To the surprise of many, New York Giants co-owner John Mara signed off on the team appearing in “Hard Knocks: Offseason” last year in celebration of their 100th season.
In hindsight, Mara might like to have that decision back.
Although the Hard Knocks variant was well-received by fans and analysts, it did little to make the Giants appear like a functioning, well-run franchise.
The five-episode docuseries instead highlighted their failed Saquon Barkley negotiations and inability to facilitate a draft day trade that would have rerouted the course of the organization. It also appeared to depict a rudderless team without an identity or purpose with multiple executives wanting different things.
As the season played out, the Giants looked even worse in retrospect. And for that reason, the other 31 NFL teams are wary about appearing on a second season of “Hard Knocks: Offseason.”
“There’s definitely a chance. We hope it’s back. We’re talking to a bunch of teams about it. But we’ll see what happens. I mean, we need a willing participant on that one. We’re not going to force someone to do that show,” NFL Films vice president Keith Cossrow said on The Pat McAfee Show.
“That show is about a process. And I think it’s really cool to have been able to make a show about, ‘Hey we’re going to start in January and we’re going to have an endpoint after the draft. And you’re going to see how a group of people, faced with really difficult decisions, goes about making those decisions.'”
The show only works if an organization is confident in its process and willing to share that with the world. The Giants were unjustly confident and paid the price for it. Sure, millions watched but only in the sense that they couldn’t turn away from a car wreck.
The flagship Hard Knocks will return in 2025 for its 25th season but the offseason version remains up in the air thanks to the Giants.
