Justin Ulley
Sports Editor
In recent weeks, there’s been much talk in the NFL about suspending the Pro Bowl for the upcoming 2012-2013 season and possibly further years to come.
The Pro Bowl, held a week before the Super Bowl, matches the top players from the NFC against the stars of the AFC. The bowl is often considered a joke game, with many of the selected players only going to take the nice pay-out and the free trip to Hawaii, where the game is held.
The participants usually play well below their ability, often running slower, hitting softer and overall not putting much effort into the game. One of the biggest reasons the athletes do not play to their potential is because they do not want to risk getting injured for a hame that doesn’t count toward their season. Because of this lack of effort, many players miss easy tackles or interceptions, and the final score usually comes out to be some high number rarely seen on a regular season-game scoreboard.
The Pro Bowl is not a big hit with the fans either. At the 2012 Pro Bowl, attendance was sparse, and those that attended began to boo due to the lack of intensity on the field. The ratings at home aren’t the greatest as well. People watch it, but it doesn’t generate as many views as a normal game would, with viewership this year dropping 8.1 percent. Money is also considered when determining whether to drop the Pro Bowl. Hawaii pays out only $4 million to the NFL to have the game and the tourism it brings to the state. That’s not a huge chunk of revenue, considering the league makes around $9 billion each year.
Clearly the NFL needs to end the long, but quickly dying tradition of the Pro Bowl. When players are only participating for a nice check and a trip to Hawaii and put minimal effort into the game, it needs to end. This lack of effort makes the league look bad, and the fans don’t appreciate it either, as seen from viewer ratings and what occurred at this previous season’s bowl. Finally, when there’s no real income involved, someone needs to realize that the Pro Bowl is just not working out.