HBO’s “Hard Knocks” debuted Tuesday night, giving us a first glimpse at Los Angeles’ newest team.
One thing we learned: NFL clubs have strict training camp rules, and breaking them will cost you.
Rams wide receiver Deon Long recently learned that the hard way. The team released the 25-year-old Maryland product on July 31, and HBO’s cameras rolled as head coach Jeff Fisher delivered him the news. That also revealed why Long was cut: He hosted a female visitor at his training camp dorm room, which is a violation of team rules.
Fisher didn’t go easy on Long, either.
“What part of the rules, what part of ‘no female guests in the room,’ did you not understand?” Fisher asked Long in the meeting, via ESPN.com.
Long tried to talk his way out of it, but Fisher wasn’t budging.
“Sorry, but this is our world, man,” Fisher said. “We have rules and we have to abide by them. Not the first time I’ve done this for this particular violation, but I thought I made myself really clear.”
The Rams coach also made very clear his expectations for the team, which hasn’t had a winning record since 2003 and has finished with seven wins in four of the last six seasons.
“I’m not f—ing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7. … We have too much talent here for that,” Fisher said. “We had some 7-9 bulls— this morning and we can’t have that. Deon is gone. That is 7-9 bulls— and we don’t need it.”
Apparently other teams do, however, as Long was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles a few days later.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
