Sunday, February 11, 2007

The "Who Cares?" Bowl

Maybe the NFL Pro Bowl should be renamed to the "Who Cares?" Bowl. Honestly, after last week's Super Bowl hype, who really watches the Pro Bowl? As much as I love football, I usually skip watching the Pro Bowl. I'm ready to move on to other sports.

Is it any wonder that some players decide to skip the game altogether? Bears' linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs did so, citing injuries they re-aggravated in the Super Bowl last weekend. By February, these players just want to get home to their families and prepare for next season.

Why is the Pro Bowl played at the end of the season anyway? To generate more interest in the Pro Bowl, why not give all the teams a bye week in early or mid November rather than staggered bye weeks throughout the season. While most of the teams rest, the all-stars play in athe Pro Bowl, just like the players participate in the NHL, NBA and MLB All-Star Games. Why wait til the end of the season when most people don't care about it?

To make things more interesting, why not do as MLB did, make the game mean something. Play for home field advantage in the Super Bowl. With something at stake, more players may be inclined to play, and more fans may decide to watch.

No comments: