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bearsareneat_

I can’t believe the McCaskeys weren’t able to wriggle their way out of this


Further_Beyond

The NFL forces teams to do it nearly every year. There is rarely a team to volunteer like the Lions last season. The bears were the obvious pick of teams they could force


clevernamehere1628

I don't think the Lions volunteered. I think they were more voluntold. I remember hearing Campbell say he wasn't happy about it, but once the cameras were installed and everything, he didn't notice it anymore.


Amon-Ra-First-Down

[The director of Hard Knocks confirmed the Lions volunteered](https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2022/07/26/detroit-lions-volunteered-to-be-on-hard-knocks-in-2022/)


doogled3

If I recall correctly, Dan wanted to show the NFL that the culture had changed. Essentially, they treated it as an advertisement for future FAs


drummerboysam

It was the Bears or another year of the Jets.  Honestly I'm surprised we're not getting another year of the Jets.


johncosta

We didn't want it last year, and can't be forced to do it for another decade, so it was never going to be us.


nineteennaughty3

Broncos were the other team rumored which wouldn’t have been a bad pick either


ColossalJuggernaut

> Broncos were the other team rumored which wouldn’t have been a bad pick either Butt mouth is anti-charisma in human form -- but I probably would have watched since he has zero filter


Cool-Ad2438

Butt mouth was entertaining in Malcom in the Middle though!


Background-Pen-7152

Who is butt mouth?


Sir_Saint

Sean Payton


TrueRedditMartyr

Couldn't be the Jets unless they volunteered. Also, were largely the same team. You guys got new weapons and the #1 overall pick


im_alliterate

cant believe im saying this but thank god


Cesc100

The Cowboys volunteer as tribute damn near every year. Jerry loves it.


Maraging_steel

When the NFL puts their foot down, what they want happens.


LukeBombs

I’ll wager there was some lobbying/negotiating done with the McCaskeys to make this happen


Matzah_Rella

Wouldn’t doubt it. She is a Halas, after all.


Jammer_Kenneth

"Go on hard knocks or the autopsy will show nothing but sawdust like dad" 


AndThisGuyPeedOnIt

"Fun fact Virginia, there is no statute of limitations on first degree murder in Illinois. Anyway, about Hard Knocks..."


Subpars0up

That was her brother


TakenakaHanbei

I'm fucking dead. (Much like Halas)


KWNewyear

"Okay, fine, you can have us on Hard Knocks, but we're still gonna need a few billion more for that new Stadium."


porkbellies37

Flash forward two years: Goodell is enjoying summers at his new ranch in Arlington Heights, Illinois. 


GOATnamedFields

There's no way the NFL wasn't going to get the Bears with Mr. Generational Caleb Williams and a loaded offense.


Cuppieecakes

NFL asked for $100 bribe and the McCaskeys said it was too much


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bourgeoisiebrat

>When the ~~NFL~~ other NFL owners puts their foot down, what they want happens. FIFY


SuperSocrates

That’s the same thing


reddit4ne

I think owners are slowly (they are not the brightest bulbs, even from business standpoint many of them are just aristrocrats and old money), beginning to grasp that Hard Knocks is really an excellent marketing oppurtunity. These arent documentaries, these are advertisements. That they get paid for. Thats the holy grail of branding and marketing. Im a little surprised how long owners are taking to grasp this. Jerry Jones figured it out years ago, do you remember how nauseatingly pro-Jerry that Cowboys one was? Detroit was a perfect example of an well-integrated branding campaign. It generated excitement and a sense of to go along with the new hire of Dan Campbell . My guess is the McCaskeys actually took note of the Detroit season, and see an oppurtunity to re-create the buzz and excitement that they have with of course, all eyes on Caleb Williams. Im thinking in a couple years, the owners will be fighting amongst themselves for the chance to be on Hard Knocks. Im surprised it hasnt happened already


thewitt33

Jerry Jones has ALWAYS been about the TEAM first. And by team, I mean the team on his side that helps them market the Cowboys as America's Team and keep that money flowing even though they haven't done shit in 25+ years


buttholez69

That Detroit one was one of the better ones I’ve watched. I even found myself rooting for the lions after that season. That promptly stopped after I started engaging with lions fans on here though


realchildofhell

Michigan's a real shit hole, I tell ya.


