Hard Knocks is going Hollywood.
The league announced Wednesday that the Los Angeles Rams will be the focus in the 11th season of HBO's acclaimed documentary series that delves into one NFL team's training camp. The first episode will air Aug. 9.
Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times first reported the news.
"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 to get exposure to. What better way to do that than Hard Knocks?"
The NFL has tacitly acknowledged that the show's range and power are invaluable assets to professional football, regardless of any perceived invasion of privacy. For all of the coaches worried about losing a competitive advantage to prying eyes, the last six teams to appear on Hard Knocks have matched or improved their won-loss record in the season that followed.
The Rams will be interesting to track this summer as they transition to their new home. Yet to set up shop, they are expected to hold spring practices north of Los Angeles in Oxnard and move south to UC-Irvine for training camp before possibly settling on the Thousand Oaks area for a temporary in-season facility.
Casual football fans will be introduced to dynamicpower backTodd Gurley and ultra-disruptive defensive tackleAaron Donald, a pair of superstars with the potential to be the best at their respective positions for the next half-decade. Hardcore fans will watch with a jaundiced eye as the team's brass continues to make a case for Case as the starting quarterback.
Beyond those topics, we can expect the now classic training-camp storylines, including the lovable underdog, coach tantrums, position battles and rookie hazing.
Be sure to check back in August for Dan Hanzus' entertaining and all-encompassing Hard Knocks recaps.
