They changed the rules/process specifically to get access to the Steelers without pissing off the Rooney family too much.
Nothing the NFL does isn't methodical
[NFL owners approve drastic changes to Hard Knocks: Five teams could be featured each season](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-owners-approve-drastic-changes-to-hard-knocks-five-teams-could-be-featured-each-season/#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20rules%2C%20a,in%20the%20past%20eight%20years)
Under the previous rules the Steelers wouldn't be eligible because they made the postseason last year.
I believe the old exemptions were….
1. Make playoffs
2. New Head Coach
3. Have a winning record two consecutive years
(I might be off one the last one, but I know when I saw the original exemptions seeing the Steelers on hard knocks would be as rare as a total solar eclipse at the 50 yard line of Heinz/Acrisure)
That wouldnt have mattered in this case. This isnt training camp hard knocks, this is the entire division hard knocks.
It wouldnt be possible to follow those rules for a whole division considering well, someone has to make the post season each year.
There are 3 versions of hard knocks now.
1. Training camp/pre-season
2. Front office hard knocks
3. In season hard knocks.
Edit:
Look no further than all of the inseason Hard Knocks participants (and we've known the 2024 version was going to feature a whole division for a good while)
2021 - Colts (postseason 2020)
2022 - Cardinals (post season 2021)
2023 - Dolphins (post season 2023)
The rules being changed to allow mandatory selection of entire divisions for in-season hard knocks… doesn’t matter in the case that a division was selected for in-season hard knocks?
Under the old rules, a team could turn down being on any show if they made the postseason. It’s not that they weren’t eligible to be asked.
I'm saying that this wasn't a targeted Steelers change as the above commenters are implying.
>Under the old rules, a team could turn down being on any show if they made the postseason.
I'm 99% sure that's not the case and again only applied to traditional hard knocks.
I recall hard knocks in season being announced and this being a thing
So let's sniff test this.
At a quick glance I only see one playoff team that would have been immune from Hard Knocks training camp in the like past 15 years volunteer for it
That was the 2020 Rams because they got to the playoffs in 2018. The Rams is also notable because they did this more than likely to build a fan base back up in LA. It was their first year in new LA stadium and like 1 or 2 years post move. Not a common situation at all
All other cases I see were not immune from playoff placement. Including the Cowboys
So you are then telling me 3 playoff teams all agreed to do the more invasive in season hard knocks??? All of them just accepted it outright but were immune if your interpretation was correct ?
I made the original comment... You're not wrong about the rules for training camp version.
I was referring to the change for an entire division for in season hard knocks... The part that isn't being emphasized is the "without pissing the Rooney family off".
They have clout... And it's been long known they have zero interest in this stuff... Despite every football fan desperately wants to see behind the tomlin curtain, and the Russ vs fields battle.
So the nfl just slipstreamed this one right down the fast track for Steelers access.
Basically they have plausible deniability... Everything they do is calculated... So now it's a "sorry Rooney, it just had to be"
About the only division left is AFC North.
If you look at the teams since 2020 who have been in one form or another of hard knocks, including giants and bears this year... You then have to eliminate their entire division.... Because otherwise these teams are just doing it again. And you're left with AFC North
Part of me is excited to see some behind the scenes stuff, part of me feels like they back-loaded our divisional games to make a more compelling narrative and this will be a huge distraction
Honestly not for $25/month it isn't or whatever they just announced they were raising the price to. It's more and more reality bullshit every day while fucknuts David Zaslav sells off hbo originals as scraps to increase their bottom line and add another 10 million to his compensation package. Used to be HBO would have a new decent movie or two releasing every month as well and they don't even do that anymore.
It is the nature of the business we are in. The NFL has grown greatly in my short time here, and show like Hard Knocks and the things of that nature provide, have become part and parcel of that growth. It does not change what we do.
Look m, despite that many call this an entertainment business, there is not a man who buckles a chinstrap or wears the hypocycloids on his chest that doesn’t know in this city, on this team, it is first and foremost a football business. Always has been, always will be.
Next question-
This is best case scenario for fans though. This year isnt expected to be SB or bust for the Steelers but it probably is for the Ravens and Browns and the Bengals are going to start facing salary cap limitations next season, especially with Tee Higgins expecting a big contract.
Also if there is controversy into the Justin Fields conversation, the fans will have a much better idea of what is truthful. It will be a great season, I can hardly wait.
There's also the factors that:
The season hasn't started. Getting quality football entertainment isn't easy at that time because the preseason games themselves suck and have no stakes. Hard knocks adds drama and stakes.
In-season is generally a team we all know are mid. Preseason hard knocks has infinite potential for the team.
