Filming crews have already set up shop in Tallahassee, Fla., for the production of a season-long Showtime documentary series starring the Florida State football team.
“All summer they’ve been filming us,” FSU running back Dalvin Cook said at the ACC Kickoff.
FSU will be the second team to take part in the Showtime series, following Notre Dame last season. After the season, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly called it a positive, but said that he wouldn’t want to do it a second time.
While Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher often emphasizes the need to eliminate “clutter” — his word for distractions — he said that having cameras and boom mikes following around coaches and players through the week and on game day will actually help.
“I think it will bring more focus,” he said, the idea being that players or coaches are more likely to perform their best in front of a camera and viewing audience.
Fisher had another motive, to give fans a better sense of the work that goes into creating a winning team.
“Everyone thinks you just have great players and you throw them out there and you win,” he said. “I want people to appreciate, see what we are, what we do, how we do things as a program, how we do things as an organization and the price (players) pay to be successful.”
Cook is on board, not that he has much of a choice.
“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “To see the life of a Florida State football player, see what we go through on a daily basis.”
It doesn’t hurt that Fisher believes that the Seminoles, who return all 11 starters on offense, have the talent to go undefeated. The unknown, he said, is if the team will have the selflessness and work ethic to make it happen. FSU figures to start the season in the top 10, if not top five.
“We can be as good as anybody in the country,” he said. “I totally believe that.”
Fisher didn’t mention one other benefit that Kelly mentioned in December — more exposure to recruits.
“I didn’t go into it with this mastermind plan of, Let’s bring Showtime in here and help recruiting,” Kelly said in December. “But the residual effect has certainly been a positive thing.”
The series will air weekly in 30-minute episodes, premiering Sept. 6.
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