Mortenson - Playing Pro Bowl is pretty much done

[wickedsolo]

I've posted this suggestion before, and it seemed to get some traction, so I'll post it again.

I've long argued they should dump the Pro Bowl game, and in its place they should hold an annual Academy Awards-style event. It could be hosted in the Super Bowl city the week leading up to the Super Bowl...or it could be held after the Super Bowl in New York. Let Rich Eisen of the NFL Network or Dan Patrick of NBC host the black-tie event and telecast it on NFLN or ESPN.

The show could pull in a whole lot of awards and honors. Forget the concept of Pro Bowl and announce the All Pro team, which is more of an honor anyway. Announce all the Players of the Year awards and MVP. Coach of the year. All Rookie team. Announce the HOF finalists. Announce a future Super Bowl city. Let EA announce the Madden cover finalists. Lifetime achievement. Ed Block Courage winner. Walter Payton Man of the Year. Interspersed with cut-aways to game highlights from the season. Catch of the year. Stop of the year. Hit of the year. Run of the year. It would be a chance for fans to see the players out of uniform, with wives and girlfriends. Top ten plays of the year.

To me, while it may be hollywood, and not really a football-like event, it would be ten times more interesting than the game no one cares about. Tell me Terrell Suggs doesn't belong at that podium at an event like that accepting his Defensive POY award?

I think the event would be widely watched, moreso than the game, and could pull in a lot of money for the league, or charity, and be a nice forum for the league's sponsors to benefit.

That is a great idea.

[esmd]

I've posted this suggestion before, and it seemed to get some traction, so I'll post it again.

I've long argued they should dump the Pro Bowl game, and in its place they should hold an annual Academy Awards-style event. It could be hosted in the Super Bowl city the week leading up to the Super Bowl...or it could be held after the Super Bowl in New York. Let Rich Eisen of the NFL Network or Dan Patrick of NBC host the black-tie event and telecast it on NFLN or ESPN.

The show could pull in a whole lot of awards and honors. Forget the concept of Pro Bowl and announce the All Pro team, which is more of an honor anyway. Announce all the Players of the Year awards and MVP. Coach of the year. All Rookie team. Announce the HOF finalists. Announce a future Super Bowl city. Let EA announce the Madden cover finalists. Lifetime achievement. Ed Block Courage winner. Walter Payton Man of the Year. Interspersed with cut-aways to game highlights from the season. Catch of the year. Stop of the year. Hit of the year. Run of the year. It would be a chance for fans to see the players out of uniform, with wives and girlfriends. Top ten plays of the year.

To me, while it may be hollywood, and not really a football-like event, it would be ten times more interesting than the game no one cares about. Tell me Terrell Suggs doesn't belong at that podium at an event like that accepting his Defensive POY award?

I think the event would be widely watched, moreso than the game, and could pull in a lot of money for the league, or charity, and be a nice forum for the league's sponsors to benefit.

I'd watch it. I wonder if ESPN might not want to upstage the ESPY's. For the record, the ESPY's are god awful and I stopped watching it years ago (other than the JimmyV speech, nothing worthwhile has ever come of it). But still, it's ESPN's baby. NFLN could certainly broadcast it something like you propose.

[flraven]

I'd watch it. I wonder if ESPN might not want to upstage the ESPY's. For the record, the ESPY's are god awful and I stopped watching it years ago (other than the JimmyV speech, nothing worthwhile has ever come of it). But still, it's ESPN's baby. NFLN could certainly broadcast it something like you propose.

I was thinking the same thing, sounds like the ESPYs. But I'd watch it over the ESPYs for sure.

[HoustonRaven]

Not a fan of an award show. Sounds exactly like the ESPY's and I don't think there any shade of lipstick out there that would pretty up that pig.

An expansion of the skill competition is the way to go if you want fans to watch AND fork over money. I like the standard stuff they have now, but I'd also include some sort of final competition that all players can participate in, no matter their position (something like the Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, etc).

I'd also make the cash prizes significant enough to gin up player interest and have the owners dollar-for-dollar charity match whatever prize is won by their teams players. So lets say Ray Rice wins $75,000, Bisciotti would pony up the same to a charity of Rice's choosing. Gives the whole event a PR boost.

[TheJoeFlaccoShow]

Not a fan of an award show. Sounds exactly like the ESPY's and I don't think there any shade of lipstick out there that would pretty up that pig.

Agreed.

[Section 502 Raven]

Billick said on mike and mike this morning that the ravens never were able to pick a WR and he thought that was the most difficult position to project. he mentioned mark clayton as a first round pikc at WR. H didn;t mention travis taylor but he should have at #10.

[wickedsolo]

I don't know when they stopped doing it, but I remember guys like Darrell Green in a 4 man foot race against guys like a young DeAngelo Hall and Green was still beating those guys. I also remember Willie Roaf going up against other linemen.

The winners of their positional battles got awards and they all got exposure and recognition, etc.

[seraph]

Doesn't the Pro Bowl still get good ratings. It seems like you can put any kind of American Football activity on TV and people would watch it for some reason.

[ravenwoman]

Just said on Mike and Mike that the Pro Bowl is about to be "suspended" and more than likely they will not play the game anymore.


Good riddance.

Ditto. It was an embarrassment to even call it a football game.

[Paintballguy]

Did anyone even watch it?

[arnie_uk]

i watched about a quater until that play were aaron rodgers was livid that no one gave any effort, then i turned off

Did anyone even watch it?

[TheJoeFlaccoShow]

LOL tweet from Don Banks...

“@ProFootballTalk: NFLPA president calls Pro Bowl an "important tradition" http://wp.me/p14QSB-2BJu”…. Read: We still want our free Hawaii trip.