So I watched the Pro Bowl yesterday from Hawaii and I could only watch it for a few plays. I turned it off. I switched to another station. I came back to it on occasion to see if it got any better. It didn't, for the most part. Well, I did see a couple of plays that I thought resembled NFL football, but they were very few and far between. It was a terrible example of what the game should be.
The biggest problem was the line play. The defensive and offensive lines were really just going through the motions. I mean, they practice harder than they played in that game. There was little or nothing that resembled the NFL, or football for that matter, in the interior lines.
The skilled guys were doing their thing. Quarterbacks were throwing bullets. Receivers were making fine catches, but the secondary guys weren't really tackling. They were kind of dragging and pulling. There was no hitting. While watching it yesterday I tweeted that it was embarrassing. I don't take that back. It was not one of the NFL's finest moments.
Here's the issue. If it's not going to be real football, don't sell it as real football. Sell it as a half speed exhibition that in no way should be construed as the product the NFL will trot out this coming week-end during the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Let the fans know that they are getting a warm up excercise, and some 7 on 7 passing drills. If they want to plop down their money for that, and if the network wants to televise it, so be it. I've got no problem. as long as they know thats what's in store.
I know the money brought in by the Pro Bowl is earmarked for some very good things, but I think the half assed way the game is played does more harm than the benefits of the moneys raised. Exhibition games in the pre season are more entertaining. Just as a public relations vehicle, the way that game was played yesterday hurt the league in my opinion. The very best in the world at what they do were NOT on display.
OK..heres the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Nobody wants any of these great players to get hurt in this game. So, they play so they won't get hurt. I don't blame them!
If thats the case, don't play the game. Vote them all into the Pro Bowl, send them to Hawaii. Families and all for a week...the NFL has enough money for that. Have the players from the AFC and NFC spend 3 half days at the Stadium. Split it up, one group in the morning, the other in the afternoon, alternate them. Invite the fans. Have a fan friendly practice and autograph session. Let some guy from Rhinelander, Wisconsin who paid a fortune to go there spend a few minutes with Aaron Rodgers, get an autograph and catch a pass from him. Get his picture taken catching the pass.
Have the network tape all the sessions, then edit it down into a two hour special with heartwarming stories and positive stuff on the NFL players giving back to their fans. Air the special the Sunday prior to the Super Bowl. Everybody will be so warm and fuzzy it'll make Santa Claus look like a thief in the night.
There you are Mr. Goodell, the solution to your Pro Bowl problem. You don't even have to pay me, consider it an anonymous tip from the suggestion box outside your office door. Just don't insult me anymore by trying to pass off what they did yesterday in Aloha Stadium as NFL football.
Check back here this coming week for my Super Bowl thoughts and a pick on the game.
