Mike Valenti Endorses Lions on 'Hard Knocks' Again
The Detroit Lions reportedly turned down an opportunity to be the featured team on the HBO hit show "Hard Knocks" for a second straight season.
Dan Campbell's squad started the 2022 season slow, but ultimately made good on the goodwill built up during its appearance on the training camp show. The Lions finished 9-8, and are among the most talked about teams this offseason.
Sports radio host Mike Valenti said on 97.1 The Ticket that the team should embrace the possibility of being featured on "Hard Knocks" for the second straight season.
"Everyone remembers last summer, they were the darlings. Everyone fell in love with Dan Campbell, and the shame of it was that they started out so awful it kind of killed the buzz," Valenti said. "But, they ended up right were I thought they were gonna end up. ... The point is, if you crave the attention, I think you absolutely run it back. The Lions are the 'in' team in football, if you really think about this. The established winners, they're always gonna get covered. Of any team that wasn't a Super Bowl-caliber team last year, the Lions are the hottest team."
The host noted that the buzz around the team is at an all-time high and that it should embrace that.
"Stop acting like bumpkins. You've got the it team in the NFL, shake your (expletive) a little bit and let's have some fun," Valenti explained. "I think I would welcome it, I wish they would do Hard Knocks again. If HBO reached back out, what's the downside?"
During the segment, he also said the team will win the division, as well as a home playoff game. His co-host, Rico Beard, was against the idea of running it back with "Hard Knocks" because of how poorly the team started last season.
"Last year, I saw two teams. I don't know which one is real yet," Beard explained.
According to reports, HBO has struggled to find a suitor for the popular show as training camp draws near. Unlike the Lions, which embraced being on the show last season, the league has yet to find a team interested in being featured.
