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Just a couple weeks after Browns new general manager John Dorsey said “I don’t think there’s anything good that comes out of Hard Knocks” and that he doesn’t believe his team will be featured on the show, the Cleveland Browns have been chosen for this year’s edition.
Will become official later today: Browns selected to be featured team on this summer’s Hard Knocks, per source.
Bonus Browns, more Mayfield.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 17, 2018
Dorsey, you must be new here, the Browns never get what they want.
As Larry Brown Sports points out, in order for teams to be exempt from Hard Knocks, they have to either have a first-year head coach, have made the playoffs in the previous two seasons, or have appeared on Hard Knocks in the past 10 years.
After 26 NFL teams met at least one exemption criteria, only five other teams remained eligible–San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins.
I don’t think anyone outside the Browns organization is saddened by this news. Watching someone as cocksure as Baker Mayfield assimilate into the worst franchise in professional sports will be appointment television.
HBO was gracious enough to release a teaser GIF of episode one.
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The five-episode season will start on Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. ET and end Sept. 4.
[h/t Larry Brown Sports]