Ideas to Improve Quality of Pro Bowl

[GGEden]

This is a tough nut to crack.
The whole holiday setting, cocktails by the poolside, sun surf babes.
The monetary incentives of a pay-check for winning and losing don't work.
I was thinking there must be some kind of in-game way to coerce players to play hard like a playoff game, but I'm struggling for ideas there.

What I did come up with tho, which is tongue-in-cheek, but the more I think about it, it'd probably work tho it wouldn't go down well.

What you do is remove the winning/losing pay-check.
Instead, you have active advertized bounties/pay-for-performance....or Fantasy Football-like system.

Like....

Every QB hit = $5000
Every pass play the QB doesn't get hit = $5000 to each OLman
Every WR jacked-up over the middle = $5000
Every tackle, tackle for loss, every pass defensed, every sack, interception = $5000
Every blocked punt/FG, every TD = $5000
Every yard rushing/receiving/passing = $x

Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms?

[GGEden]

Or something as simple as....

The losing players have to literally shovel manure for 2 days somewhere.

The winning players get an all-expenses paid trip to LA for some social function with celebrities/models.

[Bengals1181]

IMO, fans take it too seriously. People had issues with the "effort", but did you see some of the plays in last year's game? Marshall had two amazing catches among others. Just sit back and enjoy it for what it is, and not for what it's not. Personally, I have no problem with the current format as its not a game to be taken seriously in the first place.


If they change anything, I'd like to see them have guys changing positions. DT's as OT's, WR's as DB's, etc...

Also, more guys mic'ed up.


Take the lightheartedness of the game to the extreme.

[packa7x]

This is a tough nut to crack.
The whole holiday setting, cocktails by the poolside, sun surf babes.
The monetary incentives of a pay-check for winning and losing don't work.
I was thinking there must be some kind of in-game way to coerce players to play hard like a playoff game, but I'm struggling for ideas there.

What I did come up with tho, which is tongue-in-cheek, but the more I think about it, it'd probably work tho it wouldn't go down well.

What you do is remove the winning/losing pay-check.
Instead, you have active advertized bounties/pay-for-performance....or Fantasy Football-like system.

Like....

Every QB hit = $5000
Every pass play the QB doesn't get hit = $5000 to each OLman
Every WR jacked-up over the middle = $5000
Every tackle, tackle for loss, every pass defensed, every sack, interception = $5000
Every blocked punt/FG, every TD = $5000
Every yard rushing/receiving/passing = $x

Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms?

Basically encourage injuries to the biggest assets for NFL franchises? Not possible.

[packa7x]

IMO they should replace the Pro Bowl with the skills competitions. Expand that, bring back the QB Challenge and stuff. Then, end it with an 11-11 game of flag football with HOFers as team captains. It'd be fun to see like Tom Brady throwing to Jerry Rice and whatnot. Emmitt Smith taking handoffs from Eli Manning. Fun stuff IMO.

[wxwax]

Basically encourage injuries to the biggest assets for NFL franchises? Not possible.

I concur.

I also agree with Bengals. TV ratings suggest that fans are basically fine with the exhibition game. There was a lot of complaining after last year's game, including by me. But in all honesty, it's unreasonable to expose these guys to serious injury for a completely meaningless game. So I've come around to accepting the Pro Bowl for what it is, a frolic in the sun.

[packa7x]

Yeh, I truthfully have more fun seeing the guys compete in the skills events.

[hobbes27]

I think people expect the Pro Bowl to be something that its not, a game to watch. All of the all-star games are exhibitions. In football, its extremely obvious due to the nature of the game. People still watch the Pro Bowl, so if it draws in its format, then they should keep it.

I would rather see a skills competition, although I don't think its as easy coming up with specific skill events that are interesting. Or a senior bowl type game. If football had enough international players in it, I would find a US vs the world all-star game interesting. All of the other sports could do that, but they really don't. Although hockey tried that (I believe it was actually North America vs the World), and I'm not sure why they stopped.

[Amy]

IMO they should replace the Pro Bowl with the skills competitions. Expand that, bring back the QB Challenge and stuff. Then, end it with an 11-11 game of flag football with HOFers as team captains. It'd be fun to see like Tom Brady throwing to Jerry Rice and whatnot. Emmitt Smith taking handoffs from Eli Manning. Fun stuff IMO.

No.

No.

No.

1000 times no. Ever hear of Robert Edwards? Pats picked him in '98. Had 1115 yards as a rookie, made the Pro Bowl, and blew his knee out in a stupid, innane, NFL run, beach flag football game. He almost had to have the leg amputated, and he was never the same again. A very promising career dashed by a stunt game. Football is risky enough as it is without risking injury to players for 'skill competitions'.

Oh, and the game was televised, too. I was watching it. It was pretty grusome. He was diving for a badly thrown ball, trying to make a *play* and his ankle caught in the sand somehow and his leg twisted. You knew it was bad on the spot. It's not worth risking at all, not to any player.

As for how to make the Pro Bowl better - there's no need to. It's a glorified exhibition, just take it as fun, casual, entertainment as not treat it as a real football game at all.

[msclemons]

I saw this in a Grantland column, so it may not be accurate, the Pro Bowl drew a 7.5 rating compared to the World Series getting a 7.6 this year. As long as it gets ratings like that the game won't change.

I rarely watch the game but I always have it on the TV. Having football noise in the background is soothing.