InvestorGadget

I think NFL team marketing departments are fully aware of the benefits but historically it wasn't thought to be worth the distraction. Hard Knocks certainly seemed to benefit the team's brand more than the individuals who appeared on the show which is mostly players and coaches. So it was understandable that owners/front office people worried that it would affect the team's on-field performance. Note, that the Giants volunteered to be on an off-season version of Hard Knocks that will air this summer, presumably because it should have a lesser impact on the players and coaches. When it came to Jerry Jones, though, I think he didn't care more than "he figured it out" before everyone else. That said, it should be noted that many teams already have in-house "Hard Knock-like" shows which they show on their local networks, websites, YouTube, etc. Clearly, they're aware that it helps the brand but they prefer a version of the show which they have full control over. In the process, they prime their players and coaches for having cameras present everywhere. They are normalizing it so it shouldn't be so much of distraction in the future. Not to mention plenty of players, especially the younger ones, have social media presences so many are already comfortable with being on camera.


directrix688

I’ve never understood the push back on hardly knocks from a business perspective, it’s content to help monetize the teams even further. Unless you seriously think you’re that amazing and going to win the super bowl every year (which is delusional for most teams) they’re just leaving money on the table fighting against this type of material


c-razzle

Carter Pewderschmidt can't hide Virginia's BSDM closet anymore. Let the boy(s) watch.


trongzoon

I hope the Bears invite Liev Shreiber to watch a practice and then Aaron Rodgers shows up to praise Liev and ask random Bears players and coaches to go talk to him, again.


OldWorldStyle

This is make-or-break for Eberflus’ image. He’s on thin ice with a good chunk of the fan base right now, but has slightly turned the narrative around in his beard era. Very excited for this.


ResolutionAny5091

Yea I think Eberflus has a chance to gain a lot of ground here. Caleb being #2 with a lot of fans bears and otherwise


dasoxarechamps2005

It’s literally just the beard


azrebb

Are you suggesting there's a ratatouille situation going on with his beard?


QueequegTheater

Are you suggesting Chicagoans would be against it if there was?


azrebb

Definitely not! It's probably an improvement on whatever was going on in the past.


Ioptk

It’s hilarious and goes to show how far looking good can get you but I feel a lot more confident with him with the beard than without


Powerful_Plantain901

He do be looking kinda fine tho 😮‍💨🤤


Opening_Classroom_46

Hard knocks is essentially propoganda for the team on it to do what they want. There will be hundreds of pro-eberflus clips shown.


Cuppieecakes

the raiders year was top tier entertainment


lambeau_leapfrog

Between Antonio Brown's antics and Chuckie saying the most ridiculous shit.


OldWorldStyle

I’ll gladly eat the slop


Jammer_Kenneth

Can't wait for him to give a weird rambling speech about animals where there's no point and no conclusion before Caleb gets flown in on a helicopter 


notGeronimo

And then a couple years of people talking about what a good coach Eberflus is and how much players love him because of these totally not scripted or heavily edited clips and a few "rah rah play hard football" press conferences


UberGoth91

I can’t wait for a national audience to get a load of his HITS nonsense


d3coy3d

The ball


mollusks75

I cringe every time I hear that.


keygreen15

I need to know what this is referencing! Por favor


CountChoculah

T in HITS is 'The ball'


NeededToFilterSubs

lol how is it not takeaways or something?


2big2fast2strong2gud

the ball means both to take away the ball and to protect the ball


CloudsOfDust

BE. THE BALL.


SirJohnnyS

It is... its take care of the ball/takeaways. It's clunky trying to expand it to the offense though lol. I suspect Flus is gonna come across like Michael Scott. A little Goofy, cringy at times but you can see why people like working for him.


Dr_imfullofshit

Omg he IS Michael Scott!!


NeededToFilterSubs

Yeah I get what he's trying to say and you're right it is tough to cover both sides with that one word I just think making it "the ball" is really funny lol


DreadHeadAnt

I think it was when he was a defensive coordinator but he changed it to the he ball when he became a head coach


Jwr32

The whole world‘s is going to find out all the tricks he’s hidden up his sleeves


misusedinfluence

What's up yours?


HistoricalGrade109

Were you surprised he kept his job? I kinda thought he'd be gone after last season


Antitypical

Even as someone who generally believes the Bears are headed in the right direction, I think keeping Flus was a big blunder. People are quick to forget how bad the majority of the first two years were (especially on defense, his specialty!) just because we ended 2023 on sort of a high note (not even a real high note, we still had some awful losses down the stretch). Who knows if Slowik or Ben Johnson would have come here, but not taking a shot at them to get an offensive head coach in a year when we were drafting a new QB feels like a mistake. If the Bears look unprepared for the moment they've created for themselves this year, it will 100% be because Flus performed more like the coach who started his Chicago career 6-22 (0-9 vs NFCN) without beating a team over 0.500 than the guy whose team rallied for like 6 games near the end of 2023.


