Reviewing and critiquing Episode 4 of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the New York Jets." The episode gives Jets' head coach Robert Saleh the Tony Soprano treatment while riding to the preseason finale against the New York Giants. The theme song plays and the Saleh's ride mimics Tony's famous drive in the opening credits.
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00:00 I know you're not a Sopranos fan.
00:03 I know that your Sopranos knowledge is on Aaron Rodgers level.
00:11 I really think that we have to lock both of you guys in a room and make you watch this
00:17 phenomenal television.
00:22 The fact that you are from New Jersey through and through and you haven't watched the entire
00:30 series, it really troubles me.
00:34 But here where we get an allusion to the Sopranos paying homage with Robert solid driving to
00:44 the game.
00:45 They dial up the Sopranos theme song and they have the shot here, the camera work mimics
00:54 the opening to the Sopranos and mimics Tony driving in the car, going on the turnpike,
01:03 seeing the skyline in his rear view.
01:09 It was cool and I love the song, I love the original opening sequence to the Sopranos.
01:19 So it was cool to see them incorporate it.
01:24 But I do have to admit it was a little sacrilegious here because Tony Soprano is James Gandolfini,
01:37 the late great James Gandolfini, he's kind of an immortal figure.
01:44 And they're putting Sala on Tony's level.
01:49 To me Tony and James Gandolfini who played the part so well is at an elite level of greatness.
02:00 And Sala has little ways to go here.
02:04 I do like Coach Sala but he doesn't deserve to be put up on that pedestal like Tony Soprano
02:11 yet.
02:13 With that said, I think they can get away with it here because James Gandolfini was
02:19 a huge Jets fan.
02:21 So he went to Rutgers for college, he was a big Rutgers fan, big football fan, a huge
02:29 Jets fan.
02:30 And actually the Sopranos ended in 2007.
02:37 Eric Mangini made a cameo on the Sopranos.
02:42 He was dining in Artie Bucco's restaurant and Artie comes over to the table to Tony,
02:49 he's like "Tony, Tony, see who's over there?
02:53 Mangenius."
02:54 You know?
02:55 And Tony goes to his wife, "Jets coach, honey, I better go say hello."
03:01 So it was a memorable scene.
03:02 But anyway, it was in there probably because Gandolfini himself in real life was such a
03:08 huge Jets fan.
03:12 That was a cool time with the Sopranos.
03:14 Unfortunately my co-host cannot appreciate it.
03:18 I hope that some people listening can appreciate it.
03:22 I know there may be a Paizan or two out there who's too.