Saturday, February 09, 2008

Fixing the Pro Bowl

Last year, I toyed with the idea of hosting a 3rd place game in the offweek before the Super Bowl.

Well, I've cooled on that idea a little and have come with a better solution: Fixing the Pro Bowl.

The problems are obvious, but I'll state them so we can address how to fix them:

1. It's after the Super Bowl, so no one cares.
2. The players don't want to get hurt, so they don't bother showing up.
3. A 3-hour game where people aren't playing hard isn't exciting.

So here's the plan: The Pro Bowl is now the week before the Super Bowl, at the Super Bowl site. Thus, filling the gap in which everyone is ready for football.

And instead of having it being just one boring game, it will be a series of skills events. I think that when they are done well, every fan likes them, and it would work well among All-Stars. Here are some examples:

Fastest Players: (I really like this one)
There can be multiple heats and what not but the concept is:
A team consists of a WR/RB/CB on the 0, a TE/LB on the 20, and a lineman on the 40. They are all facing the same direction, and start at the same time, running with a ball towards the endzone. The team time is complete when the last person crosses the goal line. (Thus, a lineman is running 60 yards, te/lb 80, and wr/rb 100.) I think that would be really fun.

QB Read and Recognition event from old QB challenge
Kickers playing HORSE and Punters aiming for coffin corners
A one-on-one competition between a WR and a CB to catch a deep pass.
A strength competition for lineman to push sleds or something
Flag football using only trick plays or something
A competition for receivers to catch sideline passes! - (ooh I love that one)

you get the idea...

The whole thing would be a lot of fun, and it would feature the best players, doing real football moves (not kayaking or bowling like that off-season show) and it would be before the Super Bowl.

1 comment:

  1. I like it. The only problem (which is still a problem today) is that none of the Super Bowl players would compete.

    How do you do the deep catch competition without Moss? The QB one without Eli? HORSE without Gostkowski? You get the idea.

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