2011 Pro Bowl will be played week before Super Bowl

[WoodysGirl]

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 2, 2010 3:52 PM ET

The NFL has declared the experiment of playing the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl a success, announcing today that in 2011, the Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year. As previously announced, the Pro Bowl is moving back to Hawaii in 2011.

"Playing the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl generated more excitement and interest in the event and also kicked off Super Bowl week in an innovative new way," NFL Senior VP of Events Frank Supovitz said in a statement. "We are pleased to return to the State of Hawaii, which has embraced the Pro Bowl for 30 years."

The 2010 Pro Bowl on ESPN was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers, the most for a Pro Bowl since 2000 and a 40 percent increase from 2009.

Next year's Pro Bowl will be shown live on Fox at 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, January 30, 2011. Super Bowl XLV will be a week later on Sunday, February 6, at Cowboys Stadium, also televised by Fox.

 

[casmith07]

The presentation of the Pro Bowl had more of an All-Star feel to it...kind of like NBA All-Star.

Not bad...I liked it, even though I was a huge critic beforehand.

 

[crazyfool]

I'm glad its back in Hawaii but I hate having it before the SB and the other changes Goodell has made like the draft format...I used to love getting up early saturday morning to watch the Cowboys first 3 picks..and even earlier on sunday. I just don't like all the changes.

 

[rynochop]

Eh, i guess its cool its back in HI, but i still dont like it before the SB. It just has a more laid back feel after the Superbowl.

At least its not as bad as MLB and have the conference winner have the home field advantage in the world series. Stupidest idea ever.

edit: Sorry, i mean i like having the AFC win the Pro Bowl and have the SB at the AFC teams home field. dumb

 

[big dog cowboy]

I just don't like all the changes.

Me either. I liked the pro bowl after the super bowl. At least they moved it back to Hawaii. I liked the old draft schedule on Saturday and Sunday. Oh well. At least it's on TV.

 

[DEZBRYANT x88x]

*facepalm* @ the NFL.

 

[Mavs Man]

The presentation of the Pro Bowl had more of an All-Star feel to it...kind of like NBA All-Star.

Not bad...I liked it, even though I was a huge critic beforehand.

Same here. I thought this was doomed from the start, but I changed my mind after its success. As an NFL fan I usually check out after the Super Bowl but I was actually interested this year. And the huge ratings boost seemed to show that I wasn't the only one.

 

[SDCowboy]

I like it before the SB. It probably get's better rating then too since people are still in football-mode.

 

[67CowboysFan]

Wish this was being played at Cowboys Stadium too. More money for Jerry, more money for the DFW area.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Has Goodell ever declared one of his "experiments" not a success?

 

[crazyfool]

Has Goodell ever declared one of his "experiments" not a success?

Not one, if I remember clearly...

I never thought I'd miss Paul Tagliabue, thats for sure.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Goodell is like Wade. Gets too much of the blame...and very little credit.

Personally, I like the idea of the pro bowl before the SB.

 

[jobberone]

Hope no Cowboy plays in the Pro Bowl this year.

 

[Future]

Goodell is like Wade. Gets too much of the blame...and very little credit.

Personally, I like the idea of the pro bowl before the SB.

How much credit should he get for moving the pro-bowl? :laugh2:

The premise of not having the players from the 2 best teams is just dumb in my opinion. I know it's about dollars and it works for that, but I find it less interesting now than I did before.

He deserves all of the blame and criticism he has received IMO. The guy is kinda like Jerry as an owner...wants things to go well, but has to be the one to take the credit. He wants his personal fingerprints all over the league, and that's asinine.

 

[Sarge]

I don't care if they play the Pro Bowl in the middle of summer in my backyard. I'm still not watching it.

 

[Fatty_VM]

Me and my group of local football watchers boycotted the Probowl this year, and are planning on boycotting the draft too. It was a hope that others would do the same and they would see the comparatively low ratings vs. the seasonal games of the recent past probowls/drafts.


I guess it's not going to work and that we're the only nutcases going.

 

[WoodysGirl]

How much credit should he get for moving the pro-bowl? :laugh2:

The premise of not having the players from the 2 best teams is just dumb in my opinion. I know it's about dollars and it works for that, but I find it less interesting now than I did before.

He deserves all of the blame and criticism he has received IMO. The guy is kinda like Jerry as an owner...wants things to go well, but has to be the one to take the credit. He wants his personal fingerprints all over the league, and that's asinine.

I'm saying he gets alot of criticism, much of it underserved, IMO. Moving the pro bowl was obviously a success, just by amount of interest it gained and the number of viewers who watched. Much of the criticism they had will be lost when they return to Hawaii next year.

He's not like Jerry. He's the commissioner and his presence in the league is only because owners like Jerry voted to hire him and extend his contract.

As the commissioner, he represents the entire league therefore his fingers are supposed to be over everything. It's asinine to think it shouldn't.

 

[Idgit]

I'm saying he gets alot of criticism, much of it underserved, IMO. Moving the pro bowl was obviously a success, just by amount of interest it gained and the number of viewers who watched. Much of the criticism they had will be lost when they return to Hawaii next year.

He's not like Jerry. He's the commissioner and his presence in the league is only because owners like Jerry voted to hire him and extend his contract.

As the commissioner, he represents the entire league therefore his fingers are supposed to be over everything. It's asinine to think it shouldn't.

I agree, WG, that Goodell gets too much criticism, though as NFL commissioners go he is a bit heavy handed and doesn't worry too much about consistency.

Re: the Probowl, when we find out when the game is actually aired, please somebody post that time in this thread. So we'll all know when to not bother watching it.

 

[DragonCowboy]

No Cowboys in the Pro Bowl.

 

[Hook'em#11]

Pro Bowl.


Where now it should be called the Reserve Pro Bowl. It's stupid to have it a week before the Super Bowl. I think most people watched this last Pro Bowl because it was a wonder who would show up and who would play.

This year, it won't be live unless you stay up real late to watch it and the wondering of what it will be like being played before the real game won't be so big.