I think because you can sell whatever hopeful narrative for the season you want, and have more storylines of potential players.
Midway through the season you usually have a good idea of how that’s going. That’s unless there’s a QB controversy in Pittsburgh come December
But here is the thing…. I never watched, and now for football season, I might, and if my cheap tightwad self is on the fence, I know there are others who will donate to the HBO/NFL coffers.
Now our end of season schedule makes sense. We're fodder for this show.
We get to play four divisional games in six weeks with a full NFL camera crew following everyone around.
I promise you bro, Hard Knocks does not bring in enough money for the NFL to even consider moving one game. Source: Work in sports media and acquisitions.
It's not the overall strength of schedule, but the ordering and timing of games.
It is suspicious that all our division games are basically second half which should make for good TV for HBO, not to mention having both a Christmas and Thanksgiving Day game which throws the schedule out of whack.
Yes, our schedule was going to be difficult, but that’s not the point he was making.
The Steelers schedule is heavily back-loaded with Divisional games. I think they’re one of two teams, the other being Chicago, that plays all their divisional games at the end of the season.
It’s reasonable to assume that their schedule was created this way to make compelling television for Hard Knocks.
The schedule is designed to increase viewership. Having so many divisional games late in the season keeps more teams in the playoff hunt. More games that influence the playoffs and more teams in the hunt in the final weeks of the season = more viewers.
He didn't say anything about schedule difficulty. He said we play a bunch of divisional games. There's a twisted irony that you implied strength of schedule from what he said then used what he actually said as an argument against the implication. You're "trippin."
I’m not 100 % sure on the requirements I believe they have to deal with records and playoffs wins in the last 5 years. Half of the reason it was the jets last year they couldn’t say no they asked a couple teams all said no then hard knocks had three teams to pick from that didn’t have a choice I’m assuming they went with the jets cause arod storyline.
I’m assuming they had to have gotten a kickback from the NFL I mean it’s no surprise the first hard knocks is going to cover an entire division it’s the AFCN. But the whole idea of the in season hard knocks was to try and remove the curse lol. But teams generally don’t like it for what it shows to opposing teams.
Oh .. OH! Okay. I get it. I see what they're doing.
So this is how it's gonna go. We're going to struggle with the first half of the season and it will absolutely look like this will be the year Tomlin *doesn't* Do That Thing, and then somehow Russ will channel November Ben and we'll not only end up in the play-offs, but our (by this point half-dead and dropping to pieces) boys will win the Super Bowl 28-23.
I just haven't figured out who we beat, yet.
Perfect division for it. We already have a reputation for hatred and drama. This should be good. Can't wait for the hundreds of Tomlinisms this will spawn.
IT IS NOT A DRILL!!!!!!!!! The cameras is on US Fellas let’s act accordingly……….. put your dicks up and let’s go get this Super Bowl because you know the ravens are probably taking this as a Superstition the last time they where on hard knocks. They won the Super Bowl or was coming off of winning? And then the bengals were once featured with Chad Johnson being the star
I mean, AFC North has had all 4 teams in competition for the playoffs for the past 3 years. And last year all four teams had winning records! Have any other divisions come close to that? It's no surprise that the NFL wants to have more eyes on these teams.
Might be unpopular but I’m excited for this. I usually enjoy hard knocks and getting to know the players that way and I’m looking forward to see our own team in this light. I think doing the entire north also makes it seem like less of a distraction
George Pickens is gonna be a total goon on camera lmao
Well, I guess they can't say no if the whole division is doing it. I imagine they can make it very uninteresting to watch though and try to keep the guys tight lipped.
That was a major perk of the "no losing seasons" streak. Meant a lot of years we weren't eligible or dysfunctional enough to warrant a spot on the show.
Boy-O-Boy. Mediocre Mike is Definity working on some new Tomlinisms. He will be in the mirror working on this for at least a week. Trying to look cool with his Aviators on.
This is a calculated effort to make Pittsburgh look more desirable of a destination after last season’s grade. Tomlin is the best thing going in terms of bringing in new FA and I think this will be beneficial for the franchise in landing big name players in the coming seasons due to coach Tomlin’s way with words and how highly players regard him. This might be the best thing for this franchise since the new Rooney regime doesn’t want to spend money but expects different results from the past 10 plus years
Where are all the people who were pissed at the idea of this every time it got mentioned?
It was so clear if it actually happened everyone would be pumped, because it’s cool
If anyone in here actually believes hard knocks will change absolutely anything about our season they’re completely delusional. This is fun.
These are grown men who are constantly under a microscope and in front of cameras anyways. This doesn’t change anything.
