:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49139107/usa-today-9130369.0.jpg)
The NFL offseason is grueling for fans hungry for football. There are small periods of excitement - like the onset of free agency and the NFL draft - where a fan’s need is slightly satiated. But, for the most part, it’s large voids of silence filled with sheer speculation.
When training camp opens up, and the pads come on, many folks come out of football hibernation and the real enthusiasm for the upcoming season begins to build. But unless you’re a local, or local to a team’s training camp site, you’re relegated to news and videos from the internet. That is unless your team is selected to be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
And according to Buffalo Bills’ head coach Rex Ryan, the Rams - and their fans - may want to brace themselves for some serious air time in August.
Rex Ryan said he hears Hard Knocks would go to #Saints or #Rams "and that's fine by me."
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) March 22, 2016
The Rams are one of seven teams that can be forced to appear on the show, along with the Saints, Bills, Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, and Chargers.
As a refresher, the criteria for teams able to miss out on the action are:
1) Teams that have a new head coach
2) Teams that have been to the postseason in either of the last two seasons
3) Teams that have been featured on the show in the last 10 years
Time will tell who’ll ultimately be on the show, but the Rams - fresh off their move to Los Angeles - appear to be a serious contender in 2016. If you’re a fan of the team, and are hoping to see some football before the football, you may want to check local pricing on HBO if you don’t already have it.