Silvy: ‘Hard Knocks’ stumbles out of the gate with Bears - but here’s why you shouldn’t give up

There were only two reactions Bears fans could’ve had to the opening scene in Hard Knocks when HBO commissioned Ray Clay to recreate his legendary Bulls introduction for Caleb Williams.

1. “This is awesome!” That was probably followed by chugging some Bears Kool-Aid while texting friends the Bear down emojis.

Or…

2. “They’re comparing Caleb to MJ before he’s even played a preseason game? What could possibly go wrong?” This was followed by texting some friends the face-palm emoji.

Like many of Williams’ practices I have observed during minicamps and training camp, HBO’s “Hard Knocks” got off to an uneven start with flashes of greatness mixed in and the hope that the future brings us much better days.

I’ve watched every season of the series since it debuted in 2001 and still love it. The issue that “Hard Knocks” runs into is, that they’ve done so many seasons of the show, many times it becomes too formulaic. It’s a prisoner of its own success. Follow the team’s superstar and undrafted free agents, show the ups and downs of practices and games, splash in a team talent show, and go behind the scenes with someone’s family.

I don’t blame HBO and NFL films for this and choose to enjoy the show for what it is. It gets me excited for the season and provides access to the Bears we usually don’t get. So if you expect the producers of the show to suddenly turn into Scorsese, that’s on you.

The first episode needed to give the country the back story of Williams, how he ended up in Chicago, and how his progression is going. “Hard Knocks” did that and showed that while Caleb is a terrible karaoke singer, he continues to act humble, coachable, and fit in seamlessly with rookies and vets. I’d like more off-the-field interaction with him and what life is like away from the facility, and while you’re at it, can I get more Rome Odunze? He was the ninth overall pick for crying out loud. Please don’t ignore him.

The two best pure football moments of the episode involved DJ Moore. When Collin Johnson was having his great HOF game, Williams remarked, “He’s going to be around for a while.”

Moore responded with, “How many receivers do you expect us to keep?”

It was eye-opening because it shows you that players don’t make the team with just one good game, and that Moore didn’t have Johnson on the team yet.

For the record, I believe that Tyler Scott and Collin Johnson round out the receiver room with Moore, Odunze and Keenan Allen. Velus Jones’ route to making the team could be as a running back. To me, Johnson’s floor is Equanimeous St. Brown, but has a higher ceiling.

The other Moore moment was when he agreed to his new contract. You could see how amazed Kevin Warren was with the team-friendly deal Ryan Poles was able to construct. I need more behind-the-scenes with Poles, as he’s the man behind the Bears’ resurgence, and hope it comes in future episodes.

Another criticism, I wish the “Hard Knocks” cameras captured the Bears champagne party in the locker room for Moore after he signed the deal and wonder if the Halas Hall locker room is off limits. If this is an all-access show, I needed to see that.

Another positive of episode 1 is we got to see a different side of Matt Eberflus.

It’s the same way I felt about Lions coach Dan Campbell two years ago on the series for the exact opposite reason. Campbell was so over the top, he seemed like a caricature of himself. The “Hard Knocks” cameras showed that Campbell has more depth and is more than just catchphrases. To this point, Eberflus comes off as robotic and lacking personality. His offseason makeover has helped with this, but getting to see the coach with Nick Saban, his family, interact with Williams, and just be a normal person is refreshing.

On a separate note, ESPN 1000’s Adam Abdalla and I came up with the concept that Saban and Bill Belichick need to start a new sports reality show where they travel the country like in “Bar Rescue” and save football programs. That would be a hit that Netflix needs to produce.

Perhaps the most memorable moment from Tuesday and one that rivaled Aidan Hutchinson singing Billy Jean was the Canadian Eagle performance from Theo Benedet and his subsequent injury. These are the stories you can’t forecast and start to gravitate to a player you never expected.

All in all, it was just great to see the Bears on the show after almost 25 years of avoiding the spotlight and hopefully put fans’ minds at ease that this show would be a distraction. When you attend camp as a fan or a reporter, you can barely notice NFL Films is there.

I give the opening episode anywhere from a B to B- as it’s similar to what I’ve seen so far from Caleb Williams. A decent start, with plenty of room to improve, and a possibility of a terrific final outcome.

Keep Ray Clay on retainer.

I look forward to a day he can announce, “Your WORLD CHAMPION Chicago Bears!”

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.