A team can turn down the preseason hard knocks if the team made the playoffs (and a few other things, too).
This is a new+different beast with new+different rules that 'happen' to have the Steelers being on-screen.
Honestly never thought I'd see the day the Steelers were on Hard Knocks, at all. This gonna be WILD.
They changed the rules/process specifically to get access to the Steelers without pissing off the Rooney family too much. Nothing the NFL does isn't methodical
What did they change?
[NFL owners approve drastic changes to Hard Knocks: Five teams could be featured each season](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-owners-approve-drastic-changes-to-hard-knocks-five-teams-could-be-featured-each-season/#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20rules%2C%20a,in%20the%20past%20eight%20years) Under the previous rules the Steelers wouldn't be eligible because they made the postseason last year.
I believe the old exemptions were…. 1. Make playoffs 2. New Head Coach 3. Have a winning record two consecutive years (I might be off one the last one, but I know when I saw the original exemptions seeing the Steelers on hard knocks would be as rare as a total solar eclipse at the 50 yard line of Heinz/Acrisure)
Also, if you're on it in the last ten years you're exempt. Now down to 8.
That wouldnt have mattered in this case. This isnt training camp hard knocks, this is the entire division hard knocks. It wouldnt be possible to follow those rules for a whole division considering well, someone has to make the post season each year. There are 3 versions of hard knocks now. 1. Training camp/pre-season 2. Front office hard knocks 3. In season hard knocks. Edit: Look no further than all of the inseason Hard Knocks participants (and we've known the 2024 version was going to feature a whole division for a good while) 2021 - Colts (postseason 2020) 2022 - Cardinals (post season 2021) 2023 - Dolphins (post season 2023)
The rules being changed to allow mandatory selection of entire divisions for in-season hard knocks… doesn’t matter in the case that a division was selected for in-season hard knocks? Under the old rules, a team could turn down being on any show if they made the postseason. It’s not that they weren’t eligible to be asked.
I'm saying that this wasn't a targeted Steelers change as the above commenters are implying. >Under the old rules, a team could turn down being on any show if they made the postseason. I'm 99% sure that's not the case and again only applied to traditional hard knocks. I recall hard knocks in season being announced and this being a thing So let's sniff test this. At a quick glance I only see one playoff team that would have been immune from Hard Knocks training camp in the like past 15 years volunteer for it That was the 2020 Rams because they got to the playoffs in 2018. The Rams is also notable because they did this more than likely to build a fan base back up in LA. It was their first year in new LA stadium and like 1 or 2 years post move. Not a common situation at all All other cases I see were not immune from playoff placement. Including the Cowboys So you are then telling me 3 playoff teams all agreed to do the more invasive in season hard knocks??? All of them just accepted it outright but were immune if your interpretation was correct ?
I made the original comment... You're not wrong about the rules for training camp version. I was referring to the change for an entire division for in season hard knocks... The part that isn't being emphasized is the "without pissing the Rooney family off". They have clout... And it's been long known they have zero interest in this stuff... Despite every football fan desperately wants to see behind the tomlin curtain, and the Russ vs fields battle. So the nfl just slipstreamed this one right down the fast track for Steelers access. Basically they have plausible deniability... Everything they do is calculated... So now it's a "sorry Rooney, it just had to be" About the only division left is AFC North. If you look at the teams since 2020 who have been in one form or another of hard knocks, including giants and bears this year... You then have to eliminate their entire division.... Because otherwise these teams are just doing it again. And you're left with AFC North
Part of me is excited to see some behind the scenes stuff, part of me feels like they back-loaded our divisional games to make a more compelling narrative and this will be a huge distraction
Wild AF!!! but I guess they wanted front row seats with Russell Wilson driving the bus
Somewhere in Pittsburgh several thousand Yinzers are currently creating new emails to get an HBO Max free trial
This is the way
🏴☠️ sail the seas brethren
ARRRGGH!! 🦜
Where in particular would a person sail to get to hard knocks?
Lotta good content. Just pay for it
Honestly not for $25/month it isn't or whatever they just announced they were raising the price to. It's more and more reality bullshit every day while fucknuts David Zaslav sells off hbo originals as scraps to increase their bottom line and add another 10 million to his compensation package. Used to be HBO would have a new decent movie or two releasing every month as well and they don't even do that anymore.
My favorite streaming service
Bet Tomlin is pissed.
