ESPN: 2010 Pro Bowl to be played in Miami week before Super Bowl

[Disco Volante]

ESPN - Report: 2010 Pro Bowl to precede Super Bowl

Report: 2010 Pro Bowl to be played in Miami before Super Bowl
Updated: December 29, 2008, 5:43 PM ET

MIAMI -- The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium, a person directly involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the move.

It's not a new notion to have the game moved up to take place between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The NFL has discussed it multiple times in recent years, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP last month that having the game precede the Super Bowl would avoid a "somewhat anticlimactic" ending to the season.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Will the Super Bowl team have players in the pro bowl?

 

[JSn]

Will the Super Bowl team have players in the pro bowl?

If so, they won't play, the alternates at those positions will.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Doesn't make sense. Players from the SB teams wont be playing then either should any be selected.

 

[JSn]

Doesn't make sense. Players from the SB teams wont be playing then either should any be selected.

It's good, though, because it allows a few more players (likely) to be labeled "pro-bowlers" - which as proven by numerous Jets players means nothing.

 

[richpats]

Finally a good move by the NFL. The 2 weeks of SB hype is a lifetime - good to have something bridge the gap.

 

[WhiZa]

I'm for it, the week before the SB is slow anyway. Even if players in the SB dont play the fans wont care because they still have something more important to watch next week. For the rest of the fans it will give them a reason to continue to watch through the playoffs.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm for it, the week before the SB is slow anyway. Even if players in the SB dont play the fans wont care because they still have something more important to watch next week. For the rest of the fans it will give them a reason to continue to watch through the playoffs.

It's the Pro Bowl. It's a joke, and the league should just have canceled it entirely. The only good thing about this move is that Super Bowl teams won't have to worry about their players getting hurt such a meaningless game.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

I like the move.

It would mean players on SB teams don't get to play in the SB. But I can't imagine anyone being bummed out cause they got selected to go to the probowl but couldn't play because they had another game to prepare for.

Big question...who coaches it. Would be rough to expect the losers of the CG to coach it one week later. Maybe the highest seed to lose the week before, or maybe the highest seed not to make the playoffs (this year the BB)

 

[elandadem]

Is it April 1st already?

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

If you think guys blow off the Pro Bowl now when it's in Hawai'i, wait until they have the Super Bowl in Detroit or Jacksonville again or some cold weather domed city ( Hello, Indy??) then you'll have to recruit the vendors to play..........

 

[Gwedd]

The best thing would be to cancel the whole pro-bowl fraud. Those guys don't play full-out anyway, and yet the fans take it in the backside for full-fare tix prices.

Just make up rosters like Madden's teams, or the "All-American" teams, give the selectees a check that they can donate to their favorite charity, a plaque, and a team picture. Heck, give 'em each a week in Hawaii. It's not like the NFL is hurting for cash these days.

I can't ever bring myself to watch a pro-bowl game, because it's about as real an NFL game as WWF is an actual sport.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Another winner from Emporer Goodell...

 

[Seymour93]

It's the Pro Bowl. It's a joke, and the league should just have canceled it entirely. The only good thing about this move is that Super Bowl teams won't have to worry about their players getting hurt such a meaningless game.

And what about the players from the losing teams in the Conference Championship Games? Do you think they will want to go to the site of the SB one week after they just blew their chance to actually play in the big game?

The only thing the Pro Bowl had going for it was the trip to Hawaii. Now with that gone, the game has become even more worthless.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

The best thing would be to cancel the whole pro-bowl fraud. Those guys don't play full-out anyway, and yet the fans take it in the backside for full-fare tix prices.

I don't get your full-fare tix complaint. It isn't like requiring a STF to buy pre-season game tickets. Anybody who buys a ticket to the pro-bowl want to go to the pro-bowl and know exactly what he/she is buying. Unless there is some plan to require you to buy a pro-bowl ticket to get a SB ticket.

 

[Gwedd]

I don't get your full-fare tix complaint. It isn't like requiring a STF to buy pre-season game tickets. Anybody who buys a ticket to the pro-bowl want to go to the pro-bowl and know exactly what he/she is buying. Unless there is some plan to require you to buy a pro-bowl ticket to get a SB ticket.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NFL didn't try to institute that idea as well. Sort of a 2-fer type of deal. You only get to buy a SB ticket if you show your receipt for purchasing a PB ticket. Sigh.....

 

[jbb9s]

there is no good solution for this. whatever they do is going to have a downside. I would say having it this way at least makes it plausible a few more people watch. I guess ever since players that lead the league in picks get pro-bowl berths, I just lost interest.

 

[Disco Volante]

1) Keep the Pro-Bowl selections.

It's a thing every sports needs. Take the fan/player voting out of it and don't tally up/announce until end of season. As Gwedd said, give the player a plaque and possibly some money.

2) Stop playing the game.

90% of even the most die-hard NFL fans can care less about the game. Of course this isn't the financially smart thing to do as I'm sure it still makes tons of profit, which in the end is the only thing that matters and pretty much derails this whole idea.

Kind of like the 4 pre-season game dilemma. No one cares about the game(s), but it still makes money.

 

[godef]

So then, will the winner of the Pro Bowl determine the "home" team for the Super Bowl.

OK, perhaps the right to first choice of colors vs whites.

 

[pheenix11]

Stooopid.

Why bother even playing this travesty?