Should the NFL cancel the Pro Bowl?

42 Comments

  • Doug Whitaker - 12 years ago

    I agree with Rudy Gonzalez. Otherwise - scrap it. If they wanna honor the best performers of the year, simply let the sportswriters vote for the best and give them some kind of plaque or trophy. Football is the only sport where an All-Star game cannot be played legitimately. You can't have it during the season because someone who is bound for the playoffs might get hurt. Having it afterwards makes it meaningless for the same reason. All the other major sports have a smaller chance of someone important getting hurt. Look at the NBA game. They play almost no defense at all and it is a shooting fest. Hockey is almost as likely as football to have injuries as well. The only All Star game that can be played legit is baseball. And even then, some managers opt not to let one of their ace pitchers go more than one inning. It's best to just name and honor the best players ala the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year etc. We fans know who the best players of the year have been. Let us vote and compare our vote to that of the sportswriters.

  • Bear - 12 years ago

    I think it sucked after they changed it and put it before the Super Bowl. Besides its getting to be more like flag football every year. The players cant even go all out during the season why put forth any effort in the Pro Bowl. Maybe we could turn it into a spelling be or they can take the Wonderlic test again and see if they have improved.

  • Smuriel - 12 years ago

    Revamp it and do it during mid-season like the other sports. This way NFL teams can get two by-weeks one regular off week and the other during all star break. This can help heal injuries.

  • DonInPhoenix - 12 years ago

    You get poor play in the Pro Bowl because these guys don't play together regularly.

    My suggestion would be to take the best offensive unit and the best defensive unit from teams from each conference and have them play in the Pro Bowl or whatever you might name it. I think it would be fair to exclude SB participants as they already had their moment.

    You'd have to come up with a way of determining what defines the best offense and defense (total yardage, points, combination of things) and you'd probably need to play it AFTER the SB like it SHOULD BE .

    At least with it being a whole team unit that plays together you'd get a product that's worthy of watching. QB's would be throwing to receivers they know. Defenses would know how each other play the game and could respond accordingly.

    I don't really care to watch a bunch of talented guys that can't function together as a unit but I WOULD be interested in watching the best offenses and defenses line up against each other.

  • Bert - 12 years ago

    Keep the pro-bowl selection to identify those players and the coaches who have excelled and have been identified as being selected. Once selected, have the coaches play an intereactive video game with their respective players --- much like the fantasy football games already available. The players will still be going "all out" with the coaches making the decisions. It still comes down to which conference has the best "team".

    The biggest benefits: no injuries and the game still goes on

    The drawback: would the public accept a "virtual" pro-bowl

  • Dennis Steffani - 12 years ago

    How else am I going to convince my wife I have one more Sunday to sit on the couch?

  • don barker - 12 years ago

    if there going to keep it, how about putting it in the middle of the season's. you could have a two week buy?bye? week, the probowl in the first week and one full week off for all players. they would need to split the season in half. which i think would be more competive. that means all teams play 8 consecitive games before the 2 week bye? buy? period. i've allway's thought the stagard off week's were somehow unfair to teams.

  • ed - 12 years ago

    need to get rid of it as soon as possible waste of money a bunch of pus--y they just go for the trip. if u not going to make a half heart attempt to make it a good game stay at home

  • rockrjim - 12 years ago

    Without the Pro Bowl, what will they call the best "Pro Bowl" players? All Stars?
    I think there are ways to make it more meaningful -- moving it from the week before the Superbowl is the first step. That's a horrible place for it. After the season was even better. Halfway through, like the other sports, is an interesting concept. Since football is such a physical sport, there's no good time where playing hard won't cause potential injuries. Just goes with the sport.

  • John doe - 12 years ago

    Why are surveys done? There is no rational, thinking, caring football fan who would not want the proball to change.
    If Satan and God were picking teams (theoretically, of course), 15 to 20 % of people would ask to be on Satan's team, because people are so ridiculous. LOL

  • Sam - 12 years ago

    The sad part is the attitude of most of hte players have now. Its just a job, not a game that they love. They don't play like they used to. Sure, they play hard, but I see more desire and drive to get to a college bowl game than to get to the superbowl.

  • KEVIN - 12 years ago

    RODGER GOODELL IS A JOKE!! I DONT KNOW WHY HE MOVED THE PROBOWL TO BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHAT SENSE DOES IT MAKE TO PLAY THE PROBOWL BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL. MAJORITY OF THE PLAYERS VOTED TO THE PRO BOWL PLAY IN THE SUPER BOWL SO OF COURSE THEY WILL NOT PLAY IN A PROBOWL , GO AHEAD GOODELL KEEP RUINING FOOTBALL FOR EVERYONE. NEXT THING WILL BE FLAG FOOTBALL INSTEAD OF TACKLE

  • Gerry G - 12 years ago

    Pro Bowl fixes:
    1.Eliminate all bye weeks to hold Pro Bowl game in week 9.
    Hold a true All Star game at midpoint of season with enough injury recovery time to return for first round of the post season.

