HBO Sports and NFL Films announced Monday that the Miami Dolphins will be featured in the HBO series Hard Knocks this summer. Going into its eighth season, the show provides an all-access look at an NFL squad during summer training camp.
The show gets an opportunity to profile a franchise in transition, as new head coach Joe Philbin will take the reigns of a team coming off a 6-10 season with a rookie quarterback who could be the future of the franchise.
"We are delighted that Hard Knocks will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on the Miami Dolphins, a venerable franchise that had an exciting off-season activity," said HBO Sports president Ken Hershman in a statement. "This marks the first time that the series has featured a first-year head coach and we are extremely grateful to both Coach Philbin and the entire organization for agreeing to participate. As always, there will be plenty on the line for veterans, free agents and rookies."
Philbin is looking forward to his small screen debut. "We are looking forward to connecting with our many fans across the country as the program chronicles our 2012 training camp. The series will highlight the outstanding men who comprise our team and represent our organization admirably, both on and off the field, as they compete for a coveted position on our roster."
A 24-person NFL Films crew will be embedded at the Dolphins training camp in Davie, where they will shoot over 1,000 hours of video during training camp. The crew will have an all-access look at the players' and coaches' meeting rooms, training rooms, dormitories and practice fields.
"All the decisions that have been made this off-season have had one guiding principle — will it help our players and organization reach its full potential?" Philbin added. "This one is no different. We are convinced that our affiliation with NFL FILMS and HBO will allow football fans everywhere an opportunity to comprehend the significant sacrifices and demands that our players endure each day along their journey in training camp as a Miami Dolphin."
The Dolphins are the second South Florida team to appear in a reality series this year. The Miami Marlins are the subject of Season 2 of the Showtime series The Franchise.
Hard Knocks will premiere at 10:00 ET on Aug. 7, continuing with a new episode each Tuesday until the season finale on Sept. 4.