Bears' longtime avoidance of 'Hard Knocks' looks silly after favorable first episode
We’re one episode into the Bears’ first appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and already their longtime apprehension for the show looks silly.
From the beginning, the organization had deftly avoided participating in the fan-favorite show, which closely follows teams through training camp. Bears brass didn’t want players and coaches distracted as they prepared for the season.
And now, after only one episode, in which the Bears defied popular opinion and appeared to be a competent organization — or made sure the production crew left the bad stuff on the cutting-room floor — it’s clear that leadership’s concern was misplaced. After all, the Bears have won one playoff game in the show’s 18 seasons.
“I don’t think there’s any team who’s ever super-excited [to participate],” “Hard Knocks” director Shannon Furman said. “Everybody has questions about this process. I don’t know that the Bears were that different than a lot of other people. Were they reluctant? Yes. But I think it’s pretty normal to be reluctant to this process until you learn about it.”
The timing of the Bears’ maiden voyage couldn’t be better. They’re poised to take a big step in general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuild, with a potential star at the helm in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. “Hard Knocks” might be Chicago’s first non-game communal sports-viewing event since ESPN’s “The Last Dance” in 2020. But Furman is aiming for a wider audience.
“I want to make the rest of the country at least have the Bears as their second-favorite team,” she said. “It’s fun for us when everyone starts rooting for the ‘Hard Knocks’ team. And you hear that all year long, especially if the team is doing well.”
One such team was the Lions, who appeared on “Hard Knocks” in 2022, when they broke a string of four last-place finishes in the NFC North and went 9-8. In 2023, they went 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game.
“For us to be part of what the Lions have done has been awesome,” Furman said. “I feel like the Bears are in a similar situation where they’re a young team and changing some things up. If we could be here on the ground floor of something similar to what happened with the Lions, that would be awesome.”
The show already is casting coach Matt Eberflus in a new light. Through two seasons, Eberflus has been mocked for his acronymic coaching philosophy (H.I.T.S.) and suboptimal record (10-24). But in
Episode 1, fans saw him as a husband, father and former player. Though he might come off as unimpressive in news conferences, Eberflus appeared relatable off the field and firmly in charge on it.
This isn’t Eberflus’ first go-round with “Hard Knocks.” He worked with several people on the crew for the in-season edition of the show when he was the Colts’ defensive coordinator in 2021. In 2017, he worked with Furman as a Cowboys assistant when Amazon Prime Video’s “All or Nothing” followed the team through the season.
“I’ve always known what a good person he was and what a hard worker he was,” Furman said. “One of the goals I had with this show was to make people see him in the same way that we’ve all seen him. I don’t know if we knew it would happen in Show 1. But it did happen organically. I’m hoping we can keep that going through the last four shows we have.
“He wants to know about people. He’s like that with his team. He’s really a genuine human being who cares about people. So it’s been awesome for us to learn more about him. It’s been fun to be with his family, have him trust us to be around [wife] Kelly. It’s not just television. That’s who he is all the time.”
The best scene in the show was Eberflus’ meeting with Nick Saban, his former college coach at Toledo and the winner of seven national titles. Saban explained his theory about why many NFL quarterbacks fail and how to combat it. With each suggestion he gave Eberflus, the “Hard Knocks” crew showed an example of it being enacted. The scene was woven together perfectly.
“Coach Eberflus considers coach Saban a mentor to him,” Furman said. “So the things that Saban’s saying he does do. We actually noticed that before Saban was here. And then when Saban came in, you realized it further.”
Furman will introduce viewers to more Bears in Episode 2 on Tuesday.
“We’re going to be able to get into a few more characters that we loved over the first three weeks of camp,” she said. “I’m excited for it because we were here for so long that we have a really good idea of some guys that we like. Some of the long-shot characters, guys that are further down the depth chart.”
Remote patrol
- Adam Amin, analyst Jim Miller and reporter Lou Canellis return to call Bears preseason games on Fox 32, beginning Saturday for the road game against the Bills.
- Kevin Kugler and A.J. Pierzynski will call the Cubs-White Sox game for Fox on Saturday.
