Some thought it was going to be different this year, but no. Once again, the Pro Bowl disappointed football fans across the globe. Even though the game had some of the best players during the past season, it was a big snooze fest.
The AFC won 20-13, but no one is going to remember that two weeks from now.
It was so bad that the first quarter didn’t have a single score. Yes, a game with the best players in the entire league and where defense it’s practically non-existent ended scoreless after 15 minutes.
No offense to the players or the game itself, but if the biggest highlights are Odell Beckham’s dance moves and Ezekiel Elliott tackling a fan, then it’s clear something’s wrong.
But at the same time, it doesn’t seem like the NFL wants to do anything to fix it.
Some fans have suggested a change of format, like the one the NHL underwent a few years ago that proved to be successful. Others believe the game should be changed for the skills competition, arguably an event that caught the attention of the fans. Or maybe the league should force players to play the game, or add some incentive to it. Some of the biggest stars drop out because they want to rest. Would you imagine LeBron James doing that in an All-Star Game in the NBA?
One solution would be to do what the other big leagues do, and play the Pro Bowl midway through the season. The NBA do it, and it works just fine. Same with the NFL and NHL. But Roger Goddell doesn’t want to change anything. It feels the Pro Bowl is a “let’s have fun” game instead of an “All-Star Game” as it should be. It must be the only football game where you can see players trying not to tackle too hard. That’s not football.
Nonetheless, something needs to change. The NFL needs to give the Pro Bowl more importance, but so do the players. Otherwise, we’ll still live in a world where the All-Star Game in football will remain a joke. And that needs to stop.