Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM
Anyone going to watch tonight’s NFL Pro Bowl “flag football” game?
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I never miss the Pro Bowl In fact, I am watching the pregame now. The girls are playing for a national championship. And they have good skills an are making the game interesting
I asked my dad who has watched more Pro Bowl games than I have or can remember. He said that yes, the game used to be competitive, but even then, it was NOT as competitive as a season game or playoff game. There always has been some "Holding back" on the hits and plays to prevent injuries, although more so in recent years.
In the 80s players started sitting out of the Pro Bowl due to injury risk. It was at that point that the game really dropped by double digit percent points in the intensity of the hits and tackles.
Most recently, before flag football, there was little to no blocking and light tackling. While in the 70s there was harder blocking and tackling, this was replaced by the act of a runner falling down when wrapped up, or a receiver being allowed to just make the score after the catch.
Also in the early days, a trip to the Pro Bowl had status for one to be a "Pro Bowler" and it meant a trip to Hawaii with the family, and many players back then could not afford that otherwise. Players just did not make as much as they do now. A trip to Hawaii was expensive then (as it is now, I found out) so being picked to the Pro Bowl was huge.
Nowadays, a trip to Orlando is nothing that any player could not afford. A month in the summer with the family at Disney Universal? Sure. No Problem
STILL The Pro Bowl held a very bittersweet memory for us growing up. It was always AFTER the Super Bowl, and it was fun but at the same time sad, for we knew that it would be months before football started again. And living in the middle of nowhere, in the lands of the Philistines, there was a huge vacuum left after football was gone from the Sunday/Monday ritual
SO the Pro Bowl was that one last second of desert from the banquet, that last scraping of banana pudding and chocolate cookies that would not be tasted again for almost 8 months.
It was a necessity for fans.
Now of course, we watch the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl then wait a few months to be entertained by the CFL
Did I mention that we are going to Canada in October to the CFL?
Today I look for a repeat of Last Year's Manning vs Manning entertainment Lots of commentary, arguing with the refs Harlem Globetrotters style, lots of athleticism, lots of fan interaction and thanks to Peyton and Eli , a healthy dose of comedy and entertainment as well.
Oh and since the rain is letting up, steaks on the grill.
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