According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Browns will be the subject of HBO’s Hard Knocks this year.
Schefter tweeted:
The NFL could have forced any one of six teams to participate in the long-running HBO series, those teams included the Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, Redskins, 49ers, and the Browns. After surveying that group, it’s not surprising that the league would prefer Cleveland.
The Browns are one of the more interesting teams in the league. They’ve set a benchmark for futility stretching over the past, well, forever. The team has several interesting personalities such as wide receiver Josh Gordon, defensive end Myles Garrett, and incoming #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield.
In addition, head coach Hue Jackson has appeared on the series before when he was with Cincinnati, and is normally good for a sound-byte or two.
Not to mention the fact that no fan base in America has experienced “hard knocks” with the degree of ferocity and regularity that Browns fans have. Which, lends a certain amount of poetic justice to the whole thing.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn