NFL Notebook: Conference Championships, Luke Kuechly, awards and more
By Zach Cohen
I Scoff At Your Pro Bowl Rant
Ah, yes. The annual week where everyone hates on the Pro Bowl. This may be a hot take: I like the Pro Bowl.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to enjoy the Pro Bowl. If you’re looking for a hard-nosed, competitive football game, then obviously you’re going to be let down. If you’re looking for a casual form of entertainment featuring some of the NFL’s best athletes playing alongside each other, then we can be friends.
The Pro Bowl is not the greatest thing in the world, but it is better than most other alternatives I’ve seen. Turning it into a flag football game or a collegiate all-star game sound fun, yet they are definitely not realistic. Anyone who wishes for something like that are just asking to always be disappointed because why would the NFL, let alone the players, sign up for that? They would either produce the same lazy gameplay or make a serious dent in the NFL’s pockets.
On the flip side, I don’t like that the Pro Bowl is in Orlando and not Hawaii anymore. Clearly, the NFL moved it from Honolulu to reel in more of the one thing they can’t get enough of — money. This game should be a reward for the players. I can’t imagine that more than four or five players prefer Orlando to Hawaii. Take it from these comments by Drew Brees two years ago.
"“It’s tough that it’s not there, because we had a great fan base there,” Brees said. “I know those fans appreciated it. They lived for that. They don’t have an NFL team and there are a lot of football fans there.” – Sports Illustrated (2017)"
Unfortunately, I doubt the game will ever move back to Hawaii. It makes too much sense from a business standpoint to keep it in Orlando. I guess players will have to get comfortable in Mickey Mouse ears instead of leis.