jimster Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 AP source: 2010 Pro Bowl will be in Miami http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-probowl-miami&prov=ap&type=lgns By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer 18 minutes ago * Buzz up! 0 votes * Print MIAMI (AP)—The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium, a person directly involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the move. It’s not a new notion to have the game moved up to take place between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The NFL has discussed it multiple times in recent years, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP last month that having the game precede the Super Bowl would avoid a “somewhat anticlimactic” ending to the season. The Pro Bowl has been held in Honolulu since 1980, and it’s probable that the game will return to Hawaii after 2010, although not on the permanent basis as has been the case over the last three decades. It won’t be South Florida’s first Pro Bowl: the 1975 game took place in Miami’s Orange Bowl, during a period when the site rotated annually. Barring a schedule change, next season’s Pro Bowl will take place Jan. 31, 2010, with the Super Bowl that year on Feb. 7. The league’s plan is for players on the AFC and NFC championship squads not to take part in the Pro Bowl. Miami was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl three years ago, a record 10th time the game will come to the Dolphins’ home city. The notion of adding the Pro Bowl to the lineup in South Florida was first discussed several months ago. It’s not clear when the final decision was made to move the game. Hawaii tourism officials have lobbied in recent months to extend the game’s current contract, which expires after this season’s Pro Bowl, pointing to the fact that it’s been sold out every year since Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom [Giants fan] Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I think I like this idea. The Super Bowl should be the final game of the season. I guess being in the Super Bowl should be enough for those players. Why should they get to play in the Pro Bowl too? I also think they should move the start of the regular season to the end of September so the Super Bowl is played at the end of February. It will take us right into spring training and exhibition baseball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 And Roger strikes again. I HATE him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFromYellowstone Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I don't like the idea of the players from the two best teams in the NFL not being able to play in the pro bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laxpunk2006 Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I don't like the idea of the players from the two best teams in the NFL not being able to play in the pro bowl. Many already don't due to "injuries." Most of them are beat up enough after just the regular season. I would imagine most of the guys don't want to go play a meaningless game for little pay compared to what they are used to and risk further injury after playoffs and a Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raub Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I like it. Give us something in between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KokoMike Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 The Pro Bowl will now be limited to losers. It will distract from the greatest event in sports: the Super Bowl. Instead of the best players, as equals, being able to enjoy the Pro Bowl and the pleasure of being in the best game in Hawaii, the Pro Bowl players will not be considered the best players. They will be the in-town losers, in the second tier game in Miami, which already has two pro teams, the Dolphins and the Hurricaines. The NFL is damaging the brand. Stupid is as stupid does. Might as well move the game to Las Vegas. I'll bet they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KokoMike Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 From the State of Hawaii House of Representatives, except the last line (which I wrote): WHEREAS, although Hawaii has hosted the National Football League's (NFL) annual all-star game, known as the Pro Bowl, continuously since 1980, the current contract between the NFL and the State of Hawaii for the Pro Bowl ends after next year's game, the 30th at Aloha Stadium; and WHEREAS, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated that while he wants to keep the NFL's relationship with the State of Hawaii strong, there is no guarantee the Pro Bowl, an annual tradition, will maintain its long history with Hawaii and continue to be played at Aloha Stadium; and WHEREAS, while the NFL receives an annual subsidy of $4.5 million from the Hawaii Tourism Authority to host the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, other tourism-oriented cities such as Orlando and San Diego have inquired into giving the NFL greater subsidies to hold the Pro Bowl in their venue; and WHEREAS, Commissioner Goodell has indicated that he is not comfortable with maintaining the status quo with regard to the Pro Bowl and believes that the NFL can do things better and with a different twist, even anticipating rotating the game among a host of different cities, with Hawaii remaining an integral part of such a plan; and WHEREAS, while the NFL enjoys benefits from holding its Pro Bowl in Hawaii, Hawaii has also benefited from the Pro Bowl, which has grown into a significant economic asset and partnership for the state and the local community, significantly affecting Hawaii's tourism market in February, with approximately 20,808 tourists visiting Hawaii to attend the Pro Bowl annually, resulting in direct spending of over $28.08 million, and $2.72 million in state taxes; and WHEREAS, there is widespread support of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, not only from its residents, including Hawaii's military personnel, but also from the thousands of visitors who escape from the frigid mainland winter to attend the Pro Bowl in Hawaii's warm, tropical weather; and WHEREAS, numerous NFL fans, which include