Is the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl really a good idea?

[C26 Run]

That is a travesty on it's own and has nothing to do with the date of the Pro Bowl.

The point is: Fletcher made it because Vilma is in the Superbowl. We all know that it was a travesty that LF didn't make it.

:helmet:

[sly]

Not sure if this was posted before, but the ratings came out a couple days ago, and the results are... the Pro Bowl is popular the week before the Super Bowl (not really a big surprise). People actually like to watch pro football during the season (and not a day afterwards)!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/01/pro-bowl-ratings-explode/

Like I said earlier in the thread, I like this format. It just makes more sense.

[MattFancy]

Not sure if this was posted before, but the ratings came out a couple days ago, and the results are... the Pro Bowl is popular the week before the Super Bowl (not really a big surprise). People actually like to watch pro football during the season (and not a day afterwards)!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/01/pro-bowl-ratings-explode/

Like I said earlier in the thread, I like this format. It just makes more sense.

I figured more people would watch it since its not like there was anything else on tv on a Sunday evening.

But seeing as there we 30-some replacements, the players don't seem to like it.

[[[ghost]]]

I like it. I'd like it even more if I could give a **** about the game.

It's not that I mind offense, because there was a ton of that in the game. It's that I hate good offense coming as a result of lazy defense.

11v11 is too boring. Make it interesting.

[OWUeagleMD]

I figured more people would watch it since its not like there was anything else on tv on a Sunday evening.

But seeing as there we 30-some replacements, the players don't seem to like it.

If you were an owner, would you care what the players liked if it meant your product drew 40 percent more viewers, thus allowing you to generate a corresponding increase in advertising revenue?

Time to get used to the game being played before the Super Bowl. Hopefully purists won't craft a mythical history of the post-Super Bowl Pro Bowl as a game of passion and determination in which the best players were ecstatic to show up and play. It was a ****ty game. It still is a ****ty game. But now it's a successful ****ty game.

Goodell wins. Reactionary critics lose.

[MattFancy]

If you were an owner, would you care what the players liked if it meant your product drew 40 percent more viewers, thus allowing you to generate a corresponding increase in advertising revenue?

Time to get used to the game being played before the Super Bowl. Hopefully purists won't craft a mythical history of the post-Super Bowl Pro Bowl as a game of passion and determination in which the best players were ecstatic to show up and play. It was a ****ty game. It still is a ****ty game. But now it's a successful ****ty game.

Goodell wins. Reactionary critics lose.

The owners only care about the money. But Goodell should try to do something to entice players to not pull out of the game. Like I said, 30 some people that were asked to go to this game didn't want to go or couldn't go. The AFC went through half of their QBs before they could find some that wanted to play.

If they keep doing this the week before the SB at the SB site, how many players would show up to a Pro Bowl in Detroit or some place like that? I would imagine it would be far less. If they do keep it the week before, maybe they make sure its some place warm. I don't think a trip to Detroit in late January/early February would be worth it to most.

[sly]

];7273404']It's not that I mind offense' date=' because there was a ton of that in the game. It's that I hate good offense coming as a result of lazy defense. [/quote']

While I'm sure there are plenty of players who don't really care about playing hard, defensive rules are changed during the Pro Bowl so there's more offense. You can't blitz and the corners can't play press coverage.

[rick1796]

hate it, hate the probowl. it's like if the MLB allstare game told the pitchers no breaking balls. It's sad and disgraceful. Not to mention as much as i loved fletcher being there the timing caused what seemed to be about a 3rd of the league to be "pro-bowlers" so there is going to be an issue when it comes to historical achievement.

[OWUeagleMD]

The owners only care about the money. But Goodell should try to do something to entice players to not pull out of the game. Like I said, 30 some people that were asked to go to this game didn't want to go or couldn't go. The AFC went through half of their QBs before they could find some that wanted to play.

If they keep doing this the week before the SB at the SB site, how many players would show up to a Pro Bowl in Detroit or some place like that? I would imagine it would be far less. If they do keep it the week before, maybe they make sure its some place warm. I don't think a trip to Detroit in late January/early February would be worth it to most.

