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!!!OFFICIAL 2009 HARD KNOCKS EPISODE #5 THREAD!!!

oldschooler

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ccartman2 Hall Of Fame

ccartman2

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[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='09 September 2009 - 11:18 PM' timestamp='1252549081' post='800060']
damn, i don't get home for another 45 minutes, so will be nice to see this.
[/quote]

This page is going to replay it at 100 am ET or two hours from now.

http://www.justin.tv/sky_high_3
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kennethmw Hall Of Fame

|kennethmw|

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[quote name='Jamie_B' date='09 September 2009 - 11:54 PM' timestamp='1252551259' post='800069']
damn that last couple minutes after they announced who made the team to what they want for this year made me want to run through a wall....lets's get this season started .... WHO-DEY!!!



Tank's Hood Cribs :lol:
[/quote]

I think this is the year.

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Paul Pro Bowler

Paul

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Awesome final episode noice history on Paul Brown, so stocked for Sunday! WHO DEY WHO DEY WHO DEY Think Are Gonna

Beat Dem Bengals Where They Play In Jungle Afraid Of Nobody So Get Off Your Seat This Aint No Time To Be Sittin

Around Just Make Some Noise And Bring This Jungle To The Ground
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Rumble In the Jungle Hall Of Fame

Rumble In the Jungle

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[quote name='Jamie_B' date='09 September 2009 - 11:54 PM' timestamp='1252551259' post='800069']
damn that last couple minutes after they announced who made the team to what they want for this year made me want to run through a wall....lets's get this season started .... WHO-DEY!!!



Tank's Hood Cribs :lol:
[/quote]

that was hilarious :lol:
what was really funny to me though was when Marvin tried to call DeDe and he called the same lady again and she said "Didn't i tell you you called the wrong number again" and hung up on him :24: i balled out laughing lol

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oldschooler Hall Of Fame

oldschooler

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[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/10/john-thornton-reviews-hard-knocks-finale/"][b][size="5"]John Thornton reviews Hard Knocks finale[/size][/b][/url][size="5"] [/size]
Posted by [email="nhurm@enquirer.com"]nhurm[/email] September 10th, 2009, 3:41 am
[i]

After each episode of Hard Knocks, former Bengal John Thornton will give his opinions on the episode, lending a player's perspective. Thornton, who played for the Bengals from 2003-08, is the founder and co-CEO of JockBiz along with running Allproblogger.com. He also appears on Thursday nights on WLW-AM as part of the Bengals Roundtable.[/i]

HBO's "Hard Knocks" was a great show to watch this year.

I think it showed the Bengals in a positive light and it also gave Bengals fans a glimpse inside the team. A few months ago, I didn't think that allowing Hard Knocks to come into training camp was a good idea. I thought that it would put too much pressure on the Bengals to perform and they would be worn out before the season started. But after watching all five episodes, visiting training camp a few times, and talking to some players, I think it was a good call. Here are my top 5 moments from the show:

[b]1. Real World.[/b] While watching the final episode, I couldn't help but think of all of the times I have heard people say professional athletes have it easy. In reality, it is just the opposite. Professional athletes live in a glass bowl for all to see. They have to fight for every thing they get. It is a glamourous life for some, but for the rest of the guys, it is a grind just like every other job in America.

There is no long-time security. You have to prove yourself everyday or be replaced. Sure, you can make a lot of money for a few years or so, but very few make that big money. It's like flying into Las Vegas and seeing all of the bright lights and hearing all of the slot machines. You know that money is near but you can't touch it.

Some athletes get to training camp and see certain guys that have it made, but they have to fight twice as hard just to make the team. Young players never know the reality of the NFL until they experience it. It is definitely Hard Knocks, and only a few survive.

When a coach is fired or a player is released, a whole family is affected. People are counting on these players to make the team so they can provide an easier life for everyone. I think Hard Knocks gave people outside of the football world a glimpse into how tough and competitive it is to play in this league. Just like it is tough and competitive in the outside world.

[b]2. Chris Pressley.[/b] When the series started following fullback Chris Pressley, I didn't think there was any way this guy would make the team. He didn't look that fluent, he didn't look like he was a great athlete, and I thought that they were just following Chris to make a feel-good story.

