It’s been the sharpest criticism of this year’s Hard Knocks series to date – why hasn’t HBO spent more time covering the Antonio Brown saga over the past two weeks?
As it turns out, the reality is there hasn’t been a lot of drama to cover.
This was NFL Network’s Peter Schrager on Friday after speaking with a producer of the HBO series:
“There’s a disconnect between what sometimes we talk about on NFL Network, and on ESPN, and the morning shows that we do, and maybe the other shows focus on and fixate on and what’s happening in [Raiders] camp.
I spoke with Ken Rodgers, who is the show runner for Hard Knocks for NFL Films and HBO Sports, and I said to him ‘you know you really didn’t get into that helmet thing. If I could have one problem with last week’s episode of Hard Knocks, it’s that we didn’t get anything from Gruden on the helmet.’
He said ‘Peter, that’s not reality. We’re a reality show and in documentary form and they weren’t talking about it. They’re not focused on Antonio Brown’s helmet and his grievance in New York City a thousand miles away. They’re focused on how you get Tyrell Williams going, how you get Josh Jacobs going. Of course they want Antonio Brown on the field, but there’s 89 other players in training camp and they’re looking to win a Super Bowl. They’re not looking to worry about winning Antonio Brown’s helmet case.’
So as much as we fixated and called it a circus on the outside, on the inside, in the Raiders building in Napa the last couple weeks, it hasn’t been a distraction because Gruden has kept them together.
And when you get out 26-0 in a preseason game, it does matter. It shows that this team is not focused on the wrong things. They are focused on football.”
In other words, all the drama that was reported two weeks ago on the Raiders and AB was more or less another helping of the new industry standard in reporting…
Fake news.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Truth be known the whole league is underestimating the Raiders, we will see what happens!
Yeah. That my friends is Raider Football.
When I see media peeps holding media accountable to what should be the standards, gives me a little hope journalism hasn’t entirely succumbed to tabloid.
Everyone, was focusing negative thing’s regarding AB and the RAIDERS even Silver and Black Pride writers. I new a lot being reported was more fake news, than reality. Gruden, and Mayock are doing a great job…
Go RAIDERS!!!
Its about time. Let the team be a football team and talk about and focus on that. Thsts good reporting.
I love how we are playing, The D & O are playing very good. I just hope we aren’t showing to much ahead of regular season. We have our 2 biggest foes games 1 & 2 that we need to beat at home to start the season. Then we don’t have another game at home until Nov. 3 (WOW). GO RAIDERS !!!
Yeah I NEW it too😅😂
That’s sad how you have to make up fake news to get a team’s spirit down. The players and coaches and everyone else are trying to work and get stuff done but have to deal with all the negativity on the outside and still be able to focus on what they are trying to do. That’s why the players don’t like doing interviews and things of that nature because then the media will turn it around and try to create their own circus so they will get more views. It’s all good though, everybody is gonna look stupid when the Raiders are doing good this year! Apologies for the long comment!
I agree with all three previous comments. Brown’s helmet is not as big a story as those who are looking for dirt want it to be. Plain and simple. Quit trying to make it a story. He’ll use whatever helmet he has to, or can get away with…..end of story.
My fervent.wish is for them to bring a Championship to Oakland as their parting gift. I am 85 years old and went to the first game they played, have not missed an opening game since 1995, and plan to go to the last game in Oakland too. I hope the last game is a Playoff game on our way to the SB. I can dream, can’t I?
GO RAIDERS