The Pro Bowl will be played this weekend.
I know. You're waiting on pins and needles to see whether Team Carter, which includes Antonio Brown, Maurkice Pouncey and Lawrence Timmons, will best Team Irvin, which includes a bunch of other guys.
The fact that the NFL decided to do away with playing the game by conference and using guys, who happen to work for the NFL Network, to pick the teams is only part of the problem.
At least in the old days, the Pro Bowl was an AFC vs. NFC thing. Now, it's who knows what.
It's just made the game more of a farce than it already was.
I'll admit. I've never watched more than five minutes of a Pro Bowl. That's all I needed to see to figure out it was nothing more than a glorified touch football game.
And even at that, injuries happen. Former Steelers All-Pro center Dermontti Dawson suffered a hamstring injury during 1998 Pro Bowl and was never the same after.
New England rookie running back Robert Edwards blew his knee out during a rookie beach football game - when the game was still in Hawaii - and nearly had to have his knee amputated. Seriously.
The latter injury forced the NFL to end its rookie touch football game on the beach. And the time has come to end the farce of a Pro Bowl game as well.
For goodness sakes, so many quarterbacks backed out of this year's game that Andy Dalton, who finished 13th in the Pro Bowl voting at his position, will play in the game.
While we're at it, they can end the all-star games in hockey and the NBA, as well. There's no defense played by anyone at the games and they're nothing more than glorified skills competitions.
Only the Major League Baseball All-Star game bears any resemblance to a regular season game - and that's only in passing.
12 comments:
I totally agree. They should just have a fun awards ceremony or something.
I like the Pro Bowl. I wouldn't get to watch football this weekend if it weren't for the Pro Bowl, competitive enough or not.
I didn't like the new system at first but I like it now. The draft was fun to watch, both last year and this year. There might be more dynamics now and it seems like it's more competitive now because of it. Plus it's just fun for the players. If you don't want to go to the Pro Bowl as a player then don't. If you don't want to watch the game for more than 5 minutes then don't. Chris Carter works for ESPN. I don't think he regularly "works" for NFL Network. However he is probably getting paid by the NFL Network for this so...
If lack of competitiveness is the only reason not to play the pro bowl then I just think that person is bored and just wants to complain about something IMO.
Injuries suck but the players know what they're getting themselves into. No one is being forced to play. players get injured during Practice and playing pick-up basketball of all things. These guys do football activities all the time. Plus what's to say that for the majority of the players they don't become better from this experience? Being around the best, learning from new coaches and just being able to be rewarded for their individual success that maybe some of them haven't had the pleasure of being able to experience, especially the undrafted players.
Andy Dalton making the pro bowl is a joke I agree.
If there's something about the Pro Bowl that needs to change it's the fans being a fraction of the vote. Players making the Pro Bowl just because Chris Collinsworth pointed out a few of their plays on a Sunday night football game is a joke. As well as veteran players like LeSean McCoy being voted in this year only because of familiarity (He had a horrible season).
Not looking to get into an argument. Just defending something that I plan on enjoying this weekend.
I feel the same Dale. Nice thing is that the Senior Bowl is this weekend which I always watch all of to get a look at some of the players I've haven't seen much of. Love all the stuff leading up to the draft.
I agree, but as long as advertisers are willing to advertise and viewers are willing to watch, this charade will endure.
The NFL won't cancel it because it still gets better ratings than the other all star games and NBA conference finals.
Nix the game or play it, whatever, just please bring back the skills competition!! QB Long Throw, 40 yard dash, WR Gauntlet, etc..
And what's the deal with airline food, am I right?
I wouldn't say it was always like this. I liked it 20 years ago. The last few years it has taken a serious turn.
Maybe they should have the Senior Bowl players wear jerseys representing the Pro Bowl players and leave it at that. This would ensure the person wearing the jersey was actually trying to play well and the Actual Pro Bowl players could act as mentors to their representative players.... Whadayasay? Yes? No?
just do a bunch of skills competitions. then have some type of single elimination tournament at the end, 5-on-5 maybe (QB, RB, 2 WR's and a TE), flag of course.
Just turn it into a red carpet event, award show. Announce pro bowl, all-pro, mvp, ROY, all that there.
Humanizes the players, fans get to see them without all the armor, and it would draw female audiences. Actually get to see their reactions when they find out they won, or lost. Rather than an agent texting the player the news on a Tues morning or whatever.
best idea I have heard yet. it will also do away with guys like Dalton being named to the pro bowl because a bunch of other QB's opt out.
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