Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Babe Ruthless about whether or not the Pro Bowl is still relevant.
It is nearly that special time of year, already, where the best NFL players get together on one field and do battle. It is a rare treat for all fans of the NFL, and football in general. What a great time when folks all over the country have the frustrations of Winter melt away in one afternoon to gather around the television and watch the Pro Bowl.
Er, what?
Most fans, even diehards, think the Pro Bowl is lame. The game features the supposedly best players in the league making a half-hearted effort on the field while trying to avoid a devastating injury. While it may be prestigious to be named to the team, the players appear to have little interest in actually playing the game.
The game has many problems, starting with unstable roster. Now, the best players – the ones in the Super Bowl – will not be participating at all (mostly… the Colts are rumored to be leaving at halftime) because they have that pesky game to prepare for the following week. Injured players, and “injured” players, always skip the Pro Bowl because they make it clear they have more important things to do, like tend the garden or rescue cute animals from the tough streets near their houses.
The NFL has moved the date of the game up from a week after the Super Bowl is played to the week before the Super Bowl is played. The theory is that the game will be more heavily watched in the interim week before the Super Bowl starts. But, in doing so, it has eliminated some of the better players from the game… you know, the ones that are preparing to play the Super Bowl the following week. While the Pro Bowl is played in the same city as the Super Bowl this season in hopes of creating more attention and excitement around the game, players from Super Bowl bound teams will likely be only spectators (well, at least we all know Colts players would be if allowed).
The Pro Bowl has some basic problems that prevent fan excitement from every truly taking off. For me, as a fan, I do not watch the Pro Bowl. Growing up I remember asking my dad if he wanted to watch the Pro Bowl with me. He would look at me cross and say, “I have no interest in the Pro Bowl.” Having never watched the game before, I did not understand why. After watching a quarter of the game I understood. To this day I have not watched an entire Pro Bowl ever, and have not even flipped the game on in years.
The NFL is desperately trying to make its All-Star game relevant, but has an uphill battle. Today’s question for The Sports Debates writers is: Is the Pro Bowl still relevant?
Given my skepticism, for fun, assume that my impression of the game is that of most fans (and I feel like it is). Give us skeptics a good reason to watch the game. Make a good, winning argument, and I might just watch the game.
Babe Ruthless will argue the Pro Bowl is relevant and provide a convincing argument that makes the game a must watch for me and all fans. Loyal Homer will argue that the Pro Bowl is not worth watching and should be skipped by all fans because the game is no longer relevant.
Good luck, and may the best argument give Mrs. Sports Geek a reason to complain about my watching the Pro Bowl for the first time ever!
