NFL Pro Bowl

[ModAdmin]

Tried to watch the Pro Bowl today and found it to be a bit of an insult to the game of football.  To me, it was boring, lacked any form of reality and resembled more of a "walk through" than a game displaying the talents of the best players in the NFL. 

Not sure how the Pro Bowl can promote the NFL, the players or football in general.

What's your thought about the game and the Pro Bowl's future?

[Jesse]

Didn't watch, but saw some of the things being talked about online.

Right of the bat, I don't feel there's anything insulting to the game at all. It's just players having fun. Which is all the pro bowl ever was - it is not and has not and will not ever be a game of serious football. The only reason players went was to go have fun in Hawaii.

They changed the format because no one was interested in watching a fake game of football, so they're trying to make it more appealing to players and fans alike - I get that.

I do think that having any kind of game is kind of silly and there should just be a skills competition. I've also seen a 7-7 game thrown around as an idea.

[Blue In BC]

I only watched a few minutes at the beginning. It was not fun to watch. Training camps have more action. This was essentially a game of touch or flag.

The idea of a skills competition would be more interesting.

[theaardvark]

"Pro" bowl is basically an added paycheck.  NHL all star game(s) was(were) horrible, football lends itself less to this.

Punt pass and kick for adults?  Receivers catching jugs machine deep balls with style (like a dunk competition).  DB blowing up tackling dummies carried by drones?  Oline pushing blocking sleds for time and distance... Dline destroying dummies heading to the pocket, timed to the QB.

So many options for a "skills" competition...  and add in some non football skills... a dunk competition, bench press, other combine type drills, even a home run derby...

CFL the same, but maybe a little 3 on 3 hockey too...

[ModAdmin]

Didn't watch, but saw some of the things being talked about online.

Right of the bat, I don't feel there's anything insulting to the game at all. It's just players having fun. Which is all the pro bowl ever was - it is not and has not and will not ever be a game of serious football. The only reason players went was to go have fun in Hawaii.

They changed the format because no one was interested in watching a fake game of football, so they're trying to make it more appealing to players and fans alike - I get that.

I do think that having any kind of game is kind of silly and there should just be a skills competition. I've also seen a 7-7 game thrown around as an idea.

There was a time when player contact was allowed and the Pro Bowl actually looked like a football game.  I do like the idea of a skills competition but the present format may be fun for the players but the consensus is - not for the fans.

[theaardvark]

There was a time when player contact was allowed and the Pro Bowl actually looked like a football game.  I do like the idea of a skills competition but the present format may be fun for the players but the consensus is - not for the fans.

Oh, the other perq of the ProBowl... players, coaches, telecasters get a free trip to Hawaii in February...

[blue_or_die]

I hate all star games and think they're just a giant disruption to the season. This is especially true in the NFL, where it kills all the momentum of a fabulous January of playoffs every year. With the pro bowl and now a 17th game added, NFL doesn't end until mid Feb when it could cleanly end right at the end of January.

[theaardvark]

I hate all star games and think they're just a giant disruption to the season. This is especially true in the NFL, where it kills all the momentum of a fabulous January of playoffs every year. With the pro bowl and now a 17th game added, NFL doesn't end until mid Feb when it could cleanly end right at the end of January.

With the "pro bowl" filling that advertising void between the finals and the SB, it begs, do you need a 2 week turnaround to the SB? Every other league, every other game in the NFL is one week turn around.  Why 2 for the SB?  To squeeze another week of advertising and the "Pro" bowl into there?  Plus, by all measures, many of the players that should be featured in a "Pro" bowl are in the SB... and will not be seen in the "Pro" bowl...

[blue_or_die]

With the "pro bowl" filling that advertising void between the finals and the SB, it begs, do you need a 2 week turnaround to the SB? Every other league, every other game in the NFL is one week turn around.  Why 2 for the SB?  To squeeze another week of advertising and the "Pro" bowl into there?  Plus, by all measures, many of the players that should be featured in a "Pro" bowl are in the SB... and will not be seen in the "Pro" bowl...

Agree.