The NFL is considered by many as the top pro sports league in North America but it consistently falls short with the entertainment value of its version of All-Star Game, the Pro Bowl.
Unlike other All-Star games, the Pro Bowl doesn’t take place at the midway point of the regular season. It normally takes place after the Super Bowl and a lot of the things that make the NFL exciting are nonexistent. For example, there is no blitzing among other things.
Baseball suffered similar problems with its All-Star Game and began awarding home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner of its Midsummer Classic and Commissioner Roger Goodell is trying to switch things up in the NFL as well.
The Pro Bowl won’t be moved to the beginning of November, the NFL regular season’s halfway mark.
Instead, it will be moved from Hawaii to Miami, site of this year’s Super Bowl and will be played a week before the NFL’s championship game.
“Moving the Pro Bowl to the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl can add even more excitement to Super Bowl week, one of the most anticipated weeks of the year,” NFL Senior VP of Events Frank Supovitz told NFL.com when the change was announced about a year ago.
“Taking the Pro Bowl to new locations can showcase our top players to more fans around the country.”
While moving the date of the game is a good idea, the two Super Bowl XLIV participants—New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts—won’t be taking part.
Can you imagine either Peyton Manning or Drew Brees getting injured and missing the Super Bowl the week after?
That members of the Colts and Saints won’t be partaking lessens the number of talented players in this year’s Pro Bowl. The fact that the NFL’s All-Star game takes place a week after the conference championships also means less talent.
Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, who was knocked around by the Saints defense last Sunday, won’t be taking part. He’ll be replaced by Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo and Philadelphia Eagles pivot Donovan McNabb will sub-in for New Orleans’ Drew Brees who will be busy dissecting the Colts defense in the video room.
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady also won’t be taking part in the festivities in Miami.
“I don’t have a lot of thoughts on the Pro Bowl,” Brady told ESPN.
“I’m not playing this year.”
But the loss of Brady is another player’s gain.
Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub will be Brady’s replacement and sensed that he might get the call as a Pro Bowl replacement.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Schaub didn’t make plans for this week just in case.
“I was definitely thinking that it could happen,” Schaub told the Chronicle.
“You’ve got to stay ready in this business.”
Schaub, who led the league in passing yards, will join teammates Andre Johnson, Brian Cushing, Mario Williams, and DeMeco Ryans on the AFC Pro Bowl squad and unlike others who are dropping out, he’s relishing the opportunity and happy for his teammates as well.
“I’m very excited about going down there [Miami],” he also told the Houston Chronicle.
“To have five guys from our team be a part of it, that says a lot about what we’re doing in Houston.”
While it’s good to see players like Schaub making the All-Star showcase, the fact remains that holding the game before the Super Bowl limits the number of talented players.
Fortunately, none of the changes are set in stone.
Goodell said that the new Pro Bowl concept was a work in progress when the announcement was first made last year.
“We are looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl,” Goodell told NFL.com.
He went on to say, “We will continue to work with the players to make it a great event and will evaluate this concept after the 2010 Pro Bowl.”
Unlike other All-Star games, the Pro Bowl doesn’t take place at the midway point of the regular season. It normally takes place after the Super Bowl and a lot of the things that make the NFL exciting are nonexistent. For example, there is no blitzing among other things.
Baseball suffered similar problems with its All-Star Game and began awarding home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner of its Midsummer Classic and Commissioner Roger Goodell is trying to switch things up in the NFL as well.
The Pro Bowl won’t be moved to the beginning of November, the NFL regular season’s halfway mark.
Instead, it will be moved from Hawaii to Miami, site of this year’s Super Bowl and will be played a week before the NFL’s championship game.
“Moving the Pro Bowl to the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl can add even more excitement to Super Bowl week, one of the most anticipated weeks of the year,” NFL Senior VP of Events Frank Supovitz told NFL.com when the change was announced about a year ago.
“Taking the Pro Bowl to new locations can showcase our top players to more fans around the country.”
While moving the date of the game is a good idea, the two Super Bowl XLIV participants—New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts—won’t be taking part.
Can you imagine either Peyton Manning or Drew Brees getting injured and missing the Super Bowl the week after?
That members of the Colts and Saints won’t be partaking lessens the number of talented players in this year’s Pro Bowl. The fact that the NFL’s All-Star game takes place a week after the conference championships also means less talent.
Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, who was knocked around by the Saints defense last Sunday, won’t be taking part. He’ll be replaced by Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo and Philadelphia Eagles pivot Donovan McNabb will sub-in for New Orleans’ Drew Brees who will be busy dissecting the Colts defense in the video room.
New England Patriots QB Tom Brady also won’t be taking part in the festivities in Miami.
“I don’t have a lot of thoughts on the Pro Bowl,” Brady told ESPN.
“I’m not playing this year.”
But the loss of Brady is another player’s gain.
Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub will be Brady’s replacement and sensed that he might get the call as a Pro Bowl replacement.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Schaub didn’t make plans for this week just in case.
“I was definitely thinking that it could happen,” Schaub told the Chronicle.
“You’ve got to stay ready in this business.”
Schaub, who led the league in passing yards, will join teammates Andre Johnson, Brian Cushing, Mario Williams, and DeMeco Ryans on the AFC Pro Bowl squad and unlike others who are dropping out, he’s relishing the opportunity and happy for his teammates as well.
“I’m very excited about going down there [Miami],” he also told the Houston Chronicle.
“To have five guys from our team be a part of it, that says a lot about what we’re doing in Houston.”
While it’s good to see players like Schaub making the All-Star showcase, the fact remains that holding the game before the Super Bowl limits the number of talented players.
Fortunately, none of the changes are set in stone.
Goodell said that the new Pro Bowl concept was a work in progress when the announcement was first made last year.
“We are looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl,” Goodell told NFL.com.
He went on to say, “We will continue to work with the players to make it a great event and will evaluate this concept after the 2010 Pro Bowl.”
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