I feel like every few years, the NFL gets the idea that “the Pro Bowl cannot go on like this!” and publicly discusses revamping the annual all-star game. This year, that realization came on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The NFL is discussing the Pro Bowl week and ways to improve it — including possibly eliminating the traditional game and using that Sunday to showcase the players in it. Essentially, what are the alternatives?
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2022
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the “game doesn’t work,” and that the NFL’s players need to be celebrated in another way.
“The (Pro Bowl) game doesn’t work. We need to find another way to celebrate the players.” — Roger Goodell, explaining this thought process of examining the game’s future. https://t.co/IRQoVNWuqi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2022
As for possible replacements, Rapoport posed the idea of turning it into a flag football game.
The reality is, the traditional Pro Bowl game is not what it should be. So, what else can be done? Would a flag football game with some of the NFL’s stars be better? That’s just one possible solution. https://t.co/IRQoVNET1I
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2022
When interviewing Rapoport, Pat McAfee dropped the idea of turning it into a skills contest that included charity donations.
The Pro Bowl should become a skills challenge with actual prizes & donations to charities @RapSheet…#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/MLtb1GLwNz
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 24, 2022
Despite the fact that it’s a joke as a sporting contest, the Pro Bowl still brings in eyeballs. This year’s game drew over 6.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, and while that’s poor compared to NFL regular season games, it’s quite a strong number compared to other sports (for example, no NHL game has hit that mark since the 2019 Stanley Cup Final).
The NFL has tried various ways to amplify the Pro Bowl over the years. The AFC vs NFC format was scrapped in 2014, with captains being chosen and divvying up teams fantasy draft style. That was scrapped after three games, and the skills contest (which was watched by less than a million people this year) was added.
In my opinion, the Pro Bowl is what it is, and this isn’t just an NFL problem – it’s a problem for MLB, the NHL, and the NBA, which have all had All-Star Game woes over the last decade. There’s really only so much leagues can do about these events to make them interesting to viewers while still somewhat resembling the sports in question. But given the physical nature of football, the issues the NFL has in optimizing the Pro Bowl are more difficult than the issues faced by the other leagues.
