By Andrew Seligman, Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) --The Chicago Bears are set to be featured on "Hard Knocks" for the first time.
HBO and the NFL announced Thursday the founding NFL franchise was chosen for the 19th edition of the Emmy-winning series that first aired in 2001.
Chairman George McCaskey had long resisted having the Bears participate in the training camp documentary. The five-episode series debuts Aug. 6, with subsequent episodes airing on Tuesdays through Sept. 3.
"We are honored to feature such an iconic NFL franchise on 'Hard Knocks,'" NFL Films senior director and supervising producer Shannon Furman said in a statement. "The Chicago Bears have a talented roster, coaching staff and front office all determined to match the expectations of a hungry fanbase. We are thankful to the entire organization for opening their doors to us for what is sure to be an exciting training camp this summer."
Bears president Kevin Warren said the show will "provide our passionate fans across the world the ability to experience this unique and critical time in the history of our franchise."
The Bears have made just three playoff appearances since the 2006 team advanced to the Super Bowl. They are 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, but there is no shortage of story lines.
Chicago drafted quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick. It also traded for six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and drafted Washington's Rome Odunze ninth overall, giving it a deep group of wide receivers to go with DJ Moore.
The Bears are trying to secure funding to help build an enclosed stadium next to Soldier Field on the lakefront, after previously focusing on a tract of land they purchased in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill. And three members of this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame class — Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers — played for Chicago.
"The 2024 training camp will be big for us in preparation for achieving our season goals and we look forward to bringing the fans at home along for the journey," Poles said.
The New York Giants are scheduled to appear on a new version of "Hard Knocks" that covers a period from January to July, featuring their work in the NFL combine, free agency, the draft and minicamps. That series will debut on July 2 and run through the 30th.
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults — two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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