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Buccaneers: Pros and Cons to Hard Knocks

By James Hesdra

TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on November 27, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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There’s a lot of skepticism for a young and rising team like the Buccaneers to be featured on Hard Knocks. So what are the Pros and Cons to something like this?

With the season premiere of “Hard Knocks” airing Tuesday night, it seems like an appropriate time to talk about the pros and cons of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the team selected to star in the show. Hard Knocks was first introduced to football fans in 2001, starting with the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in 2002. The show stopped airing between 2003-2006 before coming back strong in 2007 all the way into this past year.

The show does a great of going into an NFL training camp and showing you exactly what happens during the grind of August. Hard Knocks more then anything gives the team a ton of national exposure from fans all across America. For a young up and coming team like the Bucs, maybe having more eyes on you before one of the most anticipated seasons in recent history isn’t the best idea. The added pressure of breaking the teams ten year playoff drought can be tough on such a young team who is expected to build on their surprising 9-7 record last year.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – JULY 10: Jameis Winston arrives at the T-Mobile Presents Derby After Dark at Faena Forum on uly 10, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
MIAMI BEACH, FL – JULY 10: Jameis Winston arrives at the T-Mobile Presents Derby After Dark at Faena Forum on uly 10, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) /

On the other hand, the more eyes watching will make the Buccaneers more recognizable across the NFL as the regular season hits off. The pressure to perform can elevate even more so the games of young franchise players Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, and company. Winston’s outgoing personality is perfect for the cameras as is Gerald McCoy’s. They are going to fit right in as the stars on both sides of the ball, hopefully gaining more fans along the way because of how likable they are.

There has been mixed records on the teams that have been featured on Hard Knocks over the past few years. The Los Angeles Rams of last year, Miami Dolphins of 2012, and Atlanta Falcons of 2014 went through pretty bad seasons following Hard Knocks. The Houston Texans of 2015 and Cincinnati Bengals of 2013 were the opposite, both making playoff appearances. There is no way to prove that appearing in Hard Knocks is good or bad for your season but it certainly makes your team the talk of the summer because of all the unlimited access the producers get.

This upcoming season is a huge one for the Bucs fortunes moving forward and Hard Knocks will only increase the number of people predicting a playoff berth for Dirk Koetter’s team. Whether you take the spotlight as being good or bad for this team, a playoff berth is expected either way. The world is going to learn a whole lot about Tampa Bay over this five week period, hopefully they will be able to withstand the pressure en route to the postseason.

Next: Top Five Players To Watch On Hard Knocks

What are your thoughts on the show? Are you excited to see it? Worried about the perceived “jinx”? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or the comment section below!

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