Giants to make 'Hard Knocks' debut

The New York Giants will make their "Hard Knocks" debut this year on the long-running HBO docuseries, the network announced Wednesday.

"Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants" will premiere on July 2. The Giants are preparing for their 100th season.

The franchise opting to take part in this series is a headline unto itself. After all, co-owner John Mara made his stance crystal clear to the New York Daily News back in 2010.

"That announcement will come," Mara said at the time, "when I'm next to my father in the Gates of Heaven cemetery."

Well, Mara is still alive and "Hard Knocks" is calling as the Giants prepare for their centennial season.

This five-part series marks the first time "Hard Knocks" has chronicled a team throughout the offseason, including free agency and the draft. The series previously has documented NFL training camps, the preseason and regular season.

"We are beyond thrilled that the New York Giants have opened their doors to the Hard Knocks cameras for the first time ever," HBO executives Nancy Abraham, Bentley Weiner and Lisa Heller said in a statement. "The NFL offseason is a fascinating period that we've always wanted to explore and we can't wait to show football fans everywhere what NFL Films has been capturing behind the scenes at the team's headquarters."