Bill Belichicks Hard Knocks deal for UNC suddenly falls through

It won’t be a Hard Knock life for Bill Belichick this offseason.After it appeared Belichick would be putting his North Carolina football program on HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Offseason,” they couldn’t finalize a deal with NFL Films and now won’t be participating in the show that debuted last offseason with the Giants.“NFL Films had discussions with Coach Belichick and UNC about appearing on ‘Hard Knocks’ this offseason but couldn’t reach an agreement,” an NFL Media spokesperson told CBS Sports on Tuesday.Creative control was an issue that led to the deal falling apart, according to CBS Sports.It’s unsurprising Belichick would want a say in what is shown on the program as he’s always played his cards close to the vest.Plus, most people felt the Giants came across poorly last year on what was the first offseason edition of the show, which traditionally has focused on training camp and in recent years, has added an in-season series.Joe Schoen’s handling of Saquon Barkley and his open pursuit of a quarterback in the draft before going with Daniel Jones to start the 2024 season become sore spots for Giants fans.No wonder NFL teams haven’t been lining up with their hands raised to volunteer for the offseason behind-the-scenes show this year.On the flip side, it makes sense for Belichick to pursue a show like “Hard Knocks” to try to get North Carolina — far from a traditional football powerhouse — more exposure and showcase the program to potential recruits.There may have been more factors than creative control at play, however, as ProFootballTalk reported some NFL owners weren’t “thrilled” with the decision to have Belichick on the show.The 72-year-old has unexpectedly been reveling in the spotlight in recent months, having taken on a bevy of media gigs during the 2024 NFL season, making red carpet appearances with his 23-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, and appearing in a Dunkin’ Super Bowl commercial with her.After the Super ...