Sports

Jets players can't watch themselves on HBO's 'Hard Knocks,' so one came up with a solution — to the detriment of his girlfriend

DJ Reed of the New York Jets
DJ Reed of the New York Jets. Nick Cammett/Getty Images
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One New York Jets player came up with a way to watch himself on "Hard Knocks," unfortunately for his girlfriend and her arm.

The latest season of the HBO reality sports docuseries debuted this week, and it already looks like a resounding success for the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers. The butt-of-the-joke franchise and everybody's favorite villain quarterback are suddenly likable again.

There is just one problem: The Jets can't watch themselves on TV because they don't have HBO at their training camp hotel in Florham Park, New Jersey.

Cornerback DJ Reed came up with a workaround with the help of his girlfriend, her phone, and her arm. Reed FaceTimed with her during the show and had her hold the phone up to the TV.

But there were some hiccups.

"We don't have HBO, and I don't have HBO, so I had my girl download it," Reed told the media. "She was just FaceTiming me [mimics holding a phone up to TV] because I was in the hotel … Her hand started to get tired [mimics hand shaking], and I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! Straighten the camera back up.'"

Reed later added that he would have to rewatch the episode because she kept pausing to text other people during the show.

When Reed does get to sit down and watch it uninterrupted, he will probably notice that the episode spends a lot of time showing a more likable Rodgers. But he is not the only one to benefit, as people are also becoming new fans.

"I fell in love with the Jets team," former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth said on ESPN after the first episode.

Now Reed has four days to come up with a better solution for the second episode when it drops on Tuesday night.

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Cork was a correspondent for Insider's sports desk.Previously, he was a contributor at MLB Trade Rumors, and he has written for Yahoo Sports, Deadspin, and The Hardball Times. He has authored chapters in three books, including "The Hardball Times 2009 Season Preview." Cork's work has been featured on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and "Mike & Mike," "Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons," ESPN.com, BBC, Yahoo, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Drudge Report, the Washington Post, the Kansas City Star, the Houston Chronicle, and the Dallas Morning News, among others.He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and holds a doctorate from Fordham University.Here is a selection of his work:Under Armour hit the jackpot on its Jordan Spieth betGary Woodland once took his pants off to hit a shot and learned a funny lesson about product endorsementWe tried the alcohol diet Tom Brady put Rob Gronkowski on, and it was a lot harder than we imaginedThe University of Texas spent $7 million remodeling their football locker room and the results are jaw-droppingStephen Curry has replaced LeBron James as the best basketball player in the worldEx-NBA player who made $60 million explains what really happens to your money when you sign an 8-figure contractHere's Michael Jordan's 56,000-square-foot house in Chicago, and why it's still on the market after 6 yearsMayweather beat McGregor with a TKO in the 10th round! Here are the big moments everybody will be talking aboutPerfect conditions at Cowboys-Patriots game helped create incredible picturesWe've been using Alexa in a car for 6 months and it's the best infotainment system we've ever used.