For the first time in the history of the National Football League, the Pro Bowl is being played a week before the Super Bowl, in Miami.
Here’s my question though; were you going to watch it anyway?
If you’re an honest person, you’re answer is probably no. I can’t even claim that I have ever watched a Pro Bowl in my life, although I have caught a few glimpses of the other contests and festivities here and there on ESPN.
Of all the professional sports all-star games we have, the Pro Bowl is the least popular, ironically representing the most popular sport in the country.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been saying that he is pleased with the attention and publicity that this year’s Pro Bowl is getting. Really? Because all I have heard in newspapers, TV, and radio has been criticism and confusion. And even with that there are still a lot of people unaware that the Pro Bowl is being played a week before the Super Bowl. Not like they were going to watch it at its regular date anyway.
Goodell must be thinking “Bad press is better than no press.” People are tuning in and voicing their opinions about it because change makes things relevant.
Will this increase the ratings? Probably. People are going to tune in out of curiosity. Chances are it will be the highest rated game in the history of the Pro Bowl. However, the NFL cannot count on that to continue for long.
I’ve heard chatter and complaints about how the 13 players on the Colts and Saints won’t be playing in the Pro Bowl. Plus, stars like Tom Brady and Brett Favre have decided to sit this one out. In all honesty though, a lot of those guys wouldn’t be playing anyway.
Once fans begin to realize how many stars are missing, the silly rule changes and the hype of the scheduling difference calms, the attention will go back to the Super Bowl, and the ratings will die down, lower than they were before. With the biggest game of the year the following week, the Pro Bowl will be overlooked and forgotten, again.
The Pro Bowl cannot be moved to the middle of the NFL season, like it is with the other sports. Teams get in rhythms and grooves, and placing a league-wide week-long intermission would not only distract them, but also get in the way of the entire regular season as a whole.
Now, football needs an all-star game. Just voting somebody as an all-pro isn’t enough. The ratings might be low, but the chance to play in the Pro Bowl is an honor for a lot of NFL players.
Goodell and the other league executives should be satisfied with their biggest products; the regular season and Super Bowl. The sport is already the biggest in the country, and even though their all-star game is dismal compared to the rest of the business, they’re already in a great position.
This is a problem the NFL can afford to have. After-all, the game is supposed to be about showing the fans a good time.
