Hard Knocks, HBO’s popular inside look into an NFL franchise that airs every summer, is headed to the AFC West in 2019. It was announced on Tuesday evening that the Raiders’ upcoming offseason will be highlighted on the show, which will run from Aug. 6 to Sept. 3, 2019.
The Raiders announced the news in a video on their Twitter account, one which showed a number of clips from their practice facility in Napa and claimed that the show will give a glimpse into what it takes to suit up for the franchise.
"Everybody wants to be a Raider. Now they’ll find out what it takes to become one."
We'll see you in August: https://t.co/dZ1LvS7gRv #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/rTz6AnrCbl
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 11, 2019
The quote in the tweet came via owner Mark Davis in a release on the team’s website. The release also featured Ross Ketover, a senior executive for NFL Films, explaining why the Raiders are such an interesting fit for the show.
“Since the AFL-NFL merger, the Raiders have been a part of some of the most iconic moments in League history,” Ketover said. “We at NFL Films have been thrilled and honored to showcase the mythology of the Raiders from the Holy Roller, Sea of Hands, Ghost to the Post all the way to today with Coach Gruden and this unbelievable cast of players and coaches. Needless to say, we’re very much looking forward to this season of Hard Knocks.”
Of course, there are plenty of reasons why this is such a good pick beyond the franchise’s history. Oakland has made headlines for plenty of reasons over the last year or so, from hiring Jon Gruden as head coach and Mike Mayock as general manager, to the controversial Khalil Mack trade, to a 4-12 2018 campaign, to the team’s impending relocation to Oakland in 2020, to acquiring Antonio Brown via a trade earlier this offseason.
