NFL fans love HBO's Hard Knocks series, an opportunity to go behind the scenes with one team each year. Aaron Rodgers joining the New York Jets made them a no-brainer choice for the show. But New York Giants defensive end Jihad Ward is no fan of what he's seen so far.
His unhappiness stems from the way the show portrayed one play in particular in the game between the Giants and Jets last Saturday.
Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb threw a block that was penalized as illegal on Giants safety Bobby McCain. Ward confronted the Jets quarterback afterwards, even shoving him. As a result of the hit, McCain is now in the league's concussion protocol.
After the hit, on the latest episode of Hard Knocks, Jets players are shown laughing in the huddle. Rodgers did chide Cobb for the block.
Later in the game, Rodgers taunted Ward by saying he didn't even know the Giants defender. After throwing a touchdown pass, Rodgers goes so far as to warn Ward. “Don't poke the bear!” the quarterback yells among other things.
Ward declined to comment on what happened directly after the game. He wanted to first see how HBO presented the penalty and scuffle afterwards.
What did Ward think once the show aired? “See, the thing is, they're going to entertain. They're going to show his part — HBO, whatever stuff is going on, ‘Hard Knocks.' They're going to show his part.”
Ward's take on the situation was simple. “My side of the story is I'm not going to let none of my teammates be backed down like that. I'm going to ride for my teammates.”
For fans of either team, good news. The tension between the two teams that share a home stadium will be resolved on October 29th, when the teams meet at MetLife Stadium.