The Indianapolis Colts will be the first team ever featured in a “Hard Knocks” series during the regular season with the first episode premiering in the middle of November.
A decision that was made together as an organization, there are plenty of question marks surrounding the outcome of a documentary series being around while the Colts prepare for the second half of the season.
While there will certainly be more cameras around, head coach Frank Reich doesn’t believe it will be a distraction.
“It was an organizational decision. We all had to buy into it, that it can be good for our organization, it can be good for our team, players, the city – it’s a chance to highlight it,” Reich told the media Friday. “I think as coaches and players, we just kind of put our head down and go about our work. We don’t want to be affected by it. Yeah, there will be a few cameras up places, but we’re just kind of locked into what we’re doing and focused on getting better every day.”
There are plenty of interesting storylines that are likely to be covered, and the Colts haven’t been shy about giving access behind the scenes. Take their series “With the Next Pick” for example. It’s a fantastic production by the Colts that shows the process of the NFL draft and how much work goes into it.
It isn’t clear if the joint effort of HBO and NFL Films will use the in-house production team so the feel of the series may be a little different.
Regardless, Reich feels in this day and age, the idea of having cameras at every turn is less of a distraction than during his days of playing.
“In today’s day, the players are so good – this is the age we live in whether it’s ‘Hard Knocks’ or social media or something, there’s always something,” Reich said. “There’s a camera on everybody all the time. I think these guys are better at this than us older guys. Us older guys, this is all new stuff but I think these guys will handle it just fine.”
For linebacker Darius Leonard, he feels this is a chance to show just how different the organization is run compared to the rest of the NFL.
“I think it is what it is. I’ve seen a lot of things. You know me, I’m always on Twitter, always looking around. I don’t think it will be a distraction or anything. They’re only here on Wednesday. You barely see the cameras,” Leonard told reporters Friday. “It shows what it’s like to be a Colt. People don’t understand that we’re a different franchise. We play the right way, we go about our day the right way and we try to make a difference off the field too. I think that’s one thing that’s going to show, that we don’t just play football. We try to make sure we change the world and make men, better men.”
When the show airs, the Colts will (hopefully) be in the middle of a playoff push. The first episode will air on Wednesday between Weeks 10 and 11. By then, we should have an idea about what kind of team this truly is.
“We basically just doing what we do on a daily basis. I think it will be great for exposure for a lot of people,” said Leonard. “I think that a lot of faces will be out there now. It will be great.”
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