Hard Up With 'Hard Knocks'

Let me first say HBO Sports does tremendous work with its boxing coverage. Its documentaries are first rate and Real Sports is usually a highly informative watch.

Earlier seasons of Hard Knocks, its NFL training camp reality series have been interesting, what with the focus on the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in 2001 and America’s team in 2002 and last year.

But the Cincinnati Bengals? As Mark Jackson would say, HBO, you’re better than that.

The litany of police blotter Xs and Os aside, the Bungles have not been fun or relevant (aside from betting purposes) on the field since then-Steelers D-lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen ripped up Carson Palmer’s knee on the QB’s first pass in a Jan. 12, 2006 playoff loss.

Cincy’s best player T.J. Houshmandzadeh escaped The Jungle for the green of the Pacific Northwest and Paul Allen’s Seattle Seahawks this off-season. Meanwhile Chad Ochocinco (the once-sterling Chad Johnson), who tried to force a trade last year, might just be better off just being ochenta y seis(ed) from the roster. The whiney wideout caught just 53 balls for 540 yards in 2008.

With Palmer sustaining an elbow injury, Cincy was 4-11-1 last year. Residing in the AFC North, home to the Super Bowl XLIII champions and the Ravens, who played the men of Steel in the AFC title game, the Bengals and the Cleveland Browns again will be vying for the division’s basement.

The team’s 2006 playoff appearance, its first in 15 seasons, is well in the rear view mirror. Pundits are more likely to wondering again this fall how coach Marvin Lewis has maintained his job, a position forged on his rep as the mastermind coordinator of the aforementioned SB XXXV champion Ravens, one of the league’s all-time best defenses.

It’s going to be another long season in Cincy, one I don’t intend to make any harder by checking out this iteration of HBO’s training camp series.