In an attempt to spice up the off-week before the Super Bowl NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell moved the Pro Bowl from Hawaii to Miami and moved kickoff to this upcoming Sunday instead of the traditional Sunday after the Super Bowl. The move was made to reverse the fortunes of the Pro Bowl's falling ratings and player participation. I can understand the logic here but there are some obvious drawbacks that have recently brought the decision to move the Pro Bowl under scrutiny.
Roger Goodell wants an earlier Pro Bowl to become a tradition so this Sunday's contest will likely be a test. A major problem with the move is that Pro Bowlers on the two Super Bowl teams cannot compete meaning that they have to be replaced. Combine that with the number of players who skip the Pro Bowl due to injury ever year and you have more than 100 players making the roster. For example 10 QBs have made the Pro Bowl this year including Vince Young of the Texans who only started 10 games this season. Many analysts believe the move won't do much in terms of ratings and only serves to cheapen the Pro Bowl even more.
Goodell is hoping that having the Pro Bowl under the lights in Miami will be a big hit as fans are traditionally starved for football this weekend. I got one will be interested to see in the NFL can make anything out of the Pro Bowl or not. If the game turns out to be mundane as always Commissioner Goodell may have to rethink the value of having an actual Pro Bowl at all.
For now this remains the most memorable Pro Bowl moment over the past decade.
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