The NFL should take a long look at the NBA's All-Star Weekend model (1 Viewer)

St. Geezy

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I think it is safe to say that the majority of football fans have no interest whatsoever in the NFL Pro Bowl. In recent years, the league has taken steps to try to make the game more relevant, things such as having the Pro Bowl at the same site as the Super Bowl a year ago, as well as moving the Pro Bowl week to the Super Bowl bye week.

I really think it is time for the NFL to take it several steps further and make the Pro Bowl a full weekend event at the Super Bowl site with several other sub-events that culminate with the Pro Bowl game itself the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl.

- Skills competitions on Friday night/Saturday Morning: QB Challenge, 40-yard dash races (Lineman vs Lineman, Skill guys vs skill guys) throwing contests for non-QBs, Kicking contests for non-kickers, etc.

- A Legends of the Game vs Current Players flag football game Saturday morning. Who wouldn't want to watch Deion try to cover Randy Moss or watch Darrelle Revis covering Jerry Rice in a friendly game of flag football? Maybe also even have a few random celebs be in the game along with a fan contest winner.

- A Rookie versus Sophomore Game on Saturday Night

- Have the two Pro Bowl teams open up the playbook more. More gadget plays and unothordox trick plays that we don't ever get to see on a normal Sunday. I.E. Laterals from one sideline to another a la the Music City miracle, Center sneaks, end arounds with an offensive tackle, reverse flea flickers, defensive lineman at RB at the goal line, etc. Leave the viewer wondering "I wonder what they're doing next?" instead of just watching a vanilla version of what we see on normal Sundays. We should see at least one trick play per series.

- Lastly, raise the stakes for the Pro Bowl game itself. Make the winning team gets $100k each while the losers get $20k each. Also make an MVP bonus of another $250k.

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I really think if the league wants to make the Pro Bowl a bigger event, they need to move ahead and take the event to another level. Making it an entire weekend may add interest while also virtually assuring that every team is represented in some capacity. By this time of the year, every NFL fan who's team is not in the playoffs is starving for some football and the NFL needs to figure out how to better quench that hunger.

Doing events like this would also require more participants, meaning a lot of the "Pro Bowl snubs" will still get to participate in the festivities.

I think the NFL would be able to dominate TV ratings that entire weekend.
 
I love the idea of a skills competition but don't like the money idea for the probowl. I think they already get a bonus. If we make it more lucrative to win and get mvp then someone is gonna get too wild and that's how people get injured. Yeah if Saints players weren't in the game I could look past that but id hate to see another Suggs hit on Brees in the probowl and see Brees get injured again. Cause we all saw how he started the next season off with luke 15 ints before he appeared to get back to his old self.
 
I think they did, that's why the game sucked so bad......
 
I'm pretty sure the Pro Bowl gets about 2 or 3 times the ratings of the all star game and dunk contest.
 
My problem isn't the players who get selected, it's the fact that they are limited on what they're allowed to do. Too many rules that go against what got the players into the Pro Bowl in the first place. Just makes it boring too watch. Well, I do have a problem with some of the players who do get snubbed. Like Ryan over Rodgers. That's a complete JOKE!! All they need to do is select the players who deserve to be there and let them play football. That's all. One more thing. The game needs to be played after the Super Bowl, not the week prior.
 
Until they fix how players are selected I refuse to have anything todo with the Pro-bowl. They need to get rid of Fan voting and the "vote early, vote often" policy. Also do away with the player voting since they tend to vote for buddies for the contract bonus's they have. Leave the voting to strictly coaches with a rule that they can not vote for their own players and that the vote is done right after the regular season and not when there is still 3-4 games left to play.
 
They can never fix the Pro Bowl game because nobody plays to the limit, but i too would like the idea of a skills competition to make things a bit more exciting. I don't really watch the NBA but i do watch the All-Star weekend so i guess the NBA is doing something right.
 
The NFLers should probably play a flag football game instead.
 
I think they should get rid of the game all together or have them choose a practice squad player to play in their place and get rid of the no defense rules. For example playing for Drew Brees is Sean Canfield.

Let the player earn the honor of the probowl, just don't make them play the game.

I would rather see a game of top PS players over the Pro Bowl.
 
No matter if the Pro Bowl is the weekend before or after the Super Bowl, it's still going to be a side show for the Super Bowl and an event no one cares about. The Pro Bowl is more about the players than the fans. They get to go to Hawaii and play football with the best of the best. You can have all the skills challenges you want, but the game is still going to be boring.
 
The game and concept is obsolete in pro football and should be terminated. Before free agency, 24-hour media, mega-contracts, and before football was nearly a year-round sport for players, it was a novel experience, and fun for fans to root for their teams' players.

Now - the players hate it, shouldn't have to risk injury, and it's unwatchable for the fans because -- us on this board for example -- find draft research and free agent scooping a more worthwhile experience than watching a half-butt all-star game.
 
I'm pretty sure the Pro Bowl gets about 2 or 3 times the ratings of the all star game and dunk contest.
How sure?

Cause I'm willing to bet you my house thats B.S.'

EDIT:

Well I ain't giving you my house but I guess your right,

12.9 for pro-bowl

4.9 for all star game.
 
The Pro Bowl is going to keep being played because it generates a few million dollars a year for charity. All profit from the game is given away. However, it's a terrible game full of people who just don't want to get hurt. It's a catch 22 for the NFL.
 

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