Former Hard Knocks Subjects Warn Rex Ryan About Lack of Privacy

Former coaches Herm Edwards and Brian Billick granted interviews to the New York Post to discuss their respective experiences with the HBO show Hard Knocks, because the hometown media would like to know what’s in store for the Jets come this summer. And as one might expect with any subject on a reality show, privacy during filming was at a premium.↵↵⇥Herm Edwards used to leave his office and use a different room if he wanted to call his wife during the Chiefs’ 2007 training camp, because he wasn’t going to have much privacy otherwise. ↵⇥↵⇥The cameras for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” constantly were rolling in various rooms that summer, even if there wasn’t a team meeting or coaches’ summit in progress. As then-head coach of the Chiefs, Edwards’ office always was being filmed.↵⇥

↵↵↵While both coaches assessed the experience as being generally positive, the presence of a film crew did make for one more consideration during what is always an extremely stressful period of the year. While the threat of embarrassing players and fellow coaches is a concern, Billick said he and general manager Ozzie Newsome held final editorial rights when the Ravens were the show’s subject in 2001, meaning there was more than a good chance especially damning content wasn’t going to see broadcast.↵

↵↵Having control over the final message eased the paranoia for them, but the mere presence of the crew was still a drain as the six weeks wore on. Edwards said that by the fourth week that he had just about had enough. With Rex Ryan possessing an even shorter fuse, that may make for some interesting content, unless the team higher-ups put the kibosh on it.↵

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