Is the NFL’s Pro Bowl Losing Whatever Relevance It Had?

For the first time this year, the Pro Bowl will not feature the AFC vs. NFC traditional format but rather a “fantasy draft” of players selected meaning players from the NFC and AFC will be on the same team. It is similar to what the NHL did a couple of years ago. The effort is try to revive a game that has come under criticism the last few years for featuring a lack of defense.  The Associated Press wrote on the 2012 game that the players “were hitting each other as though they were having a pillow fight.”  One player noted that they should just put flags on them.

Unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB, the Pro Bowl is held after the season is over. It used to be held the week after the Super Bowl but since 2010 it has been played between the conference championships and the Super Bowl.  Because of that, players from the Super Bowl team could not participate. That has contributed to few star players participating and to the lack of seriousness.

 I’m not sure how the Pro Bowl ever got this way. The main factors could have been in the rules which did not permit blitzes, no press coverage except on the five yard line, and no rushing punts, extra points, or field goals. Gee, I wonder why the games were so high scoring? The new rules do permit cover 2 and press coverages so perhaps the scores this year may not be as high. The fantasy format is a new wrinkle so it will be interesting to so see how that turns out.

 Of all the all-star games, it is the MLB game that actually has meaning. The winning league is granted home field advantage in the World Series so the players do have something to play for. As mentioned previously, the NHL employs the same format as the NFL is trying with players drafted in a fantasy draft. Games in the past have been high scoring including recent ones of 12-11 and 11-10. The NBA All-Star games have always been popular despite the lack of any type of defense.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hinted after the 2012 game that the Pro Bowl may be eliminated altogether. After this Sunday, we will see if the current format will survive going forward. It’s sad to think that a game that was fun to watch has now become a joke.

Sorry for the layoff

I can't believe it has been nearly a year since my last blog post. I'm sorry for the long layoff. Lack of interesting topics, work, and other factors have come into play. With the new year, I hope to have some more posts to share. Stay tuned!