The 2024 NFL season is almost upon us, as Ryan and Wade blast out this week’s Hard Knocking podcast. With the Giants finishing their journey on HBO’s Hard Knocks, it’s time to get into the preseason with the Chicago Bears.
If you want to listen to the whole podcast, just click here for the goods.
Training Camp
NFL Training Camp’s have begun, with many veterans looking to wait at home, while others get surprised by injuries. That’s what preseason is baby!
The 2024 NFL preseason has seen fights between teams, amongst teams, and of course across social media as players pip at each other over the release of the NFL Top 100 List.
Justin Herbert has started the worry-train, with a concerning foot injury that could see the Charger sidelined for the first few games of the season. Harbaugh says he should be ready to go for week 1, but do you really want to rush it?
After an impressive turn with the Titans, De’Andre Hopkins will miss a few games due to an injury, which isn’t great when you’re 32 years old. Luckily the Titans still have Ridley and Tyler Boyd, but will Billie Jeans be able to connect with them?
Geno Smith might have started the season brilliantly last year, but it won’t be the same this year, as his knee went bum, forcing the veteran to have to miss a few weeks to recover. Not much is expected in Seattle this year, so maybe it’s good if they finish strong this year.
Dazn
While US viewers have to battle high prices, competition, and a failed payment from the NFL Ticket lawsuit, we in the UK have to deal with the new and improved Gamepass from Dazn.
When Gamepass first launched in the UK, it was atrocious, but Deltatre and their team quickly moved to rectify the issues, while the fans forced them to cancel their social media accounts. It was a dark storm, but eventually they released a product that most NFL fans in Europe were happy to purchase yearly.
The Dazn launch hasn’t gone as smoothly, with issues last year popping up almost weekly. Luckily, we’re not involved in the drama, but we were witness to the fan forums, league chatter, and fans contacting us directly to complain. (we have nothing to do with Gamepass).
2024 hasn’t gotten off to a great start, with the price jumping up once again, and fans being offered different prices for the same product. Some lucky fans were even able to grab the whole package for less than £50 by cancelling and getting a new offer within hours in the early days, but that has since faded.
UK fans should be happy that we only have the Dazn issue, and that we don’t have to do the USA dance between YouTube, Peacock, and Netflix. Sky only shows 2 games per Sunday, so there are ways to pay per view, watch at a bar etc when your team plays.
The NFL needs to worry about the Firestick revolution. Facebook is awash with daily ads for streaming services, and since most are based in Russia and the Middle East, it’s unlikely they will ever be punished. True streaming pros are now buying bespoke ‘boxes’, which not only offer 50000 channels, but build in encryption so that internet companies are clueless.
As for us, we’re still on Team Gamepass, and are confident that Dazn will get it right, if UK NFL fans continue to make their voices clear. The company has proven they’re listening, so give them a chance before you go dodgy.
NFL Fantasy
Want to join our NFL Fantasy Leagues? We’re running our ‘C’ League and ‘D’ Leagues this year to compliment a few others. A 32 person league that’s free, and using the NFL app.
Send us an email at mapleyankeesports@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
Send us an email at mapleyankeesports@gmail.com to reserve your spot.