Jon Gruden has returned Matt Patricia's serve in the battle to avoid HBO's 'Hard Knocks.'
After Patricia nominated Gruden and the Oakland Raiders for the show last month, Gruden responded Thursday at the combine.
"Appreciate Matt Patricia, my friend, offering that up to me. That beard that Patricia has, he's going to be a star. I mean, he's going to be one of the future television stars. I'd be surprised if Monday Night Football doesn't put him upstairs in the future," Gruden joked, via NBC Bay Area.
The Lions and the Raiders are two of five teams, along with the Giants, Redskins and 49ers, that HBO can tab this year.
Asked last month about potentially appearing on 'Hard Knocks,' Patricia quipped, "I think Jon Gruden is an excellent choice for that show. I think the Oakland Raiders and everything they've got going on right now would be fantastic viewing for everybody to watch."
Lions GM Bob Quinn had a remark of his own on the fact that the NFL doesn't allow the selected team a say in the matter.
"Yeah, because nobody wants to do it," he said. "Except Oakland."
Per a rule passed by NFL owners in 2013, teams are eligible for 'Hard Knocks' if A) they don't have a first-year head coach B) they haven't made the playoffs in the past two seasons and C) they haven't appeared on the show in the past 10 years.
Patricia agreed when asked if being featured on Hard Knocks would be like a six-week long visit to the dentist for multiple root canals. He added, "I definitely think I would get a lot of phone calls from my mom at night if that show was on."
HBO typically announces its 'Hard Knocks' team in May. The all-access show, which debuted in 2001 and has aired every year since 2012, is comprised of five episodes during training camp and the preseason.
