Hard Knocks director reveals that the shocking lack of profanity is due to Chicago Bears owners
Hard Knocks is touted as an up-close, personal, and authentic look at the inner operations and everyday life working in the NFL. The show’s sense of authenticity comes from its lack of censorship. Full conversations are typically shown, even if they contain expletives. However, this season is different, Hard Knocks with the Chicago Bears features no profanity of any kind.
Behind the scenes with the Hard Knocks director
Hard Knocks director Shannon Furman confirmed that the lack of profanity was a conscious decision by the crew. The Bears players aren’t squeaky clean with their language, the crew has censored and or removed explicit remarks. This was all done with the McCaskey family in mind.
Here is what Furman had to say when she was asked about the lack of profanity by Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears.
“I’ll be honest, this team curses much less than any other team I’ve been around,” Furman said. “But it is out of respect for the McCaskey family. It (cursing) is something they don’t do, and wouldn’t want to see it. So it has been a decision that was made out of respect for them. Letting us in their house, and wanting to be respectful to them. “
Furman’s comments make it sound like the McCaskey family has not requested a profanity free mini-series. The decision to make Hard Knocks with the Bears free from profanity was on the crew.
This may come as a surprise based on George McCaskey’s unwillingness to host the Hard Knocks crew. McCaskey had previously argued against hosting Hard Knocks at every chance he got. Specifically citing that the show could be a distraction to the team as they prepare for the season ahead. The Bears are only on the show now, because the NFL selected the Bears.
There are three ways for an NFL team to get out of being the subject of HBO’s pre-season version of Hard Knocks:
- They have a first-year head coach in place
- They’re participating in the in-season show during the upcoming year or the following season
- They have appeared on “Hard Knocks” in the past eight years
These rules were approved by NFL owners in March of 2024.
Takeaways
The decision to remove obscene statements from Hard Knocks may have been done out of respect to the McCaskey family. But it could also have a positive affect on the shows ratings, and the audience it reaches.
Adam Hoge mentions that he has been able to watch all three episodes with his 10-year-old child. The lack or profanity could mean that more parents are letting their kids watch Hard Knocks with them. That would mean the show is reaching a brand new market for the series. And the NFL loves to reach into untapped markets, especially as they try to cultivate new fans.
Choosing the Bears, who feature a bright young star in Caleb Williams, is one way to attract new fans. A kid who grows up watching Hard Knocks with the Bears could become a lifelong Chicago Bears fan after getting to see what Williams is all about behind the scenes. People love great players, of course, and some people fall in love with a player for their personality and how they work.
The NFL is always looking to expand it’s audience. This is proven by how the NFL has handled the relationship between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Grammy award winning musical artist Taylor Swift. Dubbed “The Taylor Swift effect,” Swift’s appearance at NFL games has helped sky rocket the NFL’s popularity among young women.
The NFL could use the popularity of Hard Knocks with the Bears as a tool to investigate how they could reach younger audiences. They have already started doing this with animated versions of NFL games, and unique broadcasts on Nickelodeon. By targeting an even younger audience, the NFL looks to build more lifelong fans. Which is necessary for the long-term health of the league. The NFL needs to refresh its audience as some of it’s core demographic get older.
It is unlikely that the series will ever go fully PG-13 and censor every episode of every season from here on. But they could use this to consider other types of NFL television content targeted at younger fans. Is Chicago part of an experiment? Or is this season of Hard Knocks just a special one of a kind event?
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