Pro Bowl is a Joke,That’s the Point

The Pro Bowl is a joke. Well, maybe that’s the point.

Every year the best players in the NFL gather to play an “All-Star game,” and every year the games are less and less exciting. The all-star football players play with no intensity, no thirst to win. The rules are too restrictive; there’s nothing at stake. There’s no fourth quarter stress. The fans wouldn’t care if the NFC was down a score with two minutes left in the game; Neither would the players.

Division rivals high five each other on the field. Defensive linemen go easy on the quarterbacks. It might as well be a game of backyard, two-hand touch. What’s this all about?

It’s almost as if the Pro Bowl is more about having fun than it is about winning.

Courtesy: CBS Sports

This year, the NFL made the game even more about fun, while trying to make it more interesting for fans. Pro Bowl alumni, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders, served as team captains, and they picked teams in a draft style. The game is no longer between the AFC and the NFC; It’s between Team Sanders and Team Rice. There’s no urgency to play for your conference pride. It’s a pickup game of football, just like the one you’ll see down the street on the vacant lot or on the grassy field by the school.

The Pro Bowl isn’t about winning. It’s held in a sunny city on the seaside. Those participating spend more time at the beaches than they do practicing. There’s a relaxed atmosphere as the players adorn themselves with lei’s and Hawaiian shirts, instead of the standard suit and tie you’d normally see in game day pressers.

No, the Pro Bowl is not about winning. It isn’t about competition. It’s about the players having fun playing a game. The NFL is a war-zone for some 25 weeks, going from the preseason to the postseason. It’s not always fun. Players are weighed down by contract expectations, busy schedules, losing, injuries, and a lack of family time. Some people might forget that football is supposed to be fun. Football is a game, after all.

Courtesy: Latin Times

Every football fan has fond memories of getting together with friends at some place, whether it’s a backyard, an empty field, or a street, just to play a little bit of ball. I know I do. Who doesn’t love a simple pickup game of backyard, two hand touch football?

The Pro Bowl is about getting football back to its roots. Picking teams, talking smack, and just having fun playing the game we all love.

Is the Pro Bowl a little boring? Sure, it can be. But when you watch it, just take it for what it is. It’s entertainment. It’s fun. Just remember, the Superbowl is just a week away if you’re craving a dramatic game leaving you on the edge of your seat. But in the meantime, sit back and take football for what it is, a fun and exciting game.