With the final episode of this year’s Hard Knocks series debuting tonight, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talked about the popular HBO series during an interview on ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning.
Asked specifically about the salty language from Jets players and coaches that is retained in the final product that airs during evening hours on HBO, Goodell was candid. “Hard Knocks is designed to give our fans an inside view of what it’s like to be in a training camp,” Goodell said. Obviously, at times you’re gonna get language that’s not appropriate for all ages, and it’s something that I guess we’re not proud of, but it is a reality of what’s happening in those camps.”
We agree with that perspective, but we’re still intrigued (and a little confused) about the inconsistency that arises when trying to reconcile the buttoned-down, No Fun League image that makes harmless touchdown celebrations a violation of the rules with the “anything goes” attitude toward the words captured by the NFL Films microphones and ultimately shared with the fans.
Frankly, we don’t mind the language. We just wish that the same attitude that resulted in the league allowing a barrage of on-air “F” bombs would be embraced as to some of the other decisions that the NFL makes regarding far less potentially offensive behaviors that currently are prohibited.