Hard Knocks offers an in-depth look each NFL preseason with one club, and this year HBO and NFL Films added more content by focusing on a different team’s offseason efforts.
That team was the New York Giants.
Being put under that microscope for a national audience can be a double-edged sword, as fans and critics get an unfiltered look inside the organization.
The Giants are preparing for their 100th NFL season and are currently under the Hard Knocks spotlight.
For some, it is a picture that raises questions about the club’s direction.
Commentator Pat McAfee posted an interview with former NFL GM Michael Lombardi where he admitted that watching the HBO production made him believe that the Giants have “no identity.”
https://twitter.com/TheDougRush/status/181367343411255334
Lombardi expressed his disbelief at the level of access the production crew was given inside the building that houses one of the most storied NFL franchises.
However, he felt that the team was missing an identity, a sense of “this is who we are.”
Lombardi’s take on what Hard Knocks exposed is that there is not a system of scouting that is putting together a team with a specific goal in mind.
Rather than building that team, talented individuals are brought in.
The former executive observed that successful teams make lists of goals and methods to achieve those goals, and from there it is necessary to figure out the right pieces to reach them.
But to Lombardi, there are too many voices in the process and not a cohesive method and message.
He added that “if you want to make a bad decision, ask a lot of people.”