both residents and visitors alike, have shown their support for the Pro Bowl, by among other things, attending and supporting numerous charitable events held by the NFL throughout Pro Bowl Week, and filling Aloha Stadium with sold-out crowds every Pro Bowl Sunday for the past 29 years; and WHEREAS, the NFL all-stars attending the Pro Bowl each year have had a positive impact on local charities and social services which benefited from player appearances, and the NFL's numerous community outreach programs (i.e., the NFL and the local Boys and Girls Club leaders broke ground in Nanakuli for a Hawaii NFL Youth Education Town, an after-school facility) and, a few years ago, the NFL provided a matching fund of up to $200,000, under its NFL Grassroots Program, to refurbish Roosevelt High School's stadium; and WHEREAS, a straw poll of NFL players and their families conducted by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin revealed that the players and their families enjoy their Pro Bowl experience in Hawaii and would like the Pro Bowl to stay right here in the islands; and WHEREAS, that same poll found that NFL players and their families do not have an intense interest in packing up the 'carnival' and going to another town or time zone, exhibiting the NFL players' commitment to keeping the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, a fact noted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia who stated, "Coming to Hawaii is something to play for. Players like to come here because it's like a reward; to get away and experience something new"; and WHEREAS, the NFL Players Association also took a survey of NFL players that showed that 80 percent of the players want to keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, with quarterback Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns stating in that survey, "I love Hawaii. I don't know if I'd want to be in Detroit this time of year to play in the game"; and WHEREAS, the NFL Pro Bowl is the only successful professional game in the State of Hawaii which has been warmly welcomed and embraced by the people of Hawaii, NFL all-star players, tourists throughout the world, and military personnel, and the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii wishes to express its heartfelt Aloha, appreciation, and support of this event; now, therefore, The first NFL game of each year, pitting the NFL Champion against the Oakland Raiders, will be held in Hawaii. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlinginSammy HOF '63 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 This could only help the pro bowl's TV ratings. Not to mention attendance would be better. My mother in law's husband does alot of business trips to Hawaii. He's been able to finagle a few business trips about Pro Bowl time and he said tickets are easy to get and that they have alot of empty seats at the stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzzah Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I like the location change. But the change to before the Super Bowl is pretty weak. Guess it doesn't matter since I never watch it anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Sucks for the players. Now we won't see any players from the SB playing teams, and probably not many from the teams that lost in the Conference Championships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fire3fighter4 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-probowl-miami&prov=ap&type=lgns MIAMI -- The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium, a person directly involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the move, but Hawaii’s governor and Honolulu’s mayor both confirmed the situation later Monday. “While I am disappointed the Pro Bowl likely will not be played in Hawaii in 2010, I respect the NFL’s decision to play the post season all-star game in the same city as the Super Bowl, one week before the Super Bowl, on a one-year test basis,” Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle said in a statement. It’s not a new notion to have the game moved up to take place between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The NFL has discussed it multiple times in recent years, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP last month that having the game precede the Super Bowl would avoid a “somewhat anticlimactic” ending to the season. “Plans for future Pro Bowls are not final, but we have stated publicly several times that we are giving strong consideration to moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We also have been exploring playing future Pro Bowls at the site of the Super Bowl as well as in Honolulu.” The Pro Bowl has been held in Honolulu since 1980, and it’s probable that the game will return to Hawaii after 2010, although not on the permanent basis as has been the case over the past three decades. Lingle said she was hopeful a deal could be struck in time for the 2011 game to return to Honolulu, and the city’s mayor, Mufi Hannemann, told The AP that he also is optimistic for eventual Pro Bowls. “It’s not that this comes as a surprise,” Hannemann said. “The NFL has made it known for some time now that they were looking for some sort of rotational basis. We just need to get a new agreement with the NFL, whether it’s every year or every two years or every three years. The ball’s in our court to get that done.” It won’t be South Florida’s first Pro Bowl: the 1975 game took place in Miami’s Orange Bowl, during a period when the site rotated annually. Barring a schedule change, next season’s Pro Bowl will take place Jan. 31, 2010, with the Super Bowl that year on Feb. 7. The league’s plan is for players on the AFC and NFC championship squads not to take part in the Pro Bowl. Miami was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl three years ago, a record 10th time the game will come to the Dolphins’ home city. The notion of adding the Pro Bowl to the lineup in South Florida was first discussed several months ago. It’s not clear when the final decision was made to move the game. Hawaii tourism officials have lobbied in recent months to extend the game’s current contract, which expires after this season’s Pro Bowl, pointing to the fact