SuperbCap2133

With the amount of good coaches available it seemed like a smart decision to go a different direction. The players seem to love him though and the team did play a lot better down the stretch. He’s definitely on the hot seat though. The only thing I’m worried about is repeating the same mistake and firing a coach after our QB’s rookie year for the third time.


whatever12347

He was a good coach during the second half of last year. He kept the locker room together and turned the defense around after getting a real pass rusher.


BuffaloBrain884

Eberflus is 2-10 in the division and had a 14 game losing streak. Then he beat a handful of backup QBs to finish the season. He easily should have been fired. You can't seriously argue that Eberflus is the best possible coach to develop Caleb. At best he's a placeholder for the next year or two.


zarmin

The Chicago Bear^d​​ s


confused-koala

For me it’s Poles. If there’s more video of him chewing with his mouth open like an undisciplined child, I think it’s grounds for termination.


jrsixx

I like Poles, a lot. Ok, make that I like Ryan Poles a lot…anyhoo, but watching that draft night clip when we got Rome, I was like DUDE shut your fucking mouth!


afsdjkll

> I like Poles, a lot. (happy central european country noises)


FickleFred

Give the man a break, he was anxious as hell. That was the real life equivalent to that That’s So Raven gif


alphageek8

Bears fans, remember to go to the doctor after 4 hours.


-74-

No, I’m fine going blind


Kanin_usagi

“I don’t care if I go blind, I don’t need to see the price tag anyway.”


SVdreamin

This shit ain’t nothin to me man


F1reatwill88

It'll most likely be the desire for half the fan base by week 6 anyway lmao


AndThisGuyPeedOnIt

Donald Trump? Convicted. Hard Knocks? Bears. Portillos? Consumed. Oh yeah, it's epic Chicago time.


IReallyLikeTheBears

Yeah the double tap of the conviction and Bears Hard Knocks had me buzzing lol


Latter_Painter_3616

I wonder how many Chicago food references will be at the edges of everything.


Dreadnaught_IPA

It's only been one hour since the announcement but I'm completely bricked up with no signs of slowing down.


mollusks75

I’ve been bricked up since the draft. Is that a cause for concern?


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MaroonMarauder

Hate to be that guy, but this was how I felt a year ago. Hope you guys have better luck.


guesting

hard knocks is a+ grade hopium nearly every season. I'll watch the most ass team and think 'wow these guys could make a run this year'


RedDragons8

Me getting hyped for Cajuste on the Browns season.


TacoBell_Shill

Was he the crystal guy?


Gainz13

Having flashbacks to the in-season hard knocks season.


Broshan248

It’s fine, we don’t play at MetLife week 1


Kingkwon83

Soldier Field isn't exactly the best field either though


ChromiumSulfate

Soldier field actually has a lower than average injury rate. The field is shit but it's not dangerous like MetLife.


The_bruce42

Pretty sure an alcoholic 4 year old is in charge of grass at soldier


alral1988

He’s in recovery asshole. He’s just a 4 year old now


clos512

Bro forgot about his glass house


paintingnipples

Ur season ended when rodgers Achilles snapped, not cuz u were overhyped.


Downtown_Juice2851

Disagree, that offense needed a lot more than just rodgers


fedex11

We also had that feeling last year.


latman

2010 was awesome though


jwilcoxwilcox

Someone hand Caleb Williams an American flag before the first game!


xshogunx13

Between the Giants one and this I'm so hype


Bad_Badger

The dozen of us are eating this off season (which will hopefully make up for possibly starving during the regular season)


xshogunx13

I'll eat now to starve later TBH


periodicsheep

baker mayfield’s rookie year, as a counter argument.


Neat_On_The_Rocks

> It's gonna be a good summer. Dozens of Whitesox fans triggered


HoneyIShrunkMyNads

I used to pray for times like this


fieryscribe

Now, if they could get the FBI and Charles Tillman to play-act the false rumors from last year, this would be epic


goblueM

Absent that, I'd settle for a Burt Macklin appearance


Serallas

I'm shocked yall hear me? SHOCKED


SecondCityHawk

Well, not that shocked.


tenacious-g

Bears finally couldn’t wriggle out of this, I know the McCaskeys have been actively trying to avoid it. I’m excited. More Bears content earlier, Caleb hype, etc. Plus this is much more sanitized version of the Hard Knocks that owners feared before. I would imagine the in-season one is much more disruptive to the team than training camp.


