Artificial Cheese

Like clockwork, the NFL never fails to show its ignorance during the first few weeks of the off-season. Of course, I’m talking about the Pro Bowl. Its hard to watch a bunch of men playing a meaningless game of football while trying to avoid injury. Unfortunately, they don’t always succeed; Drew Brees got hurt during the Pro Bowl this year. It was no ruptured spleen, but it certainly was an unnecessary injury.

I know, every year around this time we hear the same thing out of the same people. The Pro Bowl is dangerous, the Pro Bowl is unnecessary, the risk of injury is high, etc, etc, etc. Yet again people are so quick to point out problems but so slow to offer solutions.

The game of football, as played by professionals, is not something to be enjoyed in a lighthearted manner. Hockey, Basketball, and even Soccer can be played in a semi-competitive manner while still maintaining most of its entertainment value. Football cannot be played without a tremendous amount of physical contact. The key, therefore, is to play something else.

People watch the Pro Bowl for the players, not the game. Football fans get a kick out of seeing their team’s best players interacting with other pro bowlers, or their favorite player cracking jokes on the sidelines with well-known faces. Football fans could care less about the stats. If I wanted to see arm tackles and uninspired play I would watch a Lions game.

Replace the game with a weekend full of non-threatening mini-games and competitions. More than just an extension of the skills competition; Think olympics but less competitive and more entertaining games. Here are some suggestions:

• Dodgeball
• Basketball
• Stand Up Comedy
• Bowling
• Dance Competition
• Cricket
• Kareoke

Every year you could switch it up so players will remember Pro Bowls by the events rather than the year. Following this formula would result in a very entertaining experience for both the player and the fan. The earnings potential for companies looking to advertise would increase dramatically. The fans could also get involved in some of these mini-games. The possibilities are endless!