What Would It Take To Make You Watch The Pro Bowl?
by Brandon on Jan 28, 2010 7:00 AM CST
in Green Bay Packers Analysis
31 comments
Practices for the Pro Bowl began on Wednesday.
The SB Nation NFL writers discuss various ways to Fix The Pro Bowl. Moving the game to Miami before the Super Bowl is only a one-year experiment. I'm curious if the Pro Bowl makes any money for the NFL. I suppose it does or they would have scrapped it a long time ago.
The most interesting idea I had, but it's something the NFL would never adopt, is to play it the week before the first preseason game. And instead of having it in a warm weather location, host the game in a city that doesn't currently have an NFL team. The NFL teams used to barnstorm during the preseason in the hopes of drumming up interest in cities without a team. But now the NFL could use it as a potential bargaining tool for expansion or relocation. Host the game in cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or Portland. Logistics would cause some juggling: for example Portland doesn't have a major stadium, so the game might have to be played in Corvallis (Oregon State) or Eugene (University of Oregon). Or make it the annual game in London. That might not interest most NFL fans, but it'd be a big event in that particular city.
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Obviously home field advantage for the Superbowl
Seriously, very little to nothing. I love football. In the Fall my weekends are given to ESPN, ABC, FOX, CBS and NBC. I watch a lot of college bowl games for teams I have no interest in.
I cannot get motivated for the pro bowl. It’s worst than a preseason game. At least in preseason defense are making an effort at getting at the QB or defending passes. It’s the laziest game to watch, the sideline interviews are extremely annoying, and the entire “let’s kick back and have fun” atmosphere does not fit in with football at all.
- It works in Hockey because Hockey games are not always the most offensive shows in the world, so we like the fact that 15-20 goals get scored.
- It works in Baseball because baseball already has a casual, “lets go out and have fun” feel to it.
- I guess it works in Basketball, but I don’t really watch the NBA anymore and I can’t tell you the last time I saw an All-Star game.
People like football because it’s intense. Players are out there to hit people and avoid getting hit. Fans appreciate good defense; we like a high scoring game at times but not at the expense of the intensity. Barring a huge, multimillion dollar payout to the winning team, I’m not sure you can get players to perform at that level. They love football, but they also love being healthy, and in one play your career can be over. That’s a rarity in the three aforementioned spots, save Hockey (but that’s also why they don’t check much at all in their All Star game).
The best thing for the pro bowl would to be disband it altogether. Honestly, I think a skills competition would be awesome. You could do some really creative stuff.
- QB Accuracy (hitting baskets 30-40-50 yards down field)
- Tackling Force (hit a dummy, measures impact at various parts and gives a final score)
- Kicker accuracy (get a wind tunnel and have the kicker account for various types of wind)
- 100 yard slalom sprints simulating a kick return for TD
- One handed catch contest
- Corner coffin kicks for punters
You could easily get the TV folks involved. Just watch the Olympics from 2008 in the swimming and how they had the moving line which indicated the world record pace. The presentation would really aid in the success.
It works in baseball because the only thing that changes is you don’t see as many people diving for balls or home plate collisions which are fairly rare already. The game really doesn’t change all that much and unlike all the other ones, you aren’t guaranteed to have an offensive monster of a game
It works in the NBA because while they don’t play defense, they most CERTAINLY play offense. The scores are usually in the mid-100s and the game is filled with high flying dunks and all the stuff people are paying to see normally.
It works in NHL for the same reason…no defense but lots of great shots and exciting plays…just no fights which sucks a little.
I am with you on disbanding it. I say still have the selections, but just skip the game. Players don’t want to go, they don’t want to play, and the fans don’t want to watch. I like the idea of expanding the skills competition though and making it into something bigger. They already do a skills a skills competition now, but they could make it into a MUCH bigger event like the slam dunk contest once was (I think this has faded some these days though).
I was also thinking of the Home Run Derby
Take the most exciting elements of your game and pull them out and make them a game themselves. Those are the best skills competition games. The NHL skills competition doesn’t get much viewing time because the events themselves – hardest shot, fastest skater, etc. aren’t individually exciting. The Dunk Contest and HR Derby work because they’re plays that we get excited for during an actual game.
I agree with this
I recall seeing a made for tv skills competition during pro bowl weekend where they had guys do benchpress reps. Needless to say, but it was alot of fun to watch. And for the record I think Casey Hampton won the event. If we had one on one races between guys, forget about it.
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey
Ever since Robert Edwards tore up his knee playing in the sand at one of those competitions they’ve pretty much eliminated those things. They are pretty neat though.
Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb
I don't think it works in the NHL
I can’t take the game seriously when there are as many odd man rushes as there are simply because guys are seemingly asked to not put ‘too much of an effort’ into backchecking. Its the biggest all star joke game of the four sports IMO.
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey
Well, none of them are my favorite
But if I had to choose I would probably take the NHL over NFL. Just my personal preference. But if there’s a rerun of Office Space on Comedy Central that trumps all of them.
I like the idea of having the Pro Bowl in London
It doesn’t screw with a team’s schedule where they lose a home game. I also like the idea of a skills competition like they used to have with the QB challenge, the Big Man challenge, and create one for skill players.
"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."
Nothing.
Well, I guess if they gave a big payout to the winners, to motivate an effort, and then if they held it in January/February in a northern non-dome city (Green Bay, Boston, Buffalo, etc. — all those places that will never host a Super Bowl because of the weather), I could go for it. I’d love to see the league’s stars slogging around in the mud at Heinz Field.
