HBO had a difficult time finding a team willing to participate in its training camp reality TV show “Hard Knocks” this year, and now we know why: the show can put the team at a competitive disadvantage.
Houston Texans second-year defensive end J.J. Watt had 1.5 sacks in his team’s 30-10 win over the Dolphins on Sunday, and he says he picked up some helpful tidbits from the show.
“You can’t really pick up too much from watching that show, but I got their snap count,” Watt told Erik Kuselias during an interview on “Pro Football Talk.” “It’s something you can really pick up (from) just about any TV copy. But I watched that, and that’s one thing I picked up. I used that a little bit.”
Watt seemed to be making a conscious effort to avoid divulging too much or making it seem like the reality show provided too much assistance.
“Once the game gets going, you pick it up anyways, so it wasn’t a huge advantage, but any little thing can help,” he told Kuselias.
Much like Rangers rookie Jurickson Profar, Watt may have been better off keeping his secret to himself. Thanks to his revelation, teams may be even more reluctant to appear on the show.
This could be bad news for HBO, and fans who enjoy watching the program.
Below is video of Watt’s interview with “Pro Football Talk”:
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