Desperate for Football - NFL Network

I spend x amount of time on the Internet searching for football news that may relate to the Utes or 49ers. My current schedule allows me plenty of time to go through the list of blogs and news articles that may offer up some information that I probably have to know about.
Unfortunately the news front is so quiet right now you may have one or two items to choose from on a 24 hour need to know basis and most of the stuff is referencing old news.

I needed something, anything. Well I found it, and believe it or not it did have something to do with the Utes in a very round about way. I will explain later on in this blog.

I turned to the NFL Network. Usually they are replaying 2009 games, top ten lists, old Superbowl's, and NFL follies, things that don't really offer anything up to fill the void left by 30 days of nothingness in July. They had been running a show called Hard Knocks, I thought it was a fictional account of the NFL along the lines of the one they did on ESPN, at least that was my thought when I clicked through the guide.

I hit the enter key on my remote to watch and was pleasantly surprised. The show actually is the real story behind various 2009 teams during training camp. This particular series of episodes, (I think there were four of them), showcased the Cincinnati Bengals from the start of the rookies first speech from head coach Marvin Lewis to the the last cuts to the 53 man roster.
I watched every episode last night. I could not turn it off. If you ever want a reality show that does not pull any punches I strongly suggest you tune in. The punishment and stress put on these players is amazing. The coaches are relentless in their pursuit of the best players and they take no prisoners. You find yourself getting caught up in the emotions of the players, coaches, and members of the organization that surprised even myself. Never....EVER..... did I think that I would watch anything to do with the Cincinnati Bengals but I was consumed with everything.

Now what it had to do with the Utes.

During the 2009 Sugar Bowl you will remember a certain offensive lineman from Alabama that was suspended from the game because he had improper contact with an agent. That's right, the Bengals drafted 6' 4" 330 pound Andre Smith, the same Smith suspended by Nick Saban in the Sugar Bowl against Utah. At the time I wondered how a player with one game remaining could do something so stupid but after watching the happenings in Bengals training camp, and their efforts to sign Smith, it was very apparent why he did it. Greedy agent and self serving stupid individual.

I don't know why Smith was in such a hurry to find an agent because unlike the other rookies who signed their contracts Smith held out until the final five days of training camp, and his agent was a jackass. During the last episode you will find out what the wait cost Smith and the Bengals.

This is great stuff and if you have had enough of the Lebron crap, the never ending MLB season, and The World Cup, click on and tune in to the NFL Networks Hard Knocks series. I promise you won't be disappointed.