The Buffalo Bills are front and center in the national media as the first episode of Hard Knocks aired on HBO. With hopes of winning a Super Bowl, an MVP QB at the helm that also happened to marry a literal superhero, and a fanbase that bleeds Bills red, white, and blue, it makes for excellent television.
Fan favorites are thrown into the national spotlight for fans to get an even more intimate look inside their lives and what drives them as humans. Mind you, this is a documentary that focuses on storylines, so the drama is going to be front and center, even if it wasn't apparent in this latest episode.
With Ryan Talbot from NYup.com reporting that Hard Knocks had finished airing the first episode the day that it aired, we had a sneaking suspicion it would be regarding the James Cook contract drama, but it was never brought up. A welcome surprise to say the least.
The episode opened with Josh Allen walking into frame, about to get ready for an interview, before flashes of the team and Bills Mafia flooded the screen. If you weren't locked in from the first few seconds, you might need to check your pulse. Thankfully, it was a relatively stress-free evening. Josh Allen had one of my all-time favorite quotes about the fanbase, and it was nice to see a beloved team and fanbase get their flowers in front of a national audience.
That's not to say that everything was happy; HBO was following the team when rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston suffered a knee injury, and you could feel the shift in emotions immediately.
This past offseason, the team brought back fan-favorite and veteran CB Tre'Davious White to add some key depth to the roster. Hairstom, being new on the team, in his first camp, suffering such an injury was devastating. Luckily, White was there to offer some grounded advice, even more proof of just how valuable his leadership is. White has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and his mentorship is imperative.
White explained what he did for Hairston immediately following the injury, "The only thing that I told him is what's done is done. Only thing you can do is get your body right. Show up in your mental, watch more film, get more into the playbook so when you come back the details are down and you can just hit the ground running." Benford quickly consoled Hairston on the sideline with White joining in, showcasing how much of a family feel this team has.
White is the perfect teammate, and it's no wonder the organization has been so excited about him being back. His energy is infectious, and his leadership, as proven by what happened with the Hairston injury, proves invaluable. (He's also a really good goalie)
Getting a more intimate look at the organization and its players who have embraced the city and their fans is enough to bring a tear to your eye. For those who grew up watching the Bills during the dreaded drought years, or during the 4 Super Bowl losses, it is night and day different.
Now that the world gets a look behind the curtain, and with Buffalo being a small market, Bills Mafia may be gaining a slew of new fans over the coming weeks. For those who may be new to the fanbase, get your wallets and your tables ready. The fanbase is as generous as they are die-hard, showcased perfectly during the airing.
Hard Knocks will run for 4 more weeks on Tuesday nights at 9 pm E.T., and you're not going to want to miss out on more moments like this.
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