    2.Remove the handcuffs from defense (allow blitzing & stunts) by using identical rules as regular season games.
    Arguably the best pass rushers in the NFL are currently virtually spectators.

    3.Increase Pro Bowl participant’s salaries to 1.2x regular game check for winning team & .8x regular game check for losing team.
    “Money makes the world go round”. The 2012 game paid winners 50K & losers 25K.
    Example # 1is Aaron Rogers, the NFC’s Pro Bowl Starting QB, was paid 453K/game (7.5 million base/16) for the regular season, but only earned 25K for his participation on the losing side of the Pro Bowl. Think he played his heart out in the game? Think any of the players did? This is exactly why there is talk of eliminating it all together!

  • bengalsfan513 - 12 years ago

    The NFLs Changing for the worse, they need to leave this game alone, ITS LIKE A MONEY SCAM NOW, With all the questionable fines, and as expensive as it is to be a part of the NFL experience, they need to quit complaining about what money they are loosing. WHAT DO THEY DO FOR FANS BESIDES GET MONEY

  • Professor Gaines - 12 years ago

    Been attending the Pro Bowl since 92. Retrun the game back to the last football game to be played by the NFL This was the old format. Now too many players that are selected to attend the Pro Bowl do not participate because the fear of an injury before the Super Bowl Game.

    The Pro Bowl payers, fans, families, kids, coaches enjoy traveling to Honolulu in February. The Pro Bowl game is an football All Star game. A game showcasing the best in the NFL. A game that should be enjoyed and not a game to injure someone intentional or by accident.

    The Pro Bowl is about entertainment and athleticism. Not a game to deliver a bone crushing tackle that could end someone football career.

  • Gregorovich - 12 years ago

    The whole premise is a joke.

    1. Player's aren't going to play well because it doesn't make sense to risk injuries in a game that doesn't count.
    2. Player's can take an incentive and opt out of playing so you're not going to see the people you want to see.
    3. The whole thing is done in Hawaii with a big Hawaiian theme and just looks more like mardi gras than a football game.

    So, let's get rid of it. It's all stupid.

  • John Tarantino - 12 years ago

    It's time for the Pro Bowl to be consigned to history. The Pro Bowl game itself has become an embarassment in a league that has few mis-steps. Send the winners to Hawaii or wherever for a week's vacation if the league so wishes, but don't put on a game that's really an illusion and a much watered down version of NFL football.

  • JR - 12 years ago

    As bad as it is 2 watch,its ratings blows the doors off MLB all star game ratings.

  • Tim Wall - 12 years ago

    Replace it with a game with the 2 worst regular season teams for the number 1 overall upcoming draft pick. Play the game during the idle week between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl and recognize the Pro Bowl selections during halftime.

  • Buzzed - 12 years ago

    Bring back the old "All Star Game". I think that's what they called it? College all stars vs. Pro all stars. Used to be played at Soldier Field. Stopped it back in the 60's.

  • Luis A. Catarineau - 12 years ago

    The game should be played at the end of the season like it used to be. The reason why it is no longer viewed by many is because players from the super bowl teams are not involved. I dont believe the pro-bowl should be eliminated. This is the only time where you can see all the great players together; but we have to include all the pro bowlers if the game is played one week after the super bowl. Also, a bigger incenive should be given; winner take all.

  • Ernesto - 12 years ago

    Make it a flag football game, or make it such that the winners NFC or AFC is the home team of the Super Bowl.

  • Pat - 12 years ago

    pro bowl has been a joke way back to when I went to it at aloha stadium while stationed there in the CORPS in '82

  • bilbo12 - 12 years ago

    True, Pro Football isn't like othe pro sports where you're not directly (and purposely) hitting other players to 'knock' them out. As other bloggers have mentioned here, go back to the All Star game of the 50s and 60s where the previous year's (Super Bowl) champ played the college All-Stars in a pre-season game. It could be packaged in one of champ team's pre-season games. I vaguely remember the Packers, as champs playing a college All-Star team one year and the college team won.
    Adding something (old) and/or innovating would spark some incentive for the players. Otherwise, I agree, get rid of it.

  • jz-2 - 12 years ago

    They should definitely retire the Pro Bowl. I've NEVER heard fans boo the "effort" the players exhibited at last year's game. I couldn't watch it all; it was painful to see such an exhibit of going through the motions instead of playing the game. A preseason scrimmage would have been more exciting. Heck, even watching the highlights of the game were boring. The fans deserve better.

    If there is so much concern over injury in a "game" that has no signifigance whatsoever (other than letting the good people of Hawai'i experience the NFL), then why have it at all?

  • White Redneck - 12 years ago

    look at dat nigga's post under me!! what a porch monkey!

