Tuesday open thread: What are you more excited about—Hard Knocks or the 2024 NFL Draft?

Monday brought about a rare flurry of positive news for the Detroit Lions that had nothing to do with free agency or anything related to the “player acquisition phase” for that matter. No, instead, the Lions managed to make national news twice in one day... and both just happened to be good news.

First, the NFL announced that the Lions would be the featured team on HBO’s Hard Knocks training camp documentary series. While the Lions organization may not like HBO’s prying eyes all over them in August, for the fan base, it’s an extraordinary opportunity to get an in-depth look inside the organization in a way we never have.

A few hours later, the NFL held a brief press conference down at the owners meetings to announce that Detroit had won the bid as the 2024 NFL Draft site. Team president Rod Wood expressed his excitement after spending several years trying to bring the big event to Detroit. This will be the biggest NFL event held in Detroit since Super Bowl XL, which was over 15 years ago.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Which are you more excited about: Hard Knocks or the 2024 NFL Draft?

My answer: It’s a fairly easy answer for me. I’ve been dreaming about “Hard Knocks” for over a decade now.

While I’ve been given way more access to the team than I ever believed possible for a blog like ours, nothing compares to “Hard Knocks” access. Whether it’s the unfiltered audio at practice, or the behind-the-scenes meetings happening between Lions coaches and front office members, “Hard Knocks” goes places even the most seasoned and trusted media types will never see.

And let’s be honest, this team is pretty damn fun right now. Dan Campbell is extremely entertaining, and what other coach in Lions history can maintain a 95+ approval rating after a 3-13-1 season.

The roster is full of players with personality, and the coaching staff could be the stars of the show come August. I just can’t wait for it.

The NFL Draft in Detroit should be entertaining, and it’s a big win for the city, the surrounding businesses and the local economy. From a personal perspective, however, I’m not sure it will impact me at all. There’s a good chance I’ll still be covering the team from Allen Park that weekend. Although, I hope to potentially do some live coverage for the podcast or Twitch stream that week.

Either way, both events are huge wins for the Lions and the city of Detroit, and both are worth celebrating.

Your turn.