I was dead wrong.

Let me say this - I like fullback Jeremy Johnson a whole lot, but he better play his butt off this year because Chris Pressley deserved to make this team. From what the cameras showed, he did what a fullback was supposed to do, and that was block his guy and make a hole for the running back to run through. Not only did he block his guy, but he pancaked pretty much every guy he touched. The Bengals made the right decision to keep Chris around on the practice squad. Now he can continue to develop his skills and have him ready if needed.

[b]3. Who-Dey Chant.[/b] After every Bengals win, the players get together sing the "Who-Dey Chant". For those who don't know, it's like singing your high school or college fight song. If you watched the show, you will see different levels of excitement from players while singing it. They range from good to bad. Sometimes players lip sync the words and let other guys sing it, and sometimes after a big win, everyone gets into it.

If you watched carefully, you will see the most enthusiastic chant came after the 2005 win in Pittsburgh that pretty much clinched the AFC North for the Bengals. I remember that one being really loud and everyone wanted to be apart of it. A closer look at that instance shows former Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman sporting the biggest smile after singing it. And that's rare. Rookies usually try to hide so they don't have to sing.

[b]4. Roster Cuts.[/b] The road to the final roster was pretty tough. Not only did the players have to fight to make the team, but the coaches had a hard time getting the roster down to 53. The final decision came down to keeping running back DeDe Dorsey or two fullbacks. DeDe won because he was more talented and could play special teams.

Watching the players get the phone calls telling them that they were no longer needed was tough. A lot of them will never play football again. The coaches also had a hard time choosing which players to let go. Coaches have a special bond with the players, so deciding their football future is a tough thing to do. But in the end, the job of the coach is to get the right 53 guys, not the best 53 guys.

[b]5. All In.[/b] The Bengals put everything out there on the table for everyone to see. Like most NFL teams, this is not a perfect roster. There are a few holes at some positions, but this team is ready to play real football. By agreeing to do "Hard Knocks," the Bengals let fans get to know this team - and in turn, the fans will be closer to this team than any in the past few years.

I think the team is tighter than it has ever been, but this doesn't guarantee wins. What will get this team wins is staying healthy, staying together and having fun. As we sit here before the first game, I don't see many games on the schedule that the Bengals will be the favorites. However, if things fall right, they could make some noise and win despite their underdog tag.

It won't be easy, but it should be fun. I wish every player and coach at PBS luck and great success this season. I am rooting for you guys.





[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/10/john-thornton-reviews-hard-knocks-finale/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/10/john-thornton-reviews-hard-knocks-finale/[/url]
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oldschooler Hall Of Fame

oldschooler

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[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/09/hard-knocks-the-final-episode/"][b][size="5"]Hard Knocks: The Final Episode[/size][/b][/url][b][size="5"]
[/size][/b]Posted by [email="jreedy@enquirer.com"]jreedy[/email] September 9th, 2009, 11:43 pm


Maybe it was because we've known about the cuts and the roster drama for four days now, maybe it was because there really wasn't much game action or maybe because we knew it was just the end, but the final episode seemed to go slow to me.

That's the danger of the final episode in your home market. You've read and seen the intrigue and you know the results. I'm sure it played well throughout the rest of the country, but to me it was like watching "Titanic". You know the boat is going to crash.

The battle for the final roster spots got the much-deserved amount of play. Marvin Lewis seemed to be a kindler, gentler Marvin and the final five minutes served as a decent preview into the hopes of the season.

The episode did do a nice job in bookending the roster quest of Chris Pressley. We got to learn about him and see his mom in the first episode. In this one, she got to see him play in an NFL game.

In the end the series did have a couple bobbles early locally (the Mike Brown suggestion about Chris Harrington moving from defense to offense still resonates) but nationally it did change some perceptions about the team. And as on-site director Steve Trout told me on Monday before his crew packed up and left: "You don't need Jessica Simpson to tell a good story" which alluded to last year's series with Dallas.

I do have to admit it was weird being at Paul Brown Stadium today and not seeing an NFL Films camera or sound crew walking around getting shots.