  • Stephen B - 12 years ago

    I watch football religously. I root for team in a couple of markets. I never watch the Pro Bowl anymore. So many of the deserving nominations decide not to go - but take their "Pro Bowl Incentive." How does it make sense to have 7 or 8 "Pro Bowl QB's" as so many back out with injuries that take place after the season. Then they are replaced with anouther QB who then getsd an incentive, etc. IF they players do not want to go all out - or are not allowed to go all out - why not play a 7 on 7 game to show off the skill positions (WR, RB, QB) and do other events like the other pro sports do.

  • Nigger Man - 12 years ago

    The pro bowl smells like my black bee hole. It was good but last year was a joke. If you want a good one, eat out my bee hole and give my black wife a rim job.

  • Kyle K - 12 years ago

    If the game continues to be played like last year, I'd say yes cancel it. But there used to be good competitive games that were fun to watch.

  • Kyle K - 12 years ago

    If the game continues to be played like last year, I'd say yes cancel it. But there used to be good competitive games that were fun to watch.

  • Steve Shapiro - 12 years ago

    "Put the College Champion against the worse team in the NFL every year. You think those NFL players will not try hard"

    The NFL would never do that. They'd be afraid that the college team would win and embarrass the NFL players. Actually, they used to have what was called the "College All Star Game" as the first game of the preseason, back in the '50s and maybe '60s . I forget exactly when that was stopped, but I think it was after the first the the college all stars actually won the game. They used to pit the rookie draft choices from that year against an all star team of NFL veterans.

  • Steve Shapiro - 12 years ago

    I think it would make more sense to have individual competitions in conjunction with the Super Bowl, like they do with the NBA slam dunk contest or the MLB Home Run Derby, in conjunction with their All Star games. The Pro Bowl has increasingly become a joke, with the watered down rules, and the players (especially on defense) giving no more than a token half hearted effort.

  • J Summers - 12 years ago

    Why don't they do a convention type of meet and great, along with interactive items for fans much like the superbowl village in Indianapolis this past year. You know if you could go and actually get a jersey signed by someone and do other interactive things that would be much better. Look how much money Indy took in and nobody would get hurt or have to sit out a useless game.

  • Greg Boulanger - 12 years ago

    They should think about going back to what they did in the 70's. They started the strongest man in the world back then. They should think about highlighting the athletic ability that all of these guys have. The game should be changed to a special teams player game. These guys are playing for their lives. They will put on a really good game and then let them choose where the next superbowl game will be played.

  • Matt - 12 years ago

    Get rid of the Pro Bowl. It is a JOKE.

    As far as having a skills competition goes, I wouldn't have that either. In the NHL, NBA & Major League Baseball, I can understand having a skills competition / homerun derby and an all star game as those three leagues have long seasons. At the same time, I wouldn't mind at all if those three leagues proposed to drop their respective all star weekends either.

  • Larry - 12 years ago

    I think a player would be off his rocker if he played hard in this game. Nothing is gained by risking injury and nothing but bad feelings would ensue from injuring a fellow player. As a Browns fan I would be incensed if one of my guys from days of yore was hurt in such a meaningless game. I do not root for the AFC, I root for the Browns. I still get riled thinking about the Indians losing Ray Fosse because Pete Rose decided to take him out at the plate on the last play of the 1970 All Star Game.

  • AJ - 12 years ago

    Football is just not a game which lends itself well to an All-Star format. You can't really expect players to bring the full, hard hitting physicality that pro football demands. And without it, the game is a joke.

  • Arnie Wuhrman - 12 years ago

    It's not fair to the players even to ask them to participate. Football players take more risk and have shorter careers than just about any other athletes on the planet. Most of these guys are done at 30 or 35 and have to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives and how to make all the money they made (God willing they still have it) last. I don't blame them one bit for not trying harder -- their livelihoods, if not their lives, are at stake.

  • Bill Berg - 12 years ago

    The Pro Bowl is a joke.
    None of the players wants to be injured or injure anyone else.
    It is worse than a school yard game.
    The players go there for a free Hawaii vacation

  • Carolina Dad - 12 years ago

    Comparing the Pro Bowl of last year to a Pro Bowl from the 60's-70's is like comparing a 2012 Prius to a 68' Charger or Malibu. The limits that are put on the types of plays/formations that are allowed limit what NFL fans want to see. College spring games have more offense/defense than the Pro Bowl. So how do you make it better? Do it in the same stadium as the Super Bowl; allow the players to play--this isn't flag football; rings & trophies to the winning conference; have a Friday/Saturday night competion of the quarterbacks/running backs/wide receivers/kickers; give the fans a reason to watch and the players a reason to put forth something more than a minimual effort. There's not enough space here to fully discuss what can be done but suffice to say it can be saved and at the end of the day it should be. Part of the history and legacy of the NFL is built on history and tradition and the Pro Bowl like the Hall of Fame game is part of that history, legacy and tradition. Thank you.

  • Bill Berg - 12 years ago

    The Pro Bowl is a joke.
    None of the players wants to be injured or injure anyone else.
    It is worse than a school yard game.

  • Rudy Gonzalez - 12 years ago

    You wanna see a game? Put the College Champion against the worse team in the NFL every year. You think those NFL players will not try hard.

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