DALLAS — The NFL announced Friday that the Dallas Cowboys will appear on the HBO series "Hard Knocks" this August.
It will be the third time in the program's history that America's Team will be on the NFL series that highlights a team's trials and tribulations during training camp.
The only other teams that have made multiple appearances on the program are the Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013) and the Los Angeles Rams (2016, 2020).
Last season, the Rams were part of a combination series as HBO also profiled the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams were opening up their brand new stadium in Inglewood, Calif., SoFi Stadium.
The Cowboys fit the standard eligibility of Hard Knocks, as they are a team with an existing head coach and aren't coming off consecutive playoff appearances.
This is why teams with better storylines, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars with heralded quarterback Trevor Lawrence and rookie coach Urban Meyer, or the Green Bay Packers with the Aaron Rodgers drama, are given a reprieve.
Picking the Cowboys is a logical move. After weathering the COVID lockdowns of a year ago, and the NFL announcing that every stadium can have full capacity this season, the league is endeavoring to generate as much interest as possible in their product.
Why else would the NFL put the Cowboys in the Thursday night opener in Week 1 against the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Normally, the Cowboys anchor the Sunday night opener, if they are even included in prime time during Week 1.
Although the Cowboys have had trouble generating championships on the field – failing to appear in an NFC Championship Game since 1996 – they are undefeated when it comes to garnering intrigue. Either the diehard Cowboys fans are clinging to the hope that this will be the year, or the horde of eternal haters are hanging on every second of the game clock just to see Dallas go down in defeat once again.
A Hard Knocks featuring Dallas will have it all for fan and hater alike. Fans will get to see how amiable and indefatigable quarterback Dak Prescott is. Haters will get to build their case as to why running back Ezekiel Elliott is a diva and overrated. Fans will get to see rookie linebacker Micah Parsons blossom in his new role. Haters will prove every syllable coach Mike McCarthy utters for why he was recently ousted in Green Bay.
Getting the Cowboys on Hard Knocks is also part of owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones' plan to keep his team relevant, regardless of what is happening on the field.
"First of all, I care tremendously about the viewership, and I care tremendous about the attendance at the stadium," Jones told "Shan & RJ" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Jan. 5. "I care tremendous about the attendance at training camp and the crowds that watch us practice. Fans and the promotion of the team is the promotion of the franchise. And that creates interest. And consequently that begets enthusiasm by networks. It causes eyeballs to be on your television. So, I unabashedly work every way I can to work to keep the Cowboys interesting.
"Where the misnomer is that I care any more or less about that than I do making a first down. That's where it goes awry and that's where it's not right. Every chance I'm given an opportunity to trade dollars, or, if you will, trade an issue of visibility or an issue of promotion. Every chance that I get a chance, I go for the first down. Every chance. I'll go back to when I bought the team. That was the most money that had ever come out of anybody's pocket to get into sport. And, somehow, God willing, I got the spot to do it and I gave every damn bit of it up to buy the Cowboys, because I would rather have that than have the money."
For now, Jones and the NFL will have their money and eyeballs. As to whether it helps the Cowboys out is a dubious proposition, as only six of the 16 teams that have been featured on Hard Knocks have gone on to make the playoffs. Of those six, only one has made it to the NFL's final four: the 2010 New York Jets.
Are you looking forward to seeing how the Cowboys’ sausage is made on HBO’s Hard Knocks? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.