Award Show
They can replace it with an award show. Give away awards for Best players at each position, present the MVP, DPOY, ROY, Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Coach of the Year, etc. Video Recaps of the year, best games, best plays etc.
I hate award shows…but I bet this would probably get more viewers. Maybe the wife would even want to watch! haha
yeah, you may lose more of your core audience but could gain enough casual viewers to make up for it.
Another thought that crossed my mind, along with all the monetary rewards being suggested to motivate the players, the league mandates to extend all Fantasy Football leagues beyond the regular season. Pro Bowl stats are doubled and get retroactively added to all previous week’s scores, and season standings are only official after the Pro Bowl. So at the beginning of the season when you draft players, you are betting who you think will make the Pro Bowl. Their your viewer interest mwuahahahahaah!
Haha that’s a pretty interesting thing to think about!
by packallday555 on Jan 28, 2010 2:42 PM CST up reply actions
The problem about playing it pre-preseason is that it will invite plenty a injury turmoil
If someone tears his ACL in this game in August, it can ruin a team’s season, but if it happens in February, there’s still enough time to heal. And besides, how you decide who plays in the pro bowl if the (pre)season didn’t even begin? Any all-star game should reflect the best players at that time, not last years’ best players.
The pro bowl was fine as it was until this year – after the SB and in Hawaii. I do agree that it should be refreshed with competitions and special games. I think one thing that could be interesting and highly watchable is a switch-positions game: put a QB as a O-Lineman, put a LB under center, have a DE as a WR and so on.
The Dude abides
I wonder if they considered breaking the season up with a mid season one…everyone gets a week off. Have it in a nice location (but changing…weather won’t be as bad). It gets everyone an extra week off and its in the heart of the season so we actually care. I guess the voting would be really tough though since there would only be 8 weeks of voting!
I like your ideas
I’m motivated to watch it this year because Aaron Rodgers is in it, otherwise I wouldn’t care. Plus it’s football.
The NFL needs to make the Pro Bowl more important. I’m not a huge baseball fan, but the All Star game is interesting simply because it has an impact on the World Series. You could do it in Preseason, but then some players playing for their current team would have to wear the helmet of their former team. That might cause controversy if there was drama involved.
Even if the Pro Bowl determined who the home team is in the Super Bowl, it wouldn’t really matter much because it’s 1 game on neutral field, as opposed to the World Series being multiple games and played in that team’s stadium. It would be cool to have it played in foreign countries as well as in Hawaii. Having it in Miami is not as appealing by any means. It means more ticket sales, but less appealing in general. Having it the week before the Super Bowl was the dumbest decision ever!
The Pro Bowl does generate money though, thus being why it exists. There are ticket sales, commercials, and advertising. The players are paid too, the winner gets a lot, the loser gets a little. I forgot the amounts though.
In conclusion, this is the give and take with the NFL. The Super Bowl is by far a lot more exciting then the World Series. However, the All Star Game is by far a lot more exciting then the Pro Bowl.
Go Pack!
pro bowl
i like the idea of the pro bowl b4 the super bowl.im gonna watch it this year for the 1st time in many years ,after the super bowl I dont feel like watch football again till preseason .the 2 teams players that make the supers bowl,and the pro bowl,are pulled out of the pro bowl. replaced with other players that would have been snubbed ! each year there are players that could have and should have made the pro bowl heres thier chance !!!
pro bowl
Wanna make it important to the players in the pro bowl? the team that wins get paid the losing team doesnt!!!
In the baseball all-star game doesn’t the winner determine who gets home-field advantage in the World series? That makes the game worth playing for to the players to a certain degree, which in turn makes it interesting for the fans to watch. I think the only thing football could do to make the players and fans take the Pro Bowl more seriously is award the winning conference’s team that represents that conference in the SB homefield advantage. Of course this would never happen, and it would be a bit more subjective because there are no series in the NFL playoffs but it would make the game worth something to the players.
Just something to think about in making the game worth something. Not something I think they should do though by any means.
It would be cool for us to be able to host a SB at Lambeau though haha :)!
What about this...
Move it to the spring! After a few months of no football, the players get a free trip back to hawaii and we get a much needed jolt of football during the abyss of spring and early summer! You might get GREAT ratings due to such a yearning for football and it gives time for players to get over the aches of the season. I am thinking you bunch it up with the draft week or something and make the entire week a HUGE smorgasbord of football fun!
I've always thought
that considering the fact that football’s unique appeal is mostly due to it’s inherently high intensity from the very first snap of the first game of the season (as well discussed by Danwood in the first comment above), they should just do away with the “game” portion of the Pro Bowl altogether.
Treat it like it is in reality: an awarded position on a mythical team of all-stars, in the vein of the All-American teams in college football.
No one takes issue with whether it’s necessary to honor the league’s best players at each position at years end; what we can’t seem to muster up is an ounce of enthusiasm for watching the participants play an actual game.
It’s lackluster because it’s fake and pointless, so do away with it already.
pro bowl
the losing team should pay the winning team out of their own pockets, that would up the intensity a bit or all of the idiot talking heads (analyst, color guy, useless third guy in the booth, semi-hot interview chick on the sidelines) all must work in the nude for the pro-bowl.
Not if Pam Oliver is roaming the sidelines.
shudders
"Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets." - Bob Uecker
There's one really good reason to watch the Pro Bowl today.
It’s watching just how incredible Aaron Rodgers could be if he has enough time to throw.
Really, the Pro Bowl should just take the place of the stupid “Hall of Fame” preseason game. Makes more sense than having a bunch of scrubs playing at the literal doorstep of the HOF.
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