Fisher: 'Highly unlikely' Rams will be on 'Hard Knocks'

[Ramatik]

All it basically is showing the coaches in meetings doing player evals (who to start, who to cut, etc)

There's player interviews but its a sit down thing in a private room. There's also stories of rookies and UDFAs trying to make the team.

That's kind of what I had gathered watching commercials for it and hearing about it.

Again, how can this be a distraction and why are we buying into it?

 

[Boffo97]

It's generally applied to what degree released prisoners commit additional crimes. A big issue here in California where we spend more money on jails than we do universities. (Never mind the fact that jails don't help the recidivism rates as much as drug rehabilitation programs do.)

I can start off-topic tangents without even trying to do so!

It's a talent.

 

[OnceARam]

That's kind of what I had gathered watching commercials for it and hearing about it.

Again, how can this be a distraction and why are we buying into it?

I think it's a response to how much pressure Sam is under already. That said, at lot of that pressure he put on himself by holding a press conference. And I"m sure that's why he fell to the seventh round (i.e., because of the media circus).

 

[OnceARam]

I can start off-topic tangents without even trying to do so!

It's a talent.

You're a creative guy.

 

[Ramhusker]

You're a creative guy.

I think he is serendipitous in nature and somewhat discombobulated but that's just me.

 

[RamBill]

Skipping 'Hard Knocks' best move for Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/8636/skipping-hard-knocks-right-move-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It's not exactly breaking news that St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher would prefer his team isn't the NFL's choice to star on the HBO series "Hard Knocks" this season.

Fisher long has made it clear that he'd prefer to keep a sense of normalcy around his team during training camp and the season and "Hard Knocks" easily could be viewed as a distraction the team doesn't need.

That's probably true, this year more than ever.

Fisher reiterated his stance to the Associated Press on Monday, saying it's "probably unlikely" the NFL will choose his team to appear on the show, though that decision still rests in the hands of the league.

After the Rams made it clear that the potential Michael Sam docuseries on OWN was not something they wanted going on during camp, it only stands to reason that they wouldn't want "Hard Knocks," either.

"Not good for the locker room," Fisher told the AP. "Nor Mike to get involved at this point."

While the Rams don't really have a choice in the matter, it's also logical the league would consider choosing the Rams for its own docuseries. The league could force the Rams to participate and be the ones who garner the ratings and revenue that go with documenting Sam's pursuit of a roster spot (and any other Rams storylines they'd choose to create).

Of course, choosing the Rams would also come off as a bit hypocritical by the NFL. Late last week, the league denied any previous knowledge of the plans for the Sam documentary and made it known it wasn't on board with that series.

Beyond that, the Rams drafting Sam had to be looked at as a positive for the league as a whole. Going against the wishes of the team to film a TV series wouldn't exactly be rewarding the Rams for making that historic choice.

Taking it further, Fisher long has been loyal to the league, serving on the competition committee for many years. With other options available, that certainly wouldn't hurt the Rams' chances of getting what they want in this situation though some in the organization wouldn't have minded the additional exposure the show would provide.

Ultimately, the Rams' efforts to avoid "Hard Knocks" are probably best for a franchise that needs to take the same approach as Sam and make it all about football. This is an important season for Fisher and the team as they enter their third season together. Although the first two years of the Fisher regime have resulted in improvement in the form of a pair of seven-win seasons, the team has targeted 2014 as a breakout season.

That's not going to be easy in the difficult NFC West division, which makes any possible distraction something this year's Rams clearly don't need.

 

[Boffo97]

I think he is serendipitous in nature and somewhat discombobulated but that's just me.

You bounder! You scofflaw!

 

[Thordaddy]

I'm not sure what to make of Fisher's comment about it being HIGHLY UNLIKELY.

When Fish came on board, I had a feeling that his Competition Committee involvement would bring the Rams some cred with the Refs/NFL ... and unfortunately, I haven't seen any of that. In fact, I almost feel like we are slighted in that department now.

So when I hear Coach Fish stating things about how our team DESERVES to have normalcy during it's training camp... I almost have to assume that GODell will see to it that we have the opposite of normalcy. Seems like that's how crap goes for us anymore.


So,,, I look for us to be on Hard Knocks despite what Coach says.

Well that's one way to interpret it,the other way is Fisher knew he was bailing the league out by picking Sam and he thought the least the league could do is not to turn our training camp into a freak show Mike Sams first this first that which it would gravitate toward .

 

[Selassie I]

Well that's one way to interpret it,the other way is Fisher knew he was bailing the league out by picking Sam and he thought the least the league could do is not to turn our training camp into a freak show Mike Sams first this first that which it would gravitate toward .

I like your interpretation much better than mine.

 

[Prime Time]

Hard Knocks team likely will be a volunteer
Posted by Mike Florio on May 21, 2014

Getty Images

The ultimate reality show has its own reality show. And the process of selecting a subject for it could be a reality show unto itself.

The NFL has not yet announced this year’s Hard Knocks team, but a rule passed in 2013 gives the league a pool of prospects that can be pressed into service. With 24 teams falling within the criteria this year for an exemption (new coach, playoff appearance in one of the last two years, or Hard Knocks duty with the last decade), eight teams can, in theory, be drafted.

They are the Bills, Bears, Cardinals, Giants, Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, and Steelers.

But the NFL has “potential volunteers,” we’re told, which means that a team most likely won’t be led kicking and screaming to the assignment. It’s unclear whether any/many/all of the volunteers are technically exempt; every year, at least one team wants to do it. The question is whether the NFL wants that team to be the team that does it.

Ultimately, it would be a surprise if the NFL picks a team that is dead set against the assignment. The new formula likely arose from the long-term commitment to continue with the HBO series. The league needs to have a way to satisfy the obligation if/when a year arrives when no one wants to do it.

So basically someone wants to do it this year. We just don’t know yet who that is.