Ryan Poles shares his thoughts on ‘Hard Knocks’: ‘I get the program’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Barring an unlikely volunteer from an NFL team, the Bears will likely become the next subject for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” offseason program, which follows a team around during training camp.
That’s simply speculation. But the Bears have built up inarguably the most attractive case to be next season’s subject of the show.
What does Ryan Poles think of the show for his team?
“In terms of being in favor of it, there are some distractions that come along with it,” Poles said on ESPN 1000. “But it’s one of those things that you learn in this league is that you adjust and adapt to whatever shows up. If it’s here, we’re rolling with it. If it’s not, we’ll keep it moving.”
Zero teams in the NFL want HBO on their front doorstep with cameras and inside access to their facilities. That’s a no-brainer. It is a distraction one team, and one division in-season, must face every year. But the Bears have been publicly against the documentary.
“We’re told there is some interest in other teams being on the program and we welcome that interest,” McCaskey said at the NFL Owner’s meetings in Orlando in March.
Remember, just because an NFL team doesn’t want to participate, doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods. The NFL can and will force one team to participate in the program if the team meets certain criteria.
To force a team to participate, a team must meet these three criteria:
1) The team does not have a new head coach
2) The team has not made the playoffs in the previous two seasons
3) The team hasn’t been on “Hard Knocks” in the past 10 years
The only three teams to meet the criteria this offseason include the Saints, Broncos and Bears. It’s all but likely one of those teams will be chosen this offseason to become the subject of the documentary. And it’ll likely be the Bears.
Poles admitted on ESPN 1000 that he hasn’t heard if the NFL plans to force the Bears into becoming the documentary’s next subject. And while he’s not in favor of his team being the focus, he understands the novelty behind the program.
“I get the program. I watch ‘Full Swing.’ I watch F1 stuff. I think it’s cool to see behind the scenes,” Poles said. “But when it’s your own, it hits you a little bit differently.”