Pro Bowl Date and Location Changed

[roengardner]

</a><a rel="nofollow" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3798734">http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3798734

Kinda sucks, if you're going to play in a meaningless game it might as well be a free trip to Hawaii

 

[Predestined]

Must just be for ratings...hope people tune in during the Super Bowl break for their fix. Maybe they will. But I still see some negatives.

No players from the two Super Bowl squads. Those will likely be some pretty good players.

Also, now we are back to the two week layoff before the Super Bowl. Maybe its b/c of what happened in the 80s dominated NFC, but I think the extended break makes for less exciting games. Keep em rolling with no break - head on into that game! Make the coaches work.

Sadly there is probably little that can be done with the game. Football is just too violent of a sport to risk playing the game like baseball, basketball and hockey can. Leave it at the end of the year and let the players have their annual reward vacation. Die hard fans will still tune in. Sob the rest.

 

[StateLover]

play in the pro bowl...

brilliant!

 

[MSUCostanza]

that is the dumbest idea ever. Nice job, NFL. You managed to make an unwatchable event even less attractive. Might as well move it outdoors to Minneapolis while you're on a roll.

 

[Todd4State]

I think that they should just do away with it.

How about this? Select the "All-NFL team" for both the AFC and NFC and present the players with a check from the NFL and a plaque or trophy before the Super Bowl, and let that be it. This way the guys get recognized, their families still get an all-expense paid trip to somewhere nice, even if it isn't Hawaii- Miami, New Orleans, Pasadena, etc., and the guys that helped their team make it to the Super Bowl get rewarded as well.

No one watches the Pro-Bowl. The teams have about a week to get an entire offense installed, the defenses can't blitz, and other rules water the game down to the point where it is unwatchable. Plus, no one wants to get hurt, so they're not exactly going full speed, that is if they even show up at all. I think the fact that it was in Hawaii hurt the NFL to because it's not like I could get my family or friends together and say, Hey, let's go spend thousands of dollars and go to Hawaii to watch the Pro Bowl! Whereas if it was in New Orleans or any other NFL city for that matter, it would be a lot more feasible for pretty much everyone to actually go.

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

Most would beg off after the game because of the wear and tear. I think it's Roger Goodell trying to market the game more aggressively.

I gotta an idea. Why don't they make the winner of the Pro Bowl be the automatic winner of the coin toss for the Super Bowl for their conference? I think it might work [/MLB]

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

That's about the time people start thirsting for football again but have to wait 5 more months before they can get any. Of course, there are many big problems with this.

 

[bulliegolfer]

Just do away with it.

 

[dawgstudent]

and the Super Bowl so actually only 2 teams would not be able to provide players. You might run into the same thing though where conf champ game participants would not want to participate.

 

[patdog]

there couldn't possibly be any less interest in that game than there is now. They really should just cancel the whole thing. All-star games in baseball and hockey suck, but at least they draw some attention because they're played during the season. There's really no way for the NFL to have even a half-way meaningful all-star game without suspending play for a weekend, and that's never going to happen.

 

[thunderclap]

and I still wouldn't watch it.

 

[Todd4State]

the big difference is that MLB has a lot of other things going on so that fans who may not be able to get tickets can go to other things:

The home run derby is HUGE, and it draws great ratings. They also have the Futures Game and a Celebrity/Old Timer's softball game that are very popular as well. And on top of that, they have a "fanfare" for families. MLB also makes sure that they bring out local stars from the past and get them involved in the game to help promote it.

the NFL does NOTHING like that for the Pro Bowl.

 

[Todd4State]

Most would beg off after the game because of the wear and tear. I think it's Roger Goodell trying to market the game more aggressively.

I gotta an idea. Why don't they make the winner of the Pro Bowl be the automatic winner of the coin toss for the Super Bowl for their conference? I think
it might work [/MLB]

they couldn't sell the "commemerative coin" to fans.

 

[Sarc Dawg]

which is usually played the weekend before the Pro-bowl. A lot of NFL people are down in Mobile that week....

 

[StateLover]

The league's plan is for players on the AFC and NFC championship squads not to take part in the Pro Bowl.

The writer could have said the players from the two teams participating in the super bowl. I don't think it is nearly as bad an idea if only Super Bowl particpants miss out.