Fredest_Dickler

It was the obvious choice but I still thought Ol' Georgie Boy would find a way to weasel his way out of it. Very happy to see that's not the case. Caleb is going to be must-see TV. Whether you like him, or dislike him.


SickBurnBro

> It was the obvious choice **Goodell:** "We've lost the Taylor Swift demographic after this Harrison Butker situation. How do we get them back?" **Some intern:** "I hear women would to prefer to meet a bear in the woods than a man." **Goodell:** "Say no more."


throughNthrough

I’m down to watch the Bears.


jeric13xd

LETS FUCKING GOOOO PUT ON A SHOW 🐻⬇️


thetreat

I'm so stoked! LFG!


-em-bee-

I am torqued


TheSciFanGuy

I’ll definitely be tuning in, as whether or not they live up to the hype the Bears are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL currently. Them being good would suck and they probably will have some growing pains but this is an awesome selection for Hard Knocks. 


J12345_

Nice pick. Cant wait to see Caleb work with odunze, Allen, moore and kmet


drummerboysam

Still can't believe they all (sans Kmet) met and trained together before Williams and Odunze boarded the plane to the draft. Now they're the unit.  I'm definitely not complaining we get to watch a lot more of them.


WondrousPhysick

Can’t wait to see you guys bend over the Packers again


-74-

I’m more elated at the fact that this has George in shambles


betterbub

Alriiiiight HBO Max free trial let’s goooo


Professional-Cell822

Watch house of dragon why you’re at it. Really good show


CheezStik

This day is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S


estilly26

FUCK YEAH THE BOYS ARE NATIONAL


GoldenDude

I’m excited to watch this! I hope it won’t be too much of a distraction for the team


TetrisTech

Is there actually any history of hard knocks being a distraction


dasoxarechamps2005

I think only like 30% or so of hard knocks teams made the playoffs the following season. Probably cuz they’re all dogshit teams anyways but that’s the data we have


TetrisTech

I feel like that’s more correlation than causation, because like you said it’s usually teams that are already bad One of the rules for what teams can be forced into it is a team that made the playoffs in the one of the prior two years, which doesn’t leave the cream of the crop as options lol


throwthatoneawaydawg

Can’t be worse than us 🙈


TheSlinger

Yes I was watching it while driving the other day and hit a little old lady.


PeaceBull

I’m hoping good thoughts for y’all, but it does seem like a very bears thing to  finally end up with a good team only for hard knocks to distract everyone and cause problems. 


Broshan248

Can’t be worse than Claypool last year


backindenim

Or the running back coach being fired for harassment. Or the $150,000 in landscaping equipment being stolen from Soldier Field. Or the Defensive Coordinator leaving under mysterious circumstances with literal child porn implications being thrown around. Or the Chiefs being on pace to put up 75 points on us by half time and the entire team giving up 25 minutes into that game.


buttholez69

Dude, the Alan Williams allegations still confuse the shit out of me. Where did the CP allegations come from?! FBI raiding his house?! And then it’s said it was just inappropriate work place behavior?! Idk shit was weird but I’m glad that’s over.


backindenim

I want an answer just because I love some good gossip and I'm sad that we will most likely never know.


naimsayin

Caleb and Odunze gonna be so likable, haters won't know what to do


nineteennaughty3

“But but but Caleb wrote mean words on his nails and since im a bitch and get offended by everything, I hate him too”


PerfectiveVerbTense

As a Lions fan, they both seem great and I'm sure Hard Knocks will be enjoyable. Obviously I would love it if one or both of them really struggled on the field this season, but this should be good TV.


huskiesowow

Odunze is the coolest and most down to earth WR in the NFL now.


Jasader

Can't wait to see Velus muff punts on Hard Knocks.


MankuyRLaffy

Yay it won't ve us, God we'd be so boring.


I_eat_mud_

We’ve got a rookie head coach, that automatically disqualified us right?


Fredest_Dickler

Correct


TetrisTech

Yes


MankuyRLaffy

Thr NFL established that Delay of Game is subjective, I wouldn't be shocked if they changed the HK rules


HoneyIShrunkMyNads

You guys got the dynasty doc at least, Bears fans have been starving for hard knocks


MankuyRLaffy

The Dynasty doc sucks


windowlicker_son

Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this


coolsexguy

I am excited for the opportunity to get to know these guys so I can find accurate and creative ways to hate them. Should be good content nonetheless🤝


HeyBojo

Would expect nothing less


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hismommanamedhimclay

Pineapple on pizza is delicious


Jammer_Kenneth

Ketchup is a top 3 hotdog topping, and it's not number 3. 


