Sunday Morning Bloody Mary: Will You Watch The Pro Bowl?

by Christopher Gates on Jan 30, 2011 11:01 AM CST in NFL

We all know that all of the four major North American sports have All-Star games at some point during their seasons. Two of those four leagues are having their games today, as the NHL All-Star game will air today at 3 PM Central time on Versus, and the NFL Pro Bowl will be on FOX starting at 6 PM Central time.

I'll be honest with you, folks. . .I have way, way more interest in the NHL game this year than I have in the Pro Bowl. NFL players seemingly treat the Pro Bowl as a joke, with excuses not to go running rampant and less than 100% effort being put forth on the field. It's nice for players to get the honor and everything, I guess, but I've lost count of the number of "Pro Bowlers" there are this year, with all the replacements and everything else.

The NHL, on the other hand, has added a little bit of interest to their All-Star Game. . .which, generally, doesn't feature any defense, but is still usually pretty action-filled. . .with a new team selection format. This year's NHL All-Stars weren't named to a particular squad, but instead two players (Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom) were named as captains, and they selected their teams from a pool of all of the All-Stars, playground style.

Honestly, I think all of these All-Star Games should adopt the same format. I know that, at first blush, the NFL Pro Bowl might not readily lend itself to such a format, what with football being the sort of team sport it is and everything, but really. . .how much "practice" goes into the Pro Bowl? A week or so? There isn't going to be any sort of chemistry built along offensive lines or between quarterbacks and receivers or anything like that anyway, so it's really not as big a deal as it might sound like. But I think the team selection process would really add quite a bit to the All-Star games in all of the major sports.

But, I for one am not terribly intrigued by the NFL Pro Bowl. I never really have been, to be honest. How about you folks out there? Are you going to be watching the Pro Bowl this evening?

ENJOY WITH ABSOLUT RESPONSIBILITY®

Poll

Will you be watching today's AFC/NFC Pro Bowl? (6 PM Central Time on Fox)

Yes, it's one of the last football games of 2010-11

385 votes

No, I just don't think it's that interesting

276 votes

661 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 19 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Not gonna watch,

especially when it is stupidly before the Super Bowl, so players on the 2 best teams don’t play. Stick it in the middle of the season, and make it a universal extra 2 bye weeks as a break for the rest of the season.

And I would love playground style selections from the two highest vote receiving QB’s.

Go Nevada Wolf Pack!

by BacksThePack on Jan 30, 2011 11:08 AM CST reply actions

Take the bye weeks out of the regular season, and the Super Bowl, and you got a two week window.

Go Nevada Wolf Pack!

by BacksThePack on Jan 30, 2011 11:18 AM CST up reply actions

I may DVR it, at best

But, quite frankly. . .the Pro Bowl conflicts with the Royal Rumble this year. (-:

SBNation Minnesota - For the greatest sports fans in the world.
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!

by Christopher Gates on Jan 30, 2011 11:40 AM CST reply actions

its a joke

i will say this for as long as i can, fans should not be allowed to vote! I know they do the whole 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 thing but seriously, its flawed beyond recognition. Only players and coaches should be able to vote. And what the hell is up with the pro bowl before the super bowl thing, it was shit last year and it will be shit this year.

by muffin man on Jan 30, 2011 12:11 PM CST reply actions

Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl....

Get this…..APPARENTLY, no one was really watching the Pro Bowl when it was AFTER the Super Bowl (can’t imagine why), so they stuck it BEFORE the Super Bowl to draw in more interest. And you’re 100% correct…..it IS a joke.
No blitzing, no 3-4….etc.
Some of these players are recognized almost solely for their blitzing skills. Watching a bunch of guys that suck in coverage waltzing around the field for an hour is nauseating.

AND….to top it off….if this thing is going to feature the god-awful commentating of Jon Gruden getting all excited about the mindlessness that is the pro bowl like last year, I think I’d just rather drown.

by gerkvoltage on Jan 30, 2011 12:32 PM CST up reply actions

Freaking Jon gruden!

salt in the wounds right there.

by muffin man on Jan 30, 2011 1:08 PM CST up reply actions

Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl...

… is a scam by the players to get more Pro Bowlers every year, without increasing roster size.

Go Nevada Wolf Pack!

by BacksThePack on Jan 31, 2011 10:28 AM CST up reply actions

I will be there

Being that it is the only “pro” game in town I have tickets and will be taking the family. “Paradise” doesn’t get much in the way of sports outside of University of Hawaii.

There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means - either may do - the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.
- Benjamin Franklin

by tibbar on Jan 30, 2011 12:21 PM CST reply actions

you don't get to complain

you live in Hawaii :)

by muffin man on Jan 30, 2011 1:09 PM CST up reply actions

And I can’t wait till I leave.

by tibbar on Jan 30, 2011 2:21 PM CST up reply actions

Come join us in Minnesota!

I’m sure you’ll love it here.

~Lah~ ♪♫

by Seracon on Jan 30, 2011 3:43 PM CST up reply actions

On a quick separate note:

http://scottalleman.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/packerfanapplication.pdf

by gerkvoltage on Jan 30, 2011 12:54 PM CST reply actions

Ha!

My dad sent me this as a forward at work last week. Classic.

by Jesse on Jan 30, 2011 12:57 PM CST up reply actions

I'm quite surprised

by how many people are saying they’ll watch it. It’s not a real football game because of the rule changes, and it doesn’t mean anything. Personally, I find it boring…exemplified by the fact that I haven’t watched one in 11 years.

by Jesse on Jan 30, 2011 1:02 PM CST reply actions

I might watch it off and on until the real hard hitting action starts.

I’m talking about Desperate Housewives.

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. - John Lennon

by JethroBoViking on Jan 30, 2011 1:15 PM CST reply actions

I've never watched more than bits and pieces of the Pro Bowl.

Every time I see it, the only player that seems to care is Peyton Manning. The NHL All Star game is something I’ll watch more of, but usually I still won’t sit down and watch it from start to finish, particularly as a planned activity.

Side note- switched from a Culpepper jersey to a Moss jersey in my weekly football game today, and caught about 10 more passes. Coincidence? I think not.

Nothing's tougher than being a diehard Vikings fan.

by KJSegall on Jan 30, 2011 2:20 PM CST reply actions

Prefer the Skills Competitions?

That seems more fun to me-
What’s the ball speed when the QB really throws hard?
What’s the 40 yd dash?
What’s the fastest straight line speed they can run?
How much power can the linemen generate in their inital move?
How much power can they sustain over a 2 second burst?
How about a bunch of 1 on 1 drills? O-line protecting vs. D-line tagging the qb? WR vs DB? RB vs. DB?
What are the combine measureables of the athletes at the pro Bowl?

Jamie Nesselroad, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAFP
100% Husband and Daddy

by JMN3MD on Jan 30, 2011 2:48 PM CST reply actions

Yes, and for only one reason

I miss seeing Purple Jesus run over fools already. He at least still tried hard b/c that is all he knows. It’s fun watching a competent line block for him too. As soon as they yank AP from the game, my TV goes off.

by Jepp The Viking on Jan 30, 2011 3:22 PM CST reply actions