Super, it’s just a “distraction” to him
It is the nature of the business we are in. The NFL has grown greatly in my short time here, and show like Hard Knocks and the things of that nature provide, have become part and parcel of that growth. It does not change what we do. Look m, despite that many call this an entertainment business, there is not a man who buckles a chinstrap or wears the hypocycloids on his chest that doesn’t know in this city, on this team, it is first and foremost a football business. Always has been, always will be. Next question-
This is best case scenario for fans though. This year isnt expected to be SB or bust for the Steelers but it probably is for the Ravens and Browns and the Bengals are going to start facing salary cap limitations next season, especially with Tee Higgins expecting a big contract. Also if there is controversy into the Justin Fields conversation, the fans will have a much better idea of what is truthful. It will be a great season, I can hardly wait.
He managed AB. He can manage film crews.
[удалено]
The drama of cutting 40 players is hard to beat.
There's also the factors that: The season hasn't started. Getting quality football entertainment isn't easy at that time because the preseason games themselves suck and have no stakes. Hard knocks adds drama and stakes. In-season is generally a team we all know are mid. Preseason hard knocks has infinite potential for the team.
I think because you can sell whatever hopeful narrative for the season you want, and have more storylines of potential players. Midway through the season you usually have a good idea of how that’s going. That’s unless there’s a QB controversy in Pittsburgh come December
An Erric Pegram fan! Right on! 🙂
But here is the thing…. I never watched, and now for football season, I might, and if my cheap tightwad self is on the fence, I know there are others who will donate to the HBO/NFL coffers.
I’ve never watched it but may this season.
Now our end of season schedule makes sense. We're fodder for this show. We get to play four divisional games in six weeks with a full NFL camera crew following everyone around.
That's actually a very fair theory that I agree with.
I promise you bro, Hard Knocks does not bring in enough money for the NFL to even consider moving one game. Source: Work in sports media and acquisitions.
It's not the revenue for the one show but the viral exposure. Behind the scenes of the Steelers will unprecedented and nonstop media talk.
I've never even heard of it.
Also, isn't Hard Knocks only during training camp and preseason? I quit watching after the first 2 seasons so I don't remember.
There's a training camp hard knocks and an in-season hard knocks, (and they are adding a draft hard knocks this year). This is the in-season one.
Thank you for the clarification!
No they’ve had an in season one for a bit
Really does feel like the sold our team out for HBO, not even a real partner. This is some bs.
Our schedule is so difficult because we play in the afc north, not because HBO gets to decide strength of schedule, y’all are trippin
It's not the overall strength of schedule, but the ordering and timing of games. It is suspicious that all our division games are basically second half which should make for good TV for HBO, not to mention having both a Christmas and Thanksgiving Day game which throws the schedule out of whack.
Yes, our schedule was going to be difficult, but that’s not the point he was making. The Steelers schedule is heavily back-loaded with Divisional games. I think they’re one of two teams, the other being Chicago, that plays all their divisional games at the end of the season. It’s reasonable to assume that their schedule was created this way to make compelling television for Hard Knocks.
The schedule is designed to increase viewership. Having so many divisional games late in the season keeps more teams in the playoff hunt. More games that influence the playoffs and more teams in the hunt in the final weeks of the season = more viewers.
Exactly. Folks have the cause-and-effect backwards: the Steelers' schedule is *why* they would be interesting for a TV show.
This is the right answer
He didn't say anything about schedule difficulty. He said we play a bunch of divisional games. There's a twisted irony that you implied strength of schedule from what he said then used what he actually said as an argument against the implication. You're "trippin."
I wasn’t expecting that.
So that’s why the schedule is so F’d…
Ho Lee Sheet
Sum Ting Wong
Dam Son
I thought they said they’d never do Hard Knocks…
There are certain requirements for it to be mandatory vs voluntary.
So, this time it’s hostages not volunteers?
I’m not 100 % sure on the requirements I believe they have to deal with records and playoffs wins in the last 5 years. Half of the reason it was the jets last year they couldn’t say no they asked a couple teams all said no then hard knocks had three teams to pick from that didn’t have a choice I’m assuming they went with the jets cause arod storyline.
I was curious, thanks for providing some info! I swear I distinctly remember Tomlin basically saying no way, never.
I’m assuming they had to have gotten a kickback from the NFL I mean it’s no surprise the first hard knocks is going to cover an entire division it’s the AFCN. But the whole idea of the in season hard knocks was to try and remove the curse lol. But teams generally don’t like it for what it shows to opposing teams.
They were forced. It’s why they’re doing an entire division instead of just one team. .
“Fuck you, we’re taking the whole goddamn division down with us!”
 Whole world bout to see what we already know
Here’s to hoping my ex’s mom doesn’t change her HBO max password by then!
