By Brittany Burke
Growing up I used to view the pro bowl as having two purposes. One would be the final chance to see my favorite Giants players play before the excruciatingly long six months until August preseason play and the second being the final marker to end the football season.
Now, a few years wiser and less than a handful of seasons since they moved the game to the week before the Super Bowl. I can’t find a reason to make me want to watch game, especially this year when my team is making an Indianapolis appearance.
I have absolutely no incentive to tune into the game other than there’s nothing else to watch on TV. However, the players voted into the game have all the reason in the world to play. Doesn’t matter to the athletes if the game is nothing more than a boring, backyard pickup game, they still get a free trip to Hawaii, $50,000 if they win and $25,000 if they lose … it’s a win-win for everyone, that is other than the fans.
Can we really call it a pro bowl if some of the best athletes in the game aren’t playing because the Super Bowl is next weekend? No we probably can’t.
I hate to keep bringing up the NHL in situations like this, but how can I not when the NHL All-Star weekend falls on the same two days as the pro bowl?
The NFL needs to take note of what the NHL does; maybe then the pro bowl would be worth the fans’ time.
All-Star Weekend events actually began on Thursday when the two teams were drafted. No, the teams aren’t divided by division or conference, instead, two captains are voted in and it’s up to them to draft their team. The last person drafted gets a new car, but it’s also entertaining for the fans to watch.
The rest of the weekend included a day full of skills competitions, some taken more seriously than others, and a final All-Star game, throw in a surprise performance by Drake and you’ve got something worth watching.
Don’t get me wrong, the game isn’t Stanley Cup caliber, but these athletes still have a good four months left to their season, what excuses do the football players have?
I laughed when a friend of mine said, “Does any All-Star game matter? No, they just do it for the money,” because I don’t agree with that. Maybe the players in the NFL do it for the perks, but the NHL players? Some get monetary incentives built into their contract just in case, but nothing like the NFL’s level. As far as I can tell the All-Star break is literally just that, a few days mid-season for the players to relax and have fun, nothing to do with money.
For as long as professional sports are around there will be pros, but not many athletes can call themselves “All-Stars.”