[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/09/hard-knocks-the-final-episode/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2009/09/09/hard-knocks-the-final-episode/[/url]
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Jason Hall Of Fame

Jason

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[quote name='sparky151' date='10 September 2009 - 01:40 AM' timestamp='1252561258' post='800111']
I liked the clips busting Chad for not dropping passes and [b]the owner of the Precinct[/b] dogging Andre. Would have been nice to see more from the D-line and O-line. I'd rather see more about Collins than Parrish.
[/quote]

I saw this on Mo Egger's blog, and had to share.

If the precinct has a steak named after Shayne, it has to be a tenderloin. :D

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oldschooler Hall Of Fame

oldschooler

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[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2009/09/10/thanks-hard-knocks/"][b][size="5"]Thanks, Hard Knocks[/size][/b][/url][size="5"] [/size]
Posted by [email="jkiesewetter@enquirer.com"]jkiesewetter[/email] September 10th, 2009, 12:15 am



I'm gonna miss these guys. As a casual Bengals fan, I've really enjoyed getting to know the players and coaches throughout HBO's five-week "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals" that ended tonight.

I'll be rooting for rookies Tom Nelson, Chase Coffman, Bernard Scott and Rey Maualuga. I'll be watching guys like Brian Leonard, DeDe Dorsey, Tank Johnson and Roy Williams more closely now. Unlike any previous year, there even are guys on the practice squad I'll try to keep track of — bruising running back Chris Pressley, whose mother cried when she saw him play against the Colts; offensive lineman Jason Shirley, who was switched from defense during training camp; and Corey Lynch, who saved a woman's life on I-75 in June.

And I"ll really miss these all-too-brief opportunities to eavesdrop on Bengals coaches as they discuss players in closed-door team meetings.

As for tonight's episode, I felt the the brief segments about Paul Brown's legacy, and the "Who Dey" chant, seemed out of the natural flow, as if HBO/NFL Films just stuck it in tonight since time was running out. The rest of the show was about what I expected, with most of the focus on players on the bubble. But most Bengals fans knew from weekend news reports who made the team.

I"m gonna miss Tank Johnson's surprising humor. In the segment about Ochocinco being "the NFL's Twitter king," Johnson said: "You've got New York, you've got Chicago, you've got Los Angeles, and you've got Ochocinco, the fourth largest media market in the country right here."

To me, these were the insightful moments:

–Veteran safety Roy Williams standing up to Chad Ochocinco after he dropped a pass in practice: "Chad! That's like five drops this week. We can't have that. Practice to be the best…. Nobody else is going to get on you, then I'm going to get on you. I'll push you. We're here for one another."

(When Chad claimed "it's been two (drops) since training camp," NFL Films went through the 1,000 hours of video to show him miss six passes.)

–Coach Marvin Lewis making Pressley, DeDe Dorsey and Fui Vakapuna sweat all day Saturday, the roster cutdown day, before being told their fates. (It was never explained why; maybe you can fill me in. Was it to keep another team from claiming them?)

–Were you surprised by the overabundance of optimism?

Carson Palmer: "This is our year."

Marvin Lewis: "Our goal is to be undefeated at home, win the AFC North and eventually be world champions."

President Mike Brown: "We've hit a low spot, and we have to earn our way back. There's only one way to do that, and that's win games on the field…. We're going to try our best to have the kind of team that's a winning team, and I hope it's a playoff team."

–And what can be done for a sequel? Leave it to Tank Johnson, who was on "Hard Knocks" last year while playing for the Dallas Cowboys. In the closing scene Tank said: "Two years in a row, "Hard Knocks" with Tank. That's crazy! We should just call the show "Tank Knocks," since you guys are following me around. Maybe I can get my own show off this, you know?"

"Tank Knocks?" I'd rather watch that than a rerun of a 4-11-1 season… Who Dey think gonna beat them Bengals? Hopefully not 11 NFL teams again this year.