that it’s been sold out every year since moving to Honolulu and generates about $30.5 million in visitor spending and tax revenues. Lloyd I. Unebasami, the interim CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told The AP that his organization—which has been involved in negotiations to extend the contract—had not yet received anything official from the NFL about the switch. “We’re working toward assuring ourselves that we’ll be one of the Pro Bowl stops of the NFL,” said Unebasami, adding that his organization is also working on luring international soccer matches to Hawaii in 2010—just in case the Pro Bowl isn’t there and creates a void in the state’s sport-tourism landscape. Earlier this year, Hawaii’s state government released $11 million for lighting and roofing improvements at Aloha Stadium, part of ongoing upgrades designed to refurbish and modernize the aging stadium. State officials have also considered demolishing the facility and building a new stadium. Losing the Pro Bowl, combined with slowdowns in tourism because of the sluggish economy, is a double-dose of bad news for Honolulu, which estimates that 25,000 people came from out-of-state for Pro Bowls. “It’s not a shock because in talking with the NFL last year and this year, you realize the potential was there that it wouldn’t stay in Honolulu forever and ever,” said the mayor, Hannemann. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Probably a good move for improving the game, but it's too bad for the people of Honolulu, who by all accounts really supported the game and were always great hosts for the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagles_Legendz Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Playing the Pro Bowl a week before the SB would be a complete disaster. You already have enough players that have no interest in going and now you really expect players who are going to play in the SB to play in the Pro Bowl and risk injury? Terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Weirdo Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Playing the Pro Bowl a week before the SB would be a complete disaster. You already have enough players that have no interest in going and now you really expect players who are going to play in the SB to play in the Pro Bowl and risk injury? Terrible. I believe you can opt out if you're playing in the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Playing the Pro Bowl a week before the SB would be a complete disaster. You already have enough players that have no interest in going and now you really expect players who are going to play in the SB to play in the Pro Bowl and risk injury? Terrible. Pro Bowlers from the Super Bowl teams won't play. They'll get due recognition pregame, wave to the crowd in their street clothes, then watch the game from the skyboxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagles_Legendz Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Lets remove players from (normally) the two best teams and have an all-star game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. S Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Lets remove players from (normally) the two best teams and have an all-star game? this will just make it even more of a joke. Plus, the bit of going to Hawaii got a lot of players selected to attend. Now they have to risk injury in Miami a week before the super bowl? The whole point of having the pro-bowl this late in the season was to give the players a chance to have fun and unwind after the season closes. They should still keep it after the super bowl. I guess I can see how it helps hype up the Super Bowl, but honestly, does that game need any more hype? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcnativenerd Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Exactly! The Super Bowl doesn't need hype. It's got more hype than it can handle right now. I really wish they'd keep this at the end of the season. I can understand moving it; but I really don't like the idea of it occurring before the big game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFKFedEx Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I guess I'm the only one in this thread who supports this idea. The ProBowl is worthless in it's current state. Anything to create some juice is necessary. This will be a nice way to kick off SB week. However, I'd like to see an all rookie game of ProBowlers instead of Vets. Many of the Vets who make the PB do so on name recognition alone, regardless of single season achievement. Rookies would get in on what they just did and not what they've done in past years (aside from high profile first rounders, etc.) The rookies would be more inclined to play hard, where a Vet who has less to prove. No one really cares about a free trip to Hawaii these days. Football players are wealthy and can travel wherever they want in the offseason. The game will have greater interest from media and fans when it's played in the SB host city during the bye week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Skins_&_'Stons Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Sofa King We Todd Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genghis Khan Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Lets remove players from (normally) the two best teams and have an all-star game? What makes you think that the superbowl has so many probowlers. Last year the Giants had one and the Patriots had about maybe four with two declining to go after losing the superbowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 This is a stupid idea, just name the All-Pro teams and don't play the game at all anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 How are they going to prepare the field at Dolphins Stadium on natural grass if it gets torn up a week before the game in the Pro Bowl? Lay new turf down and it will create footing problems in the SB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Rich Fla Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Man that's cool. Bring your blow up mattress and crash at my house. Lets get a crowd to go to the game.:point2sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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