Why is this even a thing anymore if both the league and players treat it like a chore? Despite bringing out all the star power the NFL could muster, the Pro Bowl has divulged into a boring, repulsive abomination of what once was a yearly celebration of greatness.
If the NFL is intent on turning the Pro Bowl into a circus-like sideshow, then I say they should just cancel the whole thing. And I’m being 100% serious.
Truthfully, does anyone actually watch or care about the Pro Bowl these days? Who actually wants to see 2nd stringers and “decent” players (the actual superstars are always injured or playing in the Super Bowl) run around like clowns in a flag-football game that said players treat with even more disdain than the fans? I hate to be so callous, but that is exactly what the Pro Bowl has become in recent times.
Everyone already knows about the changes the NFL made to the Pro Bowl earlier this year, such as the heavy-handed focus on “skill competitions” (dodgeball, tag, and whatever other kid games the NFL runs are not skill competitions), focus on musical performances/concerts, the involvement of Peyton and Eli Manning (which is the only redeemable thing), the change from tackle to flag football, and the very name of the Pro Bowl changing to Pro Bowl Games, but these aren’t even the worst offense to this once exciting event.
Nope, the worst thing that has happened to the Pro Bowl is the decline of talent being showcased.
Are there any actual “superstars” on display? I get the players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson, Haason Reddick, etc., skipping the game as their, respective, teams are competing for the Super Bowl, but what is everyone else’s excuse?
Injury? Sure, I guess that makes sense, but the 1-3 weeks between one’s potential last playoff game to the Pro Bowl game should be enough time to recover for a less-intense, more skill-focused event. Hell, tackling was pretty much banned in the last 6-7 Pro Bowl games, so none of the league’s superstars should be worrying about breaking a bone or seriously tearing a muscle.
Anyway, the Top-3 AFC quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen, have all bowed out of the game for some reason or another, while half of the NFC roster (pretty much all of the Eagles players) have needed to be replaced due to their involvement in the Super Bowl.
Now, I’m not holding that against them, but it really does hurt the image of the Pro Bowl when you’re seeing the 3rd or 4th best players in a position compete against each other because the best players are all either hurt or playing in a more meaningful game.
The only way I can see to solve this systemic issue is to either move the Pro Bowl to the middle of the season by slicing off two weeks, similar to how the NBA, NHL, and MLB conducts its own All-Star-like games, or the NFL should move the Pro Bowl to after the Super Bowl.
In the later scenario, the issue of the Super Bowl taking 15-20 players out of the game would be resolved, while it would also give the players who ended their season earlier multiple weeks to rest and recover for a much less intense game. Plus, it gives the NFL one more week of active gameday revenue, and we all know the NFL loves money more than anything else.
Hopefully the NFL changes the Pro Bowl as I can safely guarantee this year’s rendition will be nothing less than abysmal…which will garner low ratings, again.
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