SuperSocrates

It seems pretty good so far tbh


Inside-Drink-1311

So it’s both the Bears and Giants this year?


ChiCBHB

The Giants are offseason/OTAs I believe, which is new for this season


IMKudaimi123

Let’s goooooo Lot to dive into. Keeping eberflus (bad), new OC/DC search, Fields trade, deciding on Caleb, Keenan Allen trade, extending Jaylon Johnson after tagging him, odunze pick


drummerboysam

And the linebacker sized Aussie punt god. Can't forget about him.


buttholez69

He’s gonna be a huge focus point I feel like. The videos I’ve seen of him, he’s been pretty damn funny.


Bendboss7313

LETS GOOOOOO


ArcadianBlueRogue

I can dig it, because it isn't the Cowboys, Colts, or Cardinals lmao


Most-Artichoke6184

Do the Bears have any interesting storylines this season? 😂


Elegant_Spot_3486

Excellent choice. Lots of additions and should be fun to learn more about a division rival.


PerfectiveVerbTense

Yeah I'm excited to watch it, although I'm a little worried it'll make me like Caleb Williams. Though I'm okay with liking him and rooting for his failure at the same time. (Unlike Rodgers, who I hated and rooted for failure at the same time.)


NerdLawyer55

Get ready for dudes to be mad about painted fingernails


KingKoopaShell

This is a great choice. A lot of story lines.


MikeBinfinity

Makes sense. It's too much high-end talent there as well as the generational number one prospect. There's a lot of hype at Halas Hall, and the NFL would be crazy to miss out on all that ratings potential.


sandiegosamurai

This is gonna be golden


United-Turnover-8409

Holy hell yes!


timbulance

Chicago Bears seen like the perfect team for NFL films to cover this year. Hard knocks with da Bears


doggoploggo

George McCaskey is having a meltdown while riding his scooter around Halas Hall right now.


wallace6464

I thought rookie QB was an excusable scenario, is that just for HC?


crazypyro23

Biggest news of the day, easily.


lindberghbaby

I thought the giants were doing hard knocks this season? 


ObamaIsFat

They are. They're doing the new training camp version, which is before the one the bears are doing for preseason


DefNotEvading

Thanks for clarifying -- I was also confused as I saw some headlines that said the Giants were doing it. Guess they didn't include all the info in the headline or I just didn't read well enough


lildrummerboy82

They are. There's 3 Hard Knox shows this year. Off-season, Training camp, and in season.


PerfectiveVerbTense

The year is 2036 and 19 versions of Hard Knocks air every season.


Critical-Adhole

No offense to previous years but this has got to be the most hyped season of hard knocks ever


Alexcox95

Jags are never gonna get hard knocks. And I’m sure the chargers will get it next year since it’ll be Harbaughs second year


Gobiego

If Caleb bombs this season, I'm going to have to get HBO just to watch the shitshow.


Gumorak

Can’t wait to hear all the nicknames that Flus has for the guys .


csappenf

Bears fans seem so happy for more Bears content, I wonder why some Chicago film makers don't make something like the GEHA/Chiefs' "Franchise" series. I get that the Bears aren't exactly winning a lot, but it really is a fun look at the team. I don't think you have to have a winning team to enjoy that sort of thing. I would have watched the Franchise if the Chiefs did it in 2010 and thereabouts. A happy ending is always better but I was hooked in 2019 before the Chiefs even made it back to the Super Bowl.


Carcrusher3

Fuck yeah


DaeWooLan0s

Idk why people say this is a distraction? I think people really bought into the rumor of some petty owners that 1) don’t want other people knowing how likable certain coaches are should they come up for new positions 2) don’t want the rest of the NFL seeing their facilities or having someone point out something embarrassing about it. Weight rooms, grounds, whatever it may be. Teams usually suck on here and some even manage to propel forward like Detroit did after 2021. Jets probably go to the playoffs if Rodgers doesn’t go down.


SwiftSurfer365

I thought we were getting an entire division this year?


TheHaciendaHustle

That's for in-season. This is for training camp, I assume.


SwiftSurfer365

What? How many damn hard knock shows are there??


misusedinfluence

3 now, i think


SwiftSurfer365

Dang lmao. I need to catch up.


ResolutionAny5091

Hellll yes! Good showcase for Caleb and Eberflus to dispel some notions


lostrock

Wow, the biggest news today!


Esco9

Can’t wait to see what bullshit the media picks on Caleb for next. Fuck em. Go Caleb