Hard Knocks 2012: Atlanta Falcons Smart to Decline HBO's Offer

HBO's reality series Hard Knocks recently offered this year's spot to the Atlanta Falcons, but according to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas, the Falcons have declined.

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The source said the Falcons had extensive discussions at every level of the organization about appearing on the show, but eventually decided they wanted their focus for the 2012 season to be exclusively on the football field.

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As awesome as the show is and as successful as it is for a team's marketing and exposure, this is a smart move by the Falcons.

The Dirty Birds have been fantastic on the field the last four years, putting up a winning season each of those years. However, they've failed to win a playoff game during that span.

They are right on the brink of becoming elite, but haven't quite passed into that threshold.

Entering the 2012 season, the Falcons haven't made a ton of changes to their roster, but they have brought in Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan as the new offensive and defensive coordinators. If Atlanta is going to break into the elite status, the next year or two will be extremely important. 

Perhaps more important than it is for any other team in the NFL.

By pledging to focus on the football field instead of the marketing department, the Falcons are showing their fanbase and the rest of the league that they are serious about contending for a championship. 

Don't get me wrong, appearing on Hard Knocks can do wonders for an NFL team. In 2010, the Jets were featured and "owner Woody Johnson has said the exposure was of tremendous value to the franchise."

I, for one, became a huge fan of punter Steve Weatherford after seeing him on the show. 

By appearing on the show, teams and players can enter the national spotlight. That might not seem important, but it can do wonders for confidence and have many other positive effects.

What Hard Knocks doesn't do to a team, however, is make them better on the field. In fact, it's quite possible having the extra cameras and extra attention could take away from the production in practice and in training camps.

The Falcons are serious about winning in 2012 and while declining the invitation may be disappointing for some fans, it will only help them win more football games. Let someone else deal with it.

Like the Colts.