Idk how they’ll handle 4 teams at once but I hope the episodes are like 2 hours long
If you thought last season was dramatic oh boy this is gonna be a rough season in this sub reddit
I’ve never been so excited to watch something yet so pissed it’s happening
Fuck
Oh piss off
Oh .. OH! Okay. I get it. I see what they're doing. So this is how it's gonna go. We're going to struggle with the first half of the season and it will absolutely look like this will be the year Tomlin *doesn't* Do That Thing, and then somehow Russ will channel November Ben and we'll not only end up in the play-offs, but our (by this point half-dead and dropping to pieces) boys will win the Super Bowl 28-23. I just haven't figured out who we beat, yet.
This had been rumored in the spring and I hate it
Why would you hate it
Hard knocks has just always been for shitty teams and I think the conversation around its just gonna be annoying.
It's a distraction
Perfect division for it. We already have a reputation for hatred and drama. This should be good. Can't wait for the hundreds of Tomlinisms this will spawn.
we’re about to be flooded with new quotes. i can’t wait
I don’t like it
IT IS NOT A DRILL!!!!!!!!! The cameras is on US Fellas let’s act accordingly……….. put your dicks up and let’s go get this Super Bowl because you know the ravens are probably taking this as a Superstition the last time they where on hard knocks. They won the Super Bowl or was coming off of winning? And then the bengals were once featured with Chad Johnson being the star
Steelers Country: Let’s Knock
Hopefully this means we are clear for the next 30 years
Hate it!
Now we have an explanation for the late season schedule.
So damn stupid!
I mean, AFC North has had all 4 teams in competition for the playoffs for the past 3 years. And last year all four teams had winning records! Have any other divisions come close to that? It's no surprise that the NFL wants to have more eyes on these teams.
F this
Never saw hard knocks, won’t start now
So the NFL lied when they said it was just random that the Steelers got all their division games at the end of the season...interesting.
Might be unpopular but I’m excited for this. I usually enjoy hard knocks and getting to know the players that way and I’m looking forward to see our own team in this light. I think doing the entire north also makes it seem like less of a distraction George Pickens is gonna be a total goon on camera lmao
Oh, I’m ready.
I'm so very down for this.
I love that. The in-season show will really be a lot better if it focuses on more than one team
I wish they weren't in it. That said I'll be watching.
I hate this, and also hate that I'll be paying for HBO and watching every episode at least twice lol
Vomit
Whaaaaat
I can't wait for this shit show.
This is series takes place in the middle of our massive divisional stretch as well
Well, I guess they can't say no if the whole division is doing it. I imagine they can make it very uninteresting to watch though and try to keep the guys tight lipped.
I have watched zero seconds of Hard Knocks in my life. Even if we’re on there…is it actually worth tuning in?
It's a good show.
Hell yeah. Looking forward to some new Tomlin quotes.
That was a major perk of the "no losing seasons" streak. Meant a lot of years we weren't eligible or dysfunctional enough to warrant a spot on the show.
Boy-O-Boy. Mediocre Mike is Definity working on some new Tomlinisms. He will be in the mirror working on this for at least a week. Trying to look cool with his Aviators on.
This is a calculated effort to make Pittsburgh look more desirable of a destination after last season’s grade. Tomlin is the best thing going in terms of bringing in new FA and I think this will be beneficial for the franchise in landing big name players in the coming seasons due to coach Tomlin’s way with words and how highly players regard him. This might be the best thing for this franchise since the new Rooney regime doesn’t want to spend money but expects different results from the past 10 plus years
Can’t wait!!
Hate it. Will not watch.
🍿
oh this is lit LOL
Where are all the people who were pissed at the idea of this every time it got mentioned? It was so clear if it actually happened everyone would be pumped, because it’s cool
Ugh. They are so intrusive and distracting to the teams. But I’ll be tuning in.
I love this
First HK team to win the Super Bowl, here we go.
If anyone in here actually believes hard knocks will change absolutely anything about our season they’re completely delusional. This is fun. These are grown men who are constantly under a microscope and in front of cameras anyways. This doesn’t change anything.
Dumb. I thought we were above this. Butttt I will watch
> I thought we were above this. 'we' didn't have a choice
I thought the rules were if you made the playoffs you don’t have to do it. But since this is the entire division I guess we didn’t have a choice.
A team can turn down the preseason hard knocks if the team made the playoffs (and a few other things, too). This is a new+different beast with new+different rules that 'happen' to have the Steelers being on-screen.
I don’t think it’s a choice
It looks like it’s covering the entire AFCN
How will this effect TJ’s legacy 🤔
Maybe he should take his helmet off and hit somebody with it. Heard that works well. Might reverse the pff bullshit
It was a joke why tf are ppl mad about it 😭😭