If the first episode is any indicator, this series will similarly resemble HBO’s Hard Knocks where they take the viewer behind the scenes of training camp. The team provides a look into the inner-workings of practice, meetings, and the locker room. This means that there will be a lot of candid conversations between coaches, players, front office personnel, ownership, and everyone in between. Even better, the whole production will be narrated by Bears’ play-by-play announcer Jeff Joniak.
Episode 1 Rundown
The debut episode of “1920 Football Drive” starts off with Matt Nagy giving his team a locker room speech after the Week 17 win over the Vikings in 2019. That’s followed by a brief introduction to the key new additions to the roster. Hey, we even get a little one-on-one time with Allen Robinson too!
“1920 Football Drive” leads into a clip of players reporting to training camp and then it’s off to the first team meeting. Head Coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace speak to the team, and there’s also including a cameo from Mama Bear and Principle Owner Virginia McCaskey. There’s even a segment featuring Andres Tucker (Head Athletic Trainer) and Tony Medlin (Head Equipment Manager) showcasing the safeguards the Bears are implementing to ensure the safety of players and staff, and hopefully the containment of COVID-19 in the training rooms and locker rooms.
Next up, the Bears take the field and we get a glimpse of practice with a mic’d up Bill Lazor. The first episode closes out with a few words from Matt Nagy, Mitchell Trubisky, and Nick Foles about the ongoing QB competition.
Thoughts on 1920 Football Drive
Give credit where credit is due. The Bears did well by their fans in dropping their web series when they did. Given the current climate with the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be particularly hard to get your football fix. There are no fans allowed at training camp this year. The Bears have limited media accessibility, which will in turn result in a scarcity of highlights appearing on social media.
With no preseason games this year, this is the type of content football fans can inject straight into their veins. There wasn’t much football substance to pull away from the first episode. Maybe that’s due to the fact that they’re doing their best to push through a season during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s still the Bears and it’s still fun to watch. My only gripe would be that the inaugural episode is only a 15-minute production. Give us longer episodes! There is so much left to be desired. Hopefully there’s more substance in episode two.
You can watch the first epsiode of “1920 Football Drive” in its entirety below.