[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2009/09/10/thanks-hard-knocks/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2009/09/10/thanks-hard-knocks/[/url]
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Montecore Pro Bowler

Montecore

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[quote name='TheBeaverHunter' date='10 September 2009 - 09:00 AM' timestamp='1252584038' post='800130']
I wonder why Marvin said wait to call Fui? Did he want to tell him face to face? He didn't really say a whole lot to him though. I felt sorry for them making him wait like that.
[/quote]

I think they were hoping to keep Pressley and Fui off waivers for as long as possible, so other teams wouldn't snatch 'em up. Figured they wanted at least one of the two for the practice squad.
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oldschooler Hall Of Fame

oldschooler

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[b][size="5"]Final Knock[/size][/b]
GEOFF HOBSON

Posted Sep 9, 2009

Posted: 12:05 a.m.

The Bengals [i]Hard Knocks[/i] journey ended Wednesday night with the team picture and head coach Marvin Lewis' goals of going unbeaten at home, winning the AFC North and "eventually the Super Bowl."

The final half hour of the fifth and last episode focused on the anxiety of the final cuts as seen primarily through the two rookie fullbacks, Chris Pressley and Fui Vakapuna, veteran running backs Brian Leonard and DeDe Dorsey, and rookie safety Tom Nelson and veteran Corey Lynch.

The most poignant moment of all the shows may have come in this one. Pressley's mother, Jacqueline, sat in the stands at Paul Brown Stadium with Pressley's five-year-old son and girlfriend and wept with joy before the preseason finale against the Colts.

"I can't believe I watched you play a game in the NFL," she later told her son as they walked out of the stadium.

The show gave a rare-behind-the-scenes look at how the club settles on its final roster. It featured first a coaches' meeting chaired by Lewis in which he asked his position coaches which players should make the roster and which should make the practice squad.

Lewis asked the definitive question of running backs coach Jim Anderson when it came to Pressley and Vakapuna. Pressley, Anderson told him, was the most aggressive while Vakapuna had good potential but needed work.

"Is he worth the wait?" Lewis asked.

"Is he worth the wait?" Anderson repeated.

The Bengals ended up deciding no because they kept Pressley on the practice squad and let Vakapuna go. Asked about Lynch and Nelson, secondary coach Kevin Coyle and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer agreed that Lynch needed to be more aggressive and Nelson had simply played better. So Nelson made it and Lynch went to the practice squad.

When the personnel meeting followed the coaches meeting, the cameras didn't show Brown discussing the roster cuts with the coaches, which left one to assume the decisions came out of the coaches' meeting.

It was left to director of football operations Jim Lippincott to phone the players who got cut and Lewis to inform the players who made the roster or the practice squad. Lewis wanted to hold off telling Pressley and Vakapuna their fates after everyone else so other teams had less time to pick them up on waivers. A nice moment came with both waiting for a call and Vakapuna called Pressley to see if he heard anything. "Much love," Vakapuna told him as they vowed to stay in touch no matter what happened.

Steve Sabol of NFL Films admitted that it was difficult to film the concept of the practice squad and that it was difficult to come up with some kind of closure to the subject "because it's really some kind of purgatory," he said.

In the meantime, it was business as usual for the veterans. The episode showed Lewis briefing his players on the NFL's Twitter Game Day policy and he went one step beyond and banned it from the locker room. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said he didn't have to call a team meeting for that.

"He should have just called me into his office and told me; it was directed at me," The Ocho said. "I understand where the league is coming from. I understand where he's coming from."

But The Ocho has decided to stop Twittering anyway after that, although he's hinting he's got something up his sleeve for Sunday's opener.

The funniest moment of the last episode may have been the Ocho claiming he dropped just two balls all of training camp and Zimmer shaking his head with doubt. The cameras went back and documented five drops before stopping.

Line of the show? Tank Johnson observing that The Ocho is "the fourth largest media market."

Also, there was a nice little vignette about the Who-Dey cheer and its importance in Bengals lore.

"Its kind of corny," said rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga, but he then saluted the tradition.





[url="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Final-Knock/614b82eb-c099-4ca6-8d14-8cbf5ac8bd8f"]http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Final-Knock/614b82eb-c099-4ca6-8d14-8cbf5ac8bd8f[/url]
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