‘Hard Knocks’ is a documentary made by HBO and NFL films, which focuses on the daily lives and routines of a specific NFL team’s players and staff throughout training camp. It gives viewers an insider’s look into an NFL team while they prepare for the upcoming season and is as close to reality TV as there has ever been in sports. 

The Jets have a lot of story-lines that make them a great choice for HBO. 

ESPN talks about what makes them a great pick for the documentary;

The Jets seem perfect subjects, starting with the loquacious Ryan, a Baltimore assistant during the show’s first season in 2001, and trash-talking linebacker Bart Scott. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, cornerback Darrelle Revis and newly signed LaDainian Tomlinson are also sure to get plenty of camera time.

You can also throw into the mix Rex Ryan’s lap-band procedure, his openness, blunt honesty, and the character his team has adopted since he took over as head coach last year. The Jets are a confident bunch that like to chatter. You also have the addition of cornerback Antonio Cromartie who has some off-field issues. 

This seems all great and entertaining, so you’re probably wondering why I’m not elated about the team being on the show like most Jets fans. The answer is that I don’t see the value it brings to the team. They’ll have cameras focused on them throughout training camp and for the younger guys, it could become a distraction. Yes, the Jets have a great group of veterans who won’t let it bother the team, but the focus of the team from day one should be winning the Super Bowl. Not the cameras, the documentary, or the show. “Hollywood” left when the Jets traded Kerry Rhodes to the Cardinals. Now it’s back and it has multiplied.

Jets linebacker Bart Scott didn’t seem so enthused about the idea when discussing it with the New York Times. Scott said, “I want training camp to remain pure and original. I want people to behave the way they normally behave. We all have our part in expanding the game, and I understand that. But I don’t like environments that are forced.”

The show will undoubtedly be entertaining, but for a team that’s on the brink of a Super Bowl, why throw a curve ball into training camp? I’m happy for the fans who want to see the Jets on “Hard Knocks” and get a better look into the lives of the players, but a Super Bowl is more important to me. I’m not saying that by doing the show the Jets won’t have a good season. I’m saying that the filming doesn’t add any value to the team or make them better. They’ll either remain the same, or be worse off because of it.

You can call me a Debbie-Downer or a hater and that’s fine. My focus for the team is on the Super Bowl, not what the players like to do in their spare time and like to eat for lunch after a workout. Sure the team will gain some national publicity and fans will enjoy it which is great. But being on “Hard Knocks” doesn’t make them a better football team and that’s what I’m focused on.

Hopefully, the documentary will not negatively affect the Jets in 2010.

What makes Thomas a good fit for the Jets? For starters, he fills a need for the Jets at outside linebacker. With Thomas, there will be one less area needed to be filled that may have had to be addressed through the draft. Now the Jets can draft a different need in the first and second rounds. Put Thomas on the other side of Calvin Pace and let Bryan Thomas spell the two outside linebackers when needed. They could put serious pressure on the quarterback from both sides of the field. 

Thomas is familiar with Rex Ryan’s defense, having played under Ryan in Baltimore from 2000 to 2006. He’s also familiar with the AFC East since he’s played for the Patriots for the last three seasons. Finally, doesn’t it feel like Thomas is going to hold a vendetta against the Patriots and would love to sign with their rivals, the Jets, and go hard after them twice a year? That’s enough in my book to want to sign him. 

The only foreseeable problem is his age. He’s 32-years old and hasn’t played exceptionally well during the last two seasons. Who knows though, maybe getting him back in Ryan’s defense will give his career a second wind; a resurgence. It’s not like his career has fallen off of a cliff, though, but he hasn’t been the same since leaving Baltimore.

Bart Scott talked about the idea on ESPN radio with Mike & Mike. “I was hanging with Adalius Thomas for Super Bowl weekend. We’re buddies from back in the day,” Scott said. “He made it public that he’s expressed an interest in joining Rex. I think some of his better years of his career have been a part of the Ravens defense and under Rex Ryan’s tutelage. It’ll be exciting.”

Once Thomas is released, look for the Jets to be the first to try to snatch him up.

It starts with first year head coach Rex Ryan, who was brought over from the Ravens. Ryan is one of the top defensive minds in the NFL. Ryan brought over linebacker Bart Scott, safety Jim Leonhard, defensive end Marques Douglas and a few coaches with him from Baltimore and those guys are a big reason why the Jets’ defense has been so successful in their first year under Rex Ryan’s scheme. Without Scott, Leonhard and Douglas, the Jets defense would have probably been lost. They are the coaches on the field that know the defense as well as Rex does because they’ve been in his system for so long. Those guys have helped the Jet defenders learn the scheme. 

The Jets 2009 draft will be looked at as a success because two of their three draft picks have played major roles in the Jets spectacular season and both are offensive players. Quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back Shonn Greene have been instrumental to the Jets success and Greene in particular, has had an outstanding postseason. Sanchez has matured right in front of our eyes and has learned that ball safety should be his number one concern while the Jets defense and running game does their thing. 

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has been building and tweaking this team since he took over the job in 2006 and it turns out he has made all the right moves in the player department. All he needed was the right coach. Rex Ryan is that guy. Tannenbaum put together the Jets entire offensive line, he has drafted players like Leon Washington, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, and more impressively, he traded up in drafts to choose Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. His only mistake was drafting Vernon Gholston (but let’s blame Mangini for that one).

Braylon Edwards is also a newby to the Jets this season and his tall presence and big play ability has been pleasant for the Jets on offense. The only problem is he drops a lot catchable passes. He is a free agent after the season and the Jets will have to make a choice whether they want to sign him to an extension or let him walk. That’s another debate for another time. 

To use a cliche, these aren’t your father’s Jets. The players and the entire organization has bought into Rex’s philosophy. Some of the names may be the same from the Mangini days, but their attitudes aren’t and their play on the field certainly isn’t. Rex’s tenure as the head coach of the New York Jets may put an end to the ‘Same Old Jets’ and we can start talking about the ‘Brand New Jets’.

David Harris picked off rookie Josh Freeman on the first play of the game and the defensive tone was set for the rest of the game. The Jets defense limited the Buccaneers to only 15 total yards in the first half and didn’t allow a first half first down. Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes also picked off the Buccaneers’ rookie signal caller in the fourth quarter. 

Jay Feely knocked in four field goals in the first half and Thomas Jones broke through for a 33-yard touchdown and the Jets led 19-0 at the half. A Thomas Jones touchdown run was their only offense in the second half and it was more than enough. The Jets would have most likely shut the Bucs out if linebacker Bart Scott wasn’t flagged for unnecessary roughness in the third quarter. The boneheaded play by Scott was after the Jets stopped the Bucs on a third down. The penalty gave the Bucs a first down and they converted a field goal a few plays later.

Kellen Clemens, starting in place of the injured Mark Sanchez, wasn’t great, but he didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t make any costly mistakes. 

At 7-6, the Jets will have to win their final three games and get some outside help to earn a playoff birth. New England (8-5) and Miami (7-6) both won and remain head of the Jets in the AFC East.