Will NFL Force Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians To Do “Hard Knocks”

Jul 29, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals Carson Palmer (3) throws as head coach Bruce Arians watches during training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals and coach Bruce Arians may have dodged another year of doing the HBO hit show “Hard Knocks”. Coach Arians was quoted “it a distraction and an embarrassment to the players” in an interview earlier this week.

The NFL has rules in place for teams that can be exempt for participating in the show, one of those rules allowed Coach Arians to dodge the show last year because the rule stated no team with a new head coach had to participate.  Bruce Arians has been adamant about not doing the show, and that could make for some really compelling television should HBO want the Cardinals and force the NFL to make Coach Arians comply.

Last year would have been the best show for the Cardinals seeing they had much going on in their camp at that time, drafting a troubled rookie and trading for a veteran quarterback, a court case anticipating suspension and a team who moved its training camp to its home stadium for the first time.

That could have been a hit show regardless to the distraction, perhaps the Cardinals are not out of the water yet, as Commissioner Roger Goodell has the right to force the team to do the show as the Cardinals and nine other teams are eligible to participate.