This afternoon the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially spiked down the idea of appearing on the HBO series "Hard Knocks" this summer. The statement from their Facebook page reads:
↵↵↵Some of you may have heard that we were approached by the league about the possibility of being this year’s team on “Hard Knocks.” After discussing the idea and carefully considering the opportunity, we have respectfully declined. It was certainly an honor to be considered, and we think it is a good indication of the excitement and national interest that is forming around our team. This year, however, we believe it is in the best interests of the team to keep the focus on the field and what we hope to accomplish in 2011. As we told the league, we would be honored to be considered again in the future; it is always an entertaining and informative show and we look forward to watching whomever takes our spot this year.
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The general consensus is that this is a smart move by the Bucs, seeing as this current group hasn't even made the playoffs yet. Not to mention -- what if training camp is cut short by the lockout and the whole thing turns into a hurried circus? You definitely don't want cameras around that.
↵And while you're at it, make sure to read Bucs Nation's take on today's developments.