Arizona’s Pro Bowlers get ready for the big day
Pro Bowl remains pointless and terrible, and the sooner the NFL realizes this the sooner we might get something better. While last year seemed like a step in the right direction of at least making the pro bowl watchable, it seems like the league still can’t accept that the game will always be a joke, even when it’s competitive.
The Pro Bowl is not a game. It’s never going to be a game. The NFL wants it to be one, they want another week of football owning the tv ratings, and keeps trying things to make it seem like it’s important, but it’s not. It’s a little backyard BBQ party to honor players who did well that season. The players don’t care, they just want a nice vacation. The honor of being selected to the pro bowl carries more weight than actually playing in it. I think making the game competitive is dumb, because the game is pointless and if I ever found enjoyment out of it it’s because I get to see Peyton Manning throwing to Antonio Gates and Jared Allen and JPP on the same team D-line seeing what happens. When I do happen to watch, which hasn’t been for years, I watched it for the goofy stuff. The fake punts, the gadget plays, the fun backyard football aspect to it. The joy of seeing these guys be happy and have fun. That’s what the Pro Bowl should be.
Last year I hiked a mountain instead of watching the Pro Bowl. People told me I was a fool, because “the game was actually good this time, Dave, it was competitive”. I watched a replay, and yes, it was more competitive than past Pro Bowls. It still wasn’t any better than the Hall of Fame game or a bad pre-season game. It’s sad that a Preseason game is more or less now considered good play level for the Pro Bowl. The voting isn’t good, it ends to early so you get a lot of players who start strong get in. It’s heavily biased on name recognition, which is why certain players always get in over others. OBJ and Golden Tate both had better seasons than Megatron, who was hurt and kind of limpy, if still good all season. Yet Megatron got voted in and it took him dropping out for OBJ to make it, and many other players dropping for Tate to get his chance. Andy Dalton can claim to be a 2015 Pro Bowler now, and he was at least the 13th Quarterback on the list to make it. He didn’t even have as good a season as Eli Manning or Ryan Tannehill, who both put up better numbers.
So the voting is a joke. Half the players drop out, which grants other players who don’t really deserve it a pro bowl nod. The game isn’t taken seriously by the players anyway. And now, this year, the NFL stuck it in Arizona, which is so dumb. Why would any Cards player want to go? Why would any NFC West player want to go, they visit once a year! At least Hawaii was a fun destination and gave the game a lighthearted atmosphere. Now it’s just going to be another droll preseason game in a stadium we’ve all seen plenty of times.
NFL, stop trying to make the Pro Bowl a thing. You’ll never make it matter, just let it be the fun curiosity it should be. Also bring back Skills Competitions.
If Ryan Lindley made the Pro Bowl, I’d have to watch it. It would be the first Pro Bowl I’ve watched in almost a decade. But I would do it.
“Sexy Rexy Air: When You Don’t Really Give A Fuck When You Get There”
My favorite part of the pro bowl is knowing that it still gets better ratings than any MLB game. And most NBA games.
Wonder what the meal service is like on Sexy Rexy air.
I bet they have ample leg room.
I’d like to see them do something like those old MTV rock & jock games. Where they have hot spots and power ups. Make it a flag football game so that we don’t have to watch players going half speed and avoiding injuries.
They wouldn’t do flag football since JR Redmond
The probowl used to be more entertaining but that to me was more like the early 2000s-2005 but I loved the skills challenges I feel like the players try harder on those to basically say I’m the best at this, I’m the strongest man, I’m the fastest so suck it, etc.
Yeah, the Pro Bowl isn’t really ever anything important. I’m still watching it provided Michael Irvin decided “GIVE ME THIS COWBOY, GIVE ME THAT COWBOY” and whatnot.
Most people here in Hawaii are pretty bummed about it too. The Pro-Bowl is a pretty big thing here too, considering UH has mediocre seasons at best. The players come a week early, explore the islands, often meeting and signing autographs for locals, and visiting the military members at the Navy/Air Force base. The attendance and the telecast are also a huge boost to tourism, which all but runs the economy. If I’m not mistaken, the reason the NFL took the Pro Bowl away was because the State Government, who is somehow in charge of Aloha Stadium, wanted to raise the price for the NFL to use it. Somehow the NFL had been managing to get away with only $25,000 a year or something ridiculous like that to use the stadium, and set up the “Pro Bowl Village,” which is essentially a city block of mini-football field and Bud Light tents with stages for musical guests and bands. The State tried to raise the rate, and NFL yanked it. Thankfully, it’s coming back in 2016.
PS. I like the Mt. Haleakalā reference, it’s right outside my window and I go to school on the mountain every day 🙂
3 straight comics without any Seahawks? I know their fan base is arrogant but seriously the Deflategate has been discussed more than the Super Bowl itself.
I am a Seahawks fan so I’m heavily biased, but I am kinda disappointed Dave has only mentioned them once in the past few months (I don’t count the one with Russell Wilson and the insurance joke, because it wasn’t really connected the Seahawks). I know that’s still more than other teams, but considering how relevant the Hawks are right now…
1. Good lord have some patience, not everything has to be about your team at all times.
2. I’m not going two weeks without a single mention of both Super Bowl teams, check back Tuesday
I think making it like an Olympic thing would be cool, either each division or conference votes in the best players for the skills comps lik deepest throw, accuracy (kick and throw) fast sprint, weight lifting, even a hitting drill who packs biggest punch would be oh so enticing……..well a boy can dream can’t he
Sorry finish that comment….and then in the end they rank with medals and points and the give the division (better idea with those players prob closer to each playing twice every year) or conference and blah blah you get money and winners ….or they do similar to this year ppl get voted two or four HoFers pick teams and compete in the skill drills like that
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So, Josh Gordon. How long until he’s in Canada?
This year was a MASSIVE step back from last year.
Last year, they allowed such things as blitzing, man coverage, and nickel or dime packages. That all went away this year, and the pro bowl went right back to boring. Not to mention the offense was forced into 11 personnel packages all game. The only exciting moments in the game were when team Irvin said fuck it we’re blitzing anyway… and then they started drawing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. For the freaking act of blitzing.
Also, the Hawaii locale really is important for the reasons Dave said.
I wasn’t taking a shot at you, I figured you would get there at some point. Just talking…
Love your comics, by the way.