During the age of hi-definition TV and reality shows, when America craves being as close as possible to the action, HBO’s show Hard Knocks puts the viewer inside the training camp of an NFL team.

 This season follows the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off of a 4-11-1 season. The cameras mostly follow head coach Marvin Lewis, who constantly increases the intensity of their practices to better prepare the Bengals for their regular season.

Hard Knocks follows everyone on the team, from their star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, who hopes to return to his usual form after missing the Pro Bowl last year, to the potential practice squad players who are fighting to make the team.
The show does a great job of exposing the stars we watch on TV joke around like regular everyday people.

Each episode follows multiple story lines based on whoever is making noise during practice or the preseason game that week. It shows players going through practice and meeting with coaches. Viewers also get a look at player evaluation meetings where the coaches talk about what they think of the players.  

Ochocinco attracts a lot of attention to the show with his cocky, jocular antics, which include his catchphrases “child please” and “kiss the baby.” “Child please” is a phrase invented by Ochocinco to express his displeasure with someone or something, like when people think McDonalds, which he eats for every meal of the day, is unhealthy because of the movie Super-Size Me. He responds to these critics by saying the movie is “unrealistic. Child please.” “Kiss the baby” is Ochocinco’s way of saying that something is over before it begins, like if a defender sees Ochocinco line up across from him, he should “kiss the baby” because it is already over. Viewers come back week after week to see what he will say or do next.

While the viewers are attracted to the show by the comedic aspects, the audience becomes very attached to the players. The in-depth look at how the players go through practice and what they are like off the field causes viewers to pick favorites. The unknown guys sometimes make for the best characters because they have to deal with the drama of making the roster.

HBO successfully captures the team camaraderie that sports players love and that is what makes the show fun. Viewers can actually see the team chemistry growing on screen and allows them to feel connected to the team and the players. Anybody that enjoys football will like Hard Knocks because it reminds us that even though sports icons are seemingly invincible, they too go through everyday struggles.