Hard Knocks is one of those shows I start looking forward too late spring/early summer. It’s the official start of the football season if you ask me. For those of you that don’t know it, it’s a behind the scenes look at the training camp of one of the NFL teams getting ready for the season. This year it’s the Los Angeles Rams which is special because it’s their first year back in Los Angeles (moved away 1994) and they have the number one draft pick.

If you don’t know football at all Hard Knocks might not be good for you because it does require some basic knowledge of the game to really enjoy it. Stuff like knowing the positions, basic plays and maybe even some of the teams should be enough.

I really wish they would have something like this for soccer here in Europe. I would love to follow a team like Man U, Man City, Chelsea or Barcelona getting ready for the season. Hell, I would even like to see a Dutch team do this. But I guess that’s too much transparency for them…which is a pity. Because every time I watch Hard Knocks I become a fan of the team who is on. I’m sure just being featured that way sells a lot of jerseys and tickets. Good business if you ask me.

Oh, and for all my (southern?) US friends who wonder ‘why the hell does he get excited for NFL when there is NCAA?’, it’s really hard to get college games here in Europe. If anyone has a good way to watch some of the games – even just the headliners – let me know. I would love to catch me some Auburn vs Bama and Tennessee vs Florida (the latter being a game I went to courtesy of my friend Shannon who set this up and created a once in a lifetime for us – conicidentally it was an amazing game as well with Tennessee winning in the final seconds with a field goal).

So if you know a way for me to watch College Football online let me know! Until then…go Panthers!

PS If you want to see a great documentary about College Football watch Roll Tide War Eagle from ESPN Films (hat tip to Carl who mentioned this one to me). You find the trailer below.