So the Pro Bowl was this past Sunday...did you know that? If you are a hardcore NFL fan you probably did. The game was moved from its traditional Sunday after the Super Bowl two years ago in an effort to get more people to watch. I don't think it's working.
The problem is the game is a glorified two-hand touch let's not get anyone hurt affair. IT is hardly a real football game. Besides it happens too close to the football game EVERYONE watches, the Super Bowl.
When the game was held post Super Bowl I watched it knowing it was my last chance to look at football and to sort of put football away and prepare for pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training.
Between the Conference Championships and Super Bowl is a ridiculous place for it for several reasons.
First, players on the Super Bowl teams don't participate, not such a big deal if you are a superstar who seemingly goes every year. But how would you feel if you were an average player whose career year finally helped your team to a Super Bowl and you to your first pro bowl. Sure it's an honor just to be selected....yeah right.
Second, by this time too many people are suffering from football burn out. We had the NCAA bowl season which seems to be getting ever longer, the end of the NFL regular season and playoffs and we are waiting on the Super Bowl.
Third, it shares a crowded weekend with the NHL All-Star festivities and late season college hoops. The Pro Bowl is just asking to be lost in the shuffle. Even when the game features nearly a 100 points scored as it did this year.
My solution, have the voting for the season done as it has always been, but have the Pro Bowl take the place of the annual Hall of Fame Game. The Hall game is held every year on the weekend the NFL inducts its Hall of Fame class. The game usually features at least one team that has an incoming inductee. It is also the start of the NFL preseason so it is usually sloppy, and little more than two-hand touch.
So in the new schedule all of this year's Pro Bowl selections go to Canton next August and the Pro Bowl opens the preseason, everyone selected gets to play and no one cares if it is sloppy.
Seriously don't you watch the first preseason game or two intently because it's football.
By early August baseball is just starting to get interesting and people are just starting to recover from the fact that the interminable NBA playoffs finally ended sometime in June. Preseason football comes along just then as balm for the soul. You can stomach watching bad football in August, because hey at least it's football.
Of course with their impending labor doom the NFL might not have a season next year. Here's hoping some NFL player union rep reads this column and brings this idea to the table. Yeah Right.
But doesn't my idea make more sense than trying to make us care about a bad football game right before the Super Bowl.
2 comments:
I think they should play the pro bowl without pads and helmets!
Might as well just give em flag belts like we used to wear during PE.
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