Knock em Out Miami

             HBO has made “Game of Thrones” must see television on Sundays in the absence of football. Now, the network will take on the daunting task of making people outside of south beach watch the Miami Dolphins.

            The Dolphins are the seventh team to have participated in “Hard Knocks” since the show’s inception in 2001. The show’s sell is a struggling franchise attempting to overcome three bad seasons in a row. Another selling point is how a rookie head coach in Joe Philbin can lead his team back to the glory days of 1972.

            Forty years later, football in south beach is not great. The Dolphins have been upstaged by a basketball franchise with one title. In March, Dolphins fans held up posters calling for the job of Jim Ireland. Every draft analyst with a microphone and a computer called Ryan Tannehill a reach pick. Plus, the Dolphins have not played playoff football in 11 years.

            On the 40^th anniversary of the NFL’s only undefeated season, the Dolphins need all the good press they can get.

           

Statistically speaking, the extra cameras in training camp have not hurt anybody. The six teams that have participated in “Hard Knocks” have a combined record of 49-47. Three of those teams, the 2001 Ravens, the 2009 Bengals, and the 2010 Jets all made the playoffs while being television stars.

            “Hard Knocks” could help the Dolphins gain a national audience. When the Jets were on in 2010, the show had an average of 663,000 viewers per episode. National exposure on HBO could help the Dolphins improve on their abysmal attendance numbers; which ranked 28^th in the league a year ago.

Also, the NFL needs “Hard Knocks” like an offensive lineman need six square meals per day.

This offseason so far has featured Tory Aikman doing his best Nostradamus impersonation. Also, Greg Williams orchestrating a scandal that could ruin the New Orleans Saints. To make matters worse, Kurt Warner told Dan Patrick he does not want his kids to play football.

With football having a public relations nightmare, light practices and training camp shenanigans should provide relief the league is looking for.

The National Federation of State High School Associations has sighted a decrease of 837 high school kids playing football since Seau’s death. However, general audiences seeing the drills, competition, and team comrade could curb the hostility towards football.

There is no guarantee that “Hard Knocks” will quell the concerns that parents have regarding the safety of a collision sport. Instead, it will show a lighter side of the game that is slowly becoming demonized by its own hands.

HBO has given audiences “Entourage,” and Miami has given sports fans “Not five, not six, not seven.” Between the two influences of south beach and cable, the Dolphins training camp should be fun to watch.