The “Hard Knocks” season premiere is finally here. On Tuesday night, HBO and NFL Films will give fans unprecedented access to the Bears as they go through training camp and gear up for the regular season.
“Hard Knocks” is a long-running show that follows a similar format every year, so we know what to expect. A star will invite cameras into their home to give fans perspective on their personal life. A young player trying to make the 53-man roster will win over the audience with their underdog story. There will be slo-mo highlight reels narrated by Liev Schreiber. Lots and lots of slo-mo highlights narrated by Liev Schreiber.
Of course there will be some unexpected moments as well, and those are the moments that typically become immortalized in “Hard Knocks” history. Along those lines, these are some of the things we’re most interested to see this summer. Some serious. Some not so serious.
HOW DOES CALEB WILLIAMS INTERACT WITH AND LEAD HIS TEAMMATES?
Throughout the entire pre-draft process, we’ve heard countless examples of how Williams’ character off the field matches his talent on the field. But most folks don’t get to see what that looks like in real life. While “Hard Knocks” will only give us a glimpse of how Williams acts in the classroom or when hanging out at home, it will give fans a new perspective on the new quarterback.
WHO IS THE BIGGEST TRASH TALKER?
The defense is louder than the offense on the practice field, from DeMarcus Walker talking trash to Andrew Billings yelling “MOVE!” to induce false start penalties. It’s audible from the stands, so it’s sure to be loud on the show. The boom mics have also followed some of the notable trash talkers on the team in the early practices, like Tyrique Stevenson and Jaquan Brisker. It’ll be fun to see who is the most creative with their smack talk, who chirps the most, and how everyone else reacts to it.
Chicago Bears
WHAT WILL HBO HIGHLIGHT IN THEIR CHICAGO INTRO?
Every season of “Hard Knocks” spotlights a different part of a city’s or team’s culture in the opening credits sequence. The Buccaneers season had players running on the beach to represent Florida. The Jets had drone shots of Manhattan and Central Park to show off New York City. The Browns had players hitting tires with hammers because… Cleveland?
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There are plenty of things HBO could go with for Chicago: Big linemen eating deep dish and Italian beef, glamor shots of the Bean and Millenium Park, or people enjoying the lakefront would all work well. Shots of "L" trains winding through the city seem like a given.
HOW DOES MATT EBERFLUS COMMAND THE ROOM?
We’ve seen a few social media videos of Eberflus in the locker room, or talking with players during the draft, but not much from Eberflus as he goes over a game plan. When the Colts were featured on the show back in 2018, Flus made a few appearances in front of the team. He was the team’s defensive coordinator at the time and made “ball hawk” shirts for players who created takeaways. He’s brought the ball hawk ideas to Chicago in the form of his Ball Hawk Award.
What else will we learn about Eberflus as a head coach this summer?
WHO’S THE BIGGEST CLASS CLOWN?
One of the big draws of “Hard Knocks” is that you get to watch players goof around in between practice periods, or in the meeting rooms before installing a gameplan. They’re humanizing moments and players seem to let their guard down more as they get used to HBO’s cameras. A mild-mannered guy at the podium could turn out to be one of the team comedians in other settings.
HOW BIG IS MATT EBERFLUS’ APIARY?
Earlier this year we learned that Eberflus is a beekeeper. He’s got an apiary at his house and even bottles his own honey.
With any luck we’ll get a look at the head coach in full beekeeping regalia, tending his hives.
