New Orleans Saints dodge Hard Knocks, and a bullet

The New Orleans Saints will not be the subject of HBO's Hard Knocks this season, leaving many fans and those around the Saints breathing a sigh of relief.

Whether you're a fan or not, HBO's Hard Knocks has become something of a cultural staple in recent years, at least among football fans, as it's the perfect way for excitement for the upcoming NFL season for those folks. The New Orleans Saints were one of the finalists to be features this season, and for a while, it was looking like the Saints could have even been the favorites.

However, the selection process took a little longer than usual, primarily due to the fact that no team really wanted much to do with it at all, and Saints head honcho Dennis Allen wasn't exactly shy about the fact that he wasn't a fan.

Fortunately for Allen and the Saints, they appear to be in the clear.

Admittedly, the phrase "selected" is an interesting choice if reports are to be believed. The shield was NOT going to just sit by and not have one of their teams represented on Hard Knocks, so why not go with the big name in the big apple. Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets COME ON DOWN.

It's easy to see why teams shy away from the show, and why the Saints and their fans are feeling fortunate. While yes, it's cool to see your team featured in the limelight, it also puts them under a huge microscope, and can very easily bring on an unnecessary distraction.

So the New Orleans Saints will once again be among the few franchises to never be featured on the HBO program. While it may have been a good way for fans to pass the the time, consider this bullet avoided.