News: Report: NFL replacing Pro Bowl with flag football game, skills competitions

[Scottishcowboy]

Just get rid of the whole thing and come up with a "reward" for being nominated as "pro bowl caliber".

Have the reward a week in a top hotel in Las Vegas for all the nominated players with tickets /rooms for close family/friends. Have competitions each days (stupid ones too) that the players can participate in and bring fun stuff. Could be fastest swimmer the length of the pool at the Wynn or who can drink a yard long Fat Tuesday's cocktail in the fastest time for all I care but I'm sure some of the players would get a right laugh from it.

Make it fan participation. With the event held in Vegas, let fans come along and get close to the stars. Heck, let them compete against the NFL stars in silly games too.

The Pro bowl is dead but doesn't mean it should be kept alive with something similar, go big, make it silly, make people smile.

 

[Redline360]

More of a popularity contest at this point. Probably haven't watched it in 10-15 years

"Pro bowler" is a joke now. Means nothing like it use to

 

[Motorola]

Never watched, even when I was a more fervent fan.

Too much money involved now, they should just cancel it all together. Announce a real All-Pro team, no fan vote, and call it a day.

We aleady have that.
The NFL All-Pro selections by the Associated Press - this honor has been in existence since 1940.
The players deemed the best at their position league-wide are chosen; there is no conference affiliation or distinction.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I used to love watching the pro bowl as a kid, but the game has been dead for years now, and having just watched the highlights last year it was embarrassing. It's become a contest where anyone can get in with the number of people who drop out, and watching ball carries just drop to the ground instead of getting tackled has pretty much forced the league to change it.

Good for the league for doing this. I wish it would go back to being the week after the superbowl so those teams players can participate, and hopefully this move keeps fewer guys from dropping out. I'm fine with the game having become lackluster, but I wish the honor of being labeled a pro bowl player would come back. That's the thing I hate the most is guys who are 3rd or 4th alternatives at the position are getting pro bowl honors, and has become less meaningful that PFF awards.

 

[Jake]

The Pro Bowl used to be a fun watch, back when the difference between the winner's check and the loser's check meant something. Obviously, that was decades ago.

 

[Blackspider214]

Should have happened over a decade ago. Football is the one sport that you can' play half-a... and expect a entertaining product. Flag football make the most sense as OL and DL are meaningless in the pro bowl version of football. No one wants to play in this any longer. The advantage the other sports have is their all star games break up the season and they get a break. NFL's is at the end. By the time it rolls around end of January/February, most of the players are done with the season and want to take a break from the grueling season. So many skip it because it isn't worth their time. And they have mentally and physically checked out by season's end.

 

[Kingofholland]

Maybe they should just have the football players play basketball or baseball for the pro bowl lol.

 

[guag]

So it goes from two hand touch to flag football

Ok

In a few years, watch it evolve into a Madden video game competition. I'm only half joking too.

 

[Gemini Dolly]

I like the skills competition portion, not so much the flag football.

 

[Rayman70]

we been watching flag football essentially anyway, the last 15 years. That said, I won't be wasting my time watching this farce. Just cancel the entire damn sham PLEASE...for all that is scared. There is no need for the NFL to have this event.

 

[Rayman70]

The Pro Bowl used to be a fun watch, back when the difference between the winner's check and the loser's check meant something. Obviously, that was decades ago.

I feel it changed drastically 15 years back. That is the last time I sat thru an entire pro bowl game. Having Flag fb is a farce. They need to do away with the entire thing as a whole. ALL OF IT. There is no need for any of it.

 

[terra]

LOL. Really?

It's a stupid game that no one ever really paid attention to. And when they started hosting before the SB, players on those teams obviously weren't going to play anyway.

LIke he said a microcosm of our country. More money for less work; do not make anyone actually WORK. Just hand them money.

 

[Naruto]

Just ditch the football and make them compete in whacky Japanese games, Wipeout, Ninja Warrior etc

 

[Rayman70]

I used to love watching the pro bowl as a kid, but the game has been dead for years now, and having just watched the highlights last year it was embarrassing. It's become a contest where anyone can get in with the number of people who drop out, and watching ball carries just drop to the ground instead of getting tackled has pretty much forced the league to change it.

Good for the league for doing this. I wish it would go back to being the week after the superbowl so those teams players can participate, and hopefully this move keeps fewer guys from dropping out. I'm fine with the game having become lackluster, but I wish the honor of being labeled a pro bowl player would come back. That's the thing I hate the most is guys who are 3rd or 4th alternatives at the position are getting pro bowl honors, and has become less meaningful that PFF awards.

Good and bad. Is the solution enough? Having Flag FB really a good thing? I have severe doubts. It waters down the product and puts it in a light that isnt good. They should just admit its not working, and just ditch all the festivities. The fans really wont miss it.

 

[Diehardblues]

Great idea. Should be entertaining.

ABC back in the 70’s had NFL stars in a celebrity contest. There was throwing and receiving contest. Obstacle courses. It was fun.

 

[Mr_437]

They was playing touch anyway, flag is an upgrade. I think it'll be more entertaining.

 

[JayFord]

Fine with me

i havent watch a pro bowl since maybe 2004

 

[thunderpimp91]

Good and bad. Is the solution enough? Having Flag FB really a good thing? I have severe doubts. It waters down the product and puts it in a light that isnt good. They should just admit its not working, and just ditch all the festivities. The fans really wont miss it.

Honestly, I would be fine with that too, but it seems unrealistic. There is money to be had from hosting a bad game + a skills competition. As long as someone continues to watch I have a hard time believing that the league does away with it.

It probably gets sillier as time goes on as you'll have fans voting on plays, celebrities coaching, etc just to keep it going. I dont love it, but younger fans will tune in, and at least its being advertised as flag football instead of just making a mockery of a regular game.

 

[FVSTONE]

The Pro Bowl as we know it is reportedly coming to an end.

At the end of this season, the league will instead play a flag football game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 5, according to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

The league will also have what it is calling “Pro Bowl Games” during the week before the Super Bowl, which will consist of skills competitions between AFC and NFC players. The league has already been experimenting with a skills competition before the Pro Bowl but will apparently be attempting to make these a bigger event for both the fans and the players involved.

More: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-with-flag-football-game-skills-competitions/

Does anyone really care?????? The league should just hand out a LARGE bonus to each player who earns PRO BOWL status and call it a day. I'm sure the players would play a little harder if they knew there was some extra gold at the end of the rainbow.......................

 

[Rayman70]

LIke he said a microcosm of our country. More money for less work; do not make anyone actually WORK. Just hand them money.

well said. ^ Just ditch the entire damn thing already NFL.