You know, this should just be cancelled at this point. The NFL Pro Bowl has just wrapped up and it was as boring and nonsensical as everyone expected, fittingly capping off one of the worst active Pro Bowl rosters ever.
I hate being so negative and critical, but the NFL and the minds behind the Pro Bowl just don’t know how to make a fun, compelling, and meaningful event for both the fans and the players if their lives’ depended on it.
Everyone and their sister knew that a 7 vs. 7 flag football game between half of the NFL’s superstars and just “good” players filling in for the actual superstars who were either injured or too busy preparing for the Super Bowl was a disaster waiting to happen. To say that there were no stakes and that the whole thing was a boring mess is an understatement akin to saying World War II was a mildly inconvenient thing for the world during the 1930’s and 40’s.
The games were that bad!
The NFL better be thanking the football gods that Eli and Peyton Manning were not only willing to get involved, but also be the faces of this event as there wouldn’t have been anyone watching otherwise. These two gave the event a little life during their sideline interviews and player interactions during the skills events, but that’s where their entertainment value stopped.
Why? Well, the event had to shift the camera to the actual Pro Bowlers and the flag football game they were scheduled to play at some point. And that’s where the event totally collapsed in quality and production.
I don’t know who thought that flag football would be a good idea, but they should have been fired from the production meeting when the words came out of their mouths. The AFC and NFC “Pro Bowlers” couldn’t have been less interested in putting on a good show for the audience in attendance and watching live as they messed around and half-assed on each and every down. Yet, I DON’T blame them.
I would too if I was in their position.
Why should they risk getting injured in even a meaningless, anti-competitive flag football game after playing over 3 months in a league possessing the most physical and elite tackle football in the world? It’s not like the reward of winning the Pro Bowl is anything special for them.
For being the best of the best, these players should have the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of dollars PER PERSON, regardless of if they win or lose the event, as they normally would when they get their regular season game checks. Yes, $84k for a winning team member is a lot of money, but the possibility of winning $150k+ is a much better incentive to go out and give your all against the best of the best for the entertainment and joy of everybody.
Plus, these players should have the opportunity to play for a charity of their choice.
What do I mean? This may need a little tweaking, but essentially the Top-10 players on both sides (so 20 in total) that played the “best” (the NFL can measure that anyway they want) gets an increasing larger check from the NFL (depending on how high up the list they are) that they can donate to the charity they nominated before the game.
That way, not only do these players get a monetary incentive to play well, but they also have an emotional incentive to give their all for a charity that means the most to them.
Perhaps this isn’t the best idea, but I believe it’s better than anything the NFL has come up with in the last five years. And it’s certainly better than a stupid flag football game.
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