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What team is going to be on HBO's Hard Knocks is still up in the air, but one team has been eliminated from contention, the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers are one of five candidates that can be forced to appear on the show, along with the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, and Oakland Raiders but according to a report from Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, they won't be the team appearing.
A team can be exempt from appearing Hard Knocks if they have a first-year head coach, if they have been on the show in the last ten years, or have been in the playoffs the previous two seasons.
There is no doubt the 49ers are excited about not appearing on the show because John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have both been critical of the show in the past. In 2017 Lynch said (via NBC Sports) that he loved the show but wasn't something he wanted the 49ers to have to deal with.
“It’s not something we would be really excited about. I love the show, but I think some things are best left behind closed doors. I fundamentally have a problem with cutting players and things of that nature (on camera). It’s not something we’d be thrilled about.”
It's unclear exactly why the 49ers haven't been picked to do the show, especially considering Joey Bosa hasn't ever been afraid to speak his mind and Jimmy Garrapolo is coming back from an injury. Who will get the nod on the show is still to be seen, but the Oakland Raiders have a lot of storylines that could make for an entertaining show.
