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A Reluctant Steelers Team Might Find Itself On Reality TV

PITTSBURGH, PA (KDKA) -- Fans could get a bit more personal with their hometown Steelers as players could now be forced to be featured on HBO's show "Hard Knocks."

However, it seems as if no one in the organization is willing to participate in the show.

In the NFL Owners' meeting in Orlando, owners could say that the Steelers must be a part of the reality TV show, "Hard Knocks." The show is one that shows a team's day-to-day activities on and off the field. Because the team has absolutely no say in the matter, the Steelers may have to bow down and do the show.

There are also two key qualifications that the Steelers need to have in order to be featured on the show. One qualification is that the Steelers have to have missed the playoffs in the last two consecutive years and they also have to have had the same coach for the same amount of time, both of which the Steelers have.

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is not a fan of the show or any reality show for that manner and does not want to participate at all.

"It is a joke and just because it happens to be popular, doesn't mean I have to participate," said Tomlin.

Tomlin also says that not only is it a joke, but it is a distraction to what his team is trying to do this coming season.

"I think you know, that time of year in terms of team development, there are a lot of complex things going on as it is," he said. "It has many layers to it and to add to it, is not conducive to what we go there to do from my perspective."

However, the Steelers are not the first Pittsburgh team to be on "Hard Knocks." The Penguins were also in the show as well.

Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert, says that he was a fan of the Penguins show as a fan of hockey. But with his team, he sees it as a distraction.

"When you're in the management side of it, how do you manage the extra distractions, I think is the thing you have to look at," he said. "But if we're picked, we're picked, we have no choice."

For now, the Steelers will have to wait for an answer as a decision will not be set for several weeks.

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