Yes, but the results from this trial run indicate that players abstaining from the game is irrelevant to viewers. After a 40 percent ratings jump, it's clear that who plays or doesn't play in the game is a non-issue.

And if the stage continues to grow, that will become a motivating factor for players. Guys like Ochocinco and Desean Jackson were there to put on a show in front of a national audience, no matter who they were playing against or where they were playing.

[sly]

If they keep doing this the week before the SB at the SB site, how many players would show up to a Pro Bowl in Detroit or some place like that?

No one said it had to be in the Super Bowl hosts city. It's being played in Hawaii next year, for example. I wouldn't be surprised if the NFL continued to rotate the cities to avoid making all the players travel to colder places like Detroit.

[MattFancy]

No one said it had to be in the Super Bowl hosts city. It's being played in Hawaii next year, for example. I wouldn't be surprised if the NFL continued to rotate the cities to avoid making all the players travel to colder places like Detroit.

Is it before or after the Super Bowl next year though? I think all they've said so far is that it'll be in Hawaii

[OWUeagleMD]

Is it before or after the Super Bowl next year though? I think all they've said so far is that it'll be in Hawaii

Goodell said it's in Hawaii for the next two years, but suggested last week that he was pleased with the decision to hold it the week before the Super Bowl and that he'd like to continue with the format. No announcement yet, but the ratings this year would make it a total shock if they went back to the post-Super Bowl formula.

[sly]

Is it before or after the Super Bowl next year though? I think all they've said so far is that it'll be in Hawaii

The Pro Football Talk article said they hadn't decided yet, but I think it's safe to say the "week before" switch is going to be here to stay (as long as the ratings keep). America has spoken.

The NBA and MLB All Star games/weekends have always been far superior than the NFL. I actually feel like, with a few more tweaks, the Pro Bowl could start to become more competitive with those. Having the game held a week before the Super Bowl is a great start. Eventually I'd love to see the NFL have the skills competition in prime time on the Saturday night before the game.... maybe even a rookie flag football game (or real football game) on the Friday before. So many things they can do!

[Redskinzfan30]

I didn't watch much of the game but with the ratings the way they were no doubt that it'll be befroe the SB next year.

[MattFancy]

The Pro Football Talk article said they hadn't decided yet, but I think it's safe to say the "week before" switch is going to be here to stay (as long as the ratings keep). America has spoken.

The NBA and MLB All Star games/weekends have always been far superior than the NFL. I actually feel like, with a few more tweaks, the Pro Bowl could start to become more competitive with those. Having the game held a week before the Super Bowl is a great start. Eventually I'd love to see the NFL have the skills competition in prime time on the Saturday night before the game.... maybe even a rookie flag football game (or real football game) on the Friday before. So many things they can do!

I've been pushing for the skills competition this entire thread. I think that would be a great idea. I mean the NBA has the dunk contest, MLB has the HR Derby, and the NHL has their skils challenge. The NFL needs something like those leagues to keep people interested.

[OWUeagleMD]

I've been pushing for the skills competition this entire thread. I think that would be a great idea. I mean the NBA has the dunk contest, MLB has the HR Derby, and the NHL has their skils challenge. The NFL needs something like those leagues to keep people interested.

Now that people are actually watching (at least for one year), the league will have some motivation to improve the product. For years the Pro Bowl had been simply invisible.

And yet, people were outraged that the league would dare tamper with an event that no one watched.

[MattFancy]

Now that people are actually watching (at least for one year), the league will have some motivation to improve the product. For years the Pro Bowl had been simply invisible.

And yet, people were outraged that the league would dare tamper with an event that no one watched.

I wasn't outraged. I made this when I was seeing the names of all the players backing out and wondering who would be playing QB for the AFC. Apparently that didn't matter much because people still watched it. It doesn't seem like it made the players any more interested, but the fans sure liked it.