No one cares all that much about the Pro Bowl. Even fewer care about where it’s played.
The NFL cares, and after four straight years back in Hawaii after a one-year detour to Miami, the league seems to be intent on playing the game in the mainland whenever the game is played in a warm-weather city.
After Super Bowls in Dallas, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and New York, the Pro Bowl returns to the contiguous 48 when the Super Bowl is played in Arizona. Then, the Pro Bowl goes back to Hawaii in the year the Super Bowl will be played in San Francisco.
According to the Honolulu Advertiser, the next Super Bowl in Houston also may host the Pro Bowl. For now, it’s not determined.
The next year, the Super Bowl will be played in Minneapolis, Indianapolis, or New Orleans, which virtually guarantees the Pro Bowl will be played that year in Hawaii.
Per the report, the NFL has told the powers-that-be in Houston to be ready to host the 2017 Pro Bowl. Which could be aimed at squeezing the powers-that-be in Hawaii into giving the NFL a better deal.
For the players, the better deal always comes from playing the game in Hawaii. They weren’t happy about playing in Miami, primarily because they strongly prefer going to Hawaii, which gives them a considerable buffer from fans and most of the media. At their own hotel without prying eyes and iPhones, the players can relax and not worry about their exploits ending up, well, here.
You can’t blame us for that. Player exploits in the week leading up to the Pro Bowl would be far more interesting than the game itself.
