The NFL Pro Bowl has long been the least entertaining of the all-star presentations of the four major sports. No real draw for TV viewers, and the only real draw for the players was a free trip to Hawaii, back when the game was played there every year.
After years of glorified flag football, the NFL today announced major changes to the event.
Including, wait for it, flag football.
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The showcase in Vegas held next February will be a week-long series of skills competitions between the NFC and AFC’s best, culminating in an actual flag football game Sunday, Feb. 5.
The skills competitions are definitely something I can get behind. In addition to being eminently watchable – far moreso than what used to be the Pro Bowl – it gives the league a chance to showcase the personalities of its biggest stars in a formal, informal setting.
The league also said there will be “non-football” challenges between the players. This… will be interesting. Eagles center Jason Kelce was among the first to make a recommendation along these lines after the announcement.
A fantastic idea. Who wouldn’t watch your favorite NFL players hammer hot dogs in a competition? While we’re on the subject, I recommend some events along the lines of the World’s Strongest Man competitions. I’d love to see J.J. Watt vs Trent Williams pulling tractor trailers down the Strip.
And we can finally settle the “Fastest Man in the NFL” debate once and for all. 60-yard dash, for tall the marbles. The trash-talking leading up to the event alone would be worth watching.
NFL
Congratulations to the NFL for making a left-for-dead event something to see once again.