Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams will be on Hard Knocks.
HBO’s Hard Knocks will have a very Hollywood feel to it this summer.
Yes, the popular HBO series will feature not one, but two Los Angeles-based NFL franchises. The Los Angeles Chargers AND the Los Angeles Rams will be the stars of the 2020 season of the premium television product.
This will be the 15th season of the series. While it will be the first time the Chargers will be featured on it, this will be the Rams’ second time starring on the show. The Rams were the featured franchise during the 2016 NFL season when they first made the trek from St. Louis to Southern California. They join the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys as the only repeats.
The new season of Hard Knocks will begin on Aug. 11. It will be shown on HBO, as well as available to stream on HBO Max. Though it won’t be the first time HBO has had to deal with a chaotic NFL offseason, this latest season will be stranger than the one back in 2011 during the lockout, as no team wanted to take part in it and HBO had to go the retrospective route instead.
Hard Knocks will feature the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
In most cases, most teams do not want to be picked to appear on Hard Knocks. Who wants a camera crew following them around during the preseason? These coaches are trying to win enough games to keep their jobs and it’s incredibly awkward to see a player cut on live television. However, going with the Chargers and Rams combo this offseason is the only logical solution.
Admittedly, there may not be enough footage to get from one franchise this offseason during the global pandemic. Having two that share a stadium that isn’t in New York City makes a ton of sense here. Both clubs will play their first seasons at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Rams were on it four years and were a captivating watch, something the Chargers are in desperate need of.
Though it is a twin-billing, we have to believe the primary team of focus of the two will be the Chargers. Head coach Anthony Lynn needs to win to keep his job heading into 2020. We know a lot players on the Chargers’ roster, but we don’t know them like we do the Rams from four years ago. Let’s hope Rams quarterback Jared Goff learned which way the sun sets in the last olympiad.
HBO plays it safe by going with the Chargers and the Rams for the new season of Hard Knocks.