Every preseason, an NFL camera crew follows a team at training camp to film the documentary “Hard Knocks”. It’s popular with viewers, but not with the coaches. Dennis Allen, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, has now openly spoken out against it.

It has become a staple of NFL pre-season training: The NFL’s filmed six-part documentary series, Hard Knocks.

A team is accompanied by a camera crew during training camps and the most important preparation for the season. While fans are happy to get a glimpse of an NFL team, the coaches usually find it less appealing.

Dennis Allen, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, has now publicly spoken out against being part of the documentary. The Saints are one of four teams along with the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New York Jets that would be considered for “Hard Knocks. “

Allen wants to “put focus on football “

“Of course, I wouldn’t like it very much,” the former defensive coordinator said. “I want to focus on football and getting better. “

The fact that a camera crew would follow the team would be “nice” for fans, but not conducive to the goal of the season, he said. “It’s distractions that keep you from achieving your goals. And that’s what a distraction would be,” Allen complains.

The league’s rules state that a team is obliged to appear at “Hard Knocks” if it is picked. The condition: You can’t have a new head coach, you can’t have been in the playoffs in the last two seasons and you can’t have appeared on the documentary in the last ten years. All of this applies to the Saints.