Earlier this offseason, the New York Giants were rumored to be in the running to appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” And it was easy to understand why.
With the appeal of Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr. and a potentially new quarterback following April’s NFL Draft, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding the team — it would have made for good TV.
But that all changed on Tuesday night when the news broke that the Giants agreed to trade Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for safety Jabrill Peppers and a pair of 2019 draft picks.
With Beckham’s departure, the thought of having the Giants on Hard Knocks has certainly lost its appeal and will definitely hurt their chances of being selected.
Of course, it has always been John Mara’s preference for the Giants not to appear on Hard Knocks. On the other hand, you could bet many Giants fans would be excited to tune in to watch their favorite team on the docu-series.
Ironically enough, the team who might get the most viewers around the league if they were on the show would be Beckham’s new team; the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns were the focal point of the show a year ago, and with Baker Mayfield joining the fray, viewership was through the roof.
However, it’s unlikely for the Browns to be on the show two years running and could even decline the opportunity to appear again selected because they have been on the show within the last 10 years.
Although some Giants fans will be unhappy with the trade that shocked the world on Tuesday night, many will be happy to realize the Giants’ chances of being selected to be on Hard Knocks took a large hit due to Beckham’s departure.
