Falcons turn down 'Hard Knocks'

Just as they did eleven months ago, the Atlanta Falcons have passed up the opportunity to let cameras closely chronicle their day-to-day operations this summer. After conducting “extensive discussions at every level of the organization,” the Falcons declined an offer to appear on HBO’s hit series, Hard Knocks, a league source tells ESPN. During the lockout-shortened offseason in 2011, the Falcons showed initial interest in appearing on the award-winning reality program, but eventually chose to nix the idea. Instead of film crews documenting their every move, the club decided they’d rather have their focus be “exclusively on the football field,” which is similar to the reasoning they used last year. With Atlanta now out of the mix, the report lists the Jets and Jaguars as two teams that could fit the bill. New York, of course, was featured on Hard Knocks in 2010, with foul-mouthed coach Rex Ryan providing HBO with a five-week ratings extravaganza.