Hard Knocks made Mike Zimmer a star, and there’s a chance the Vikings coach could be returning to the HBO series for an encore appearance.
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Per SI.com, the Vikings are among nine teams that are eligible to be picked by the NFL to appear on Hard Knocks in the event that no team steps up and volunteers.
The NFL has stipulated that teams are exempt from being forced to appear on Hard Knocks if they have a new head coach, have made the playoffs in the past two years or have appeared on the show in the last ten years.
Under those conditions, the Vikings, Giants, Redskins, Rams, Buccaneers, Browns, Texans, Jaguars and Titans are all teams that could be made to appear on the show whether they like it or not.
Seems to me the Redskins and Browns would be at the top of the NFL’s list, if their aim is to create as much drama as possible.
The Vikings might be considered an alluring choice for Hard Knocks if Adrian Peterson returns to the team. A whole narrative built around Peterson’s attempt at redemption would make for pretty good TV drama you would think.
Obviously, the Vikings’ first choice would be not to appear on the show at all. Mike Zimmer knows all about what that experience is like, having been prominently featured on the show when he was DC with the Bengals, and I doubt he’s eager to revisit that.
As much fun as it would be seeing Zimmer cursing out players, it would be best for the Vikings if the NFL did not come calling. Hard Knocks may be good entertainment but no team wants to have to put up with the extra distraction.
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