying a lot without saying much, yet still getting his message across. He has his Tomlinisms, which are catchy and impactful, but behind the scenes he is described as a great leader and motivator.
Being able to potentially see that, especially in-season, down the stretch and hopefully in a playoff race, is very exciting. His presence alone in Hard Knocks adds a ton of intrigue.
“Mike Tomlin is a far more compelling personality than [Russell Wilson and Justin Fields]. It’s Hard Knocks, you understand what I’m saying?” Smith said. “Which I’ve called soft knocks. We know that…it’s been relatively non-intriguing, to say the least. That will change when you put the cameras in front of Mike Tomlin and Mike Tomlin talking to his team.
“Yeah, and I have no doubt. I think I already feel inspired.”
Appearing on Hard Knocks could be a real star turn for Tomlin. He’s rather reserved through the media, for the most part. He’ll have some outbursts that will generate headlines, like storming off the podium after being asked a question about his contract moments after the playoff loss to the Bills, or saying there is no blank check big enough for the USC head coaching job a few years ago.
But we typically don’t get to hear from him behind the scenes, outside of some meeting-room clips from “The Standard” during the offseason. Of course, we once heard how he talked about the Patriots in the locker room thanks to an Antonio Brown Facebook Live session back in the day, but now with Hard Knocks we should get a great look at it.
The intrigue is there. In the famous words of Bart Scott: Can’t wait!
