Major Pro Bowl Changes

[BusSport]

From NFL makes major Pro Bowl changes - ESPN:

Pro Bowl rosters to be determined by draft

NFL makes major Pro Bowl changes

AFC-NFC format gone in 2014

The NFL is overhauling the Pro Bowl, eliminating the AFC-NFC format in favor of captains picking 43 players per team regardless of conference.

In addition, kickoffs will be eliminated from the game as a safety measure, one of several changes to the game.

Voting for the game also will be changed as conference affiliation no longer will be considered in determining the All-Star selections. The two leading vote-getters will be named captains and will be assisted by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders and two NFL.com fantasy football champions in picking the two teams.

Among other changes:

• A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters in addition to the traditional rule in the second and fourth quarters. Possession also will change hands after each quarter.

• Defenses will be allowed to play Cover 2 and press coverage. In the past, only man coverage had been allowed, except for goal-line situations.

The changes were proposed by NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth and were jointly announced Wednesday by the NFL and the union.

"As players, we wanted to keep the Pro Bowl to honor excellence in individual performance and connect with the fans in a different environment," Foxworth said in a statement. "To do that, I worked with a group of players to map out new ideas."

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was "very receptive to the ideas that Domonique and the players put forth."

"From there, our office worked closely with him in developing the concept. The players made it clear that they wanted to continue the Pro Bowl and were committed to making it better than ever. We think these changes will enhance the game for both fans and players," he said in the statement.

The Pro Bowl draft will be held Jan. 22 next year and the game will be played Jan. 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

And the Pro Bowl gets even stupider...

 

[Tubbs1518]

I really like this. The Pro Bowl was pointless before, it was going downhill fast. Now they stopped trying to act like it was so serious and made it a little more fun. This way you get players playing together who never had a chance before. Don't tell me you wouldn't love to see Tom Brady throwing to Calvin Johnson or RGIII and Chris Johnson running the read option together.

 

[threelittleturds]

Are they doing a fantasy draft for the coaching staff too? That'd be kind of neat to see what happens if they paired up Belichick with Sean Payton as his OC... or whatever combination you can think of. Or are they just going to draft a team's coaching staff?

 

[BritishDolfan]

Could be cool. The other rule changes seem like they might be experiments for the future more than trying to make the pro bowl better though (no kickoffs being the obvious one). I like the Arena League style anti-kneeldown rule too.

 

[Rockit11]

The format changes, but the quality of the game will remain the same. Most of the big name players opt out and the style of play is boring. It's basically the same as it was.

 

[DaBearsShowPride]

The format changes, but the quality of the game will remain the same. Most of the big name players opt out and the style of play is boring. It's basically the same as it was.

This is exactly what I was thinking. The Pro Bowl is still going to be the Pro Bowl no matter what the changes are unless they make it mandatory that you have to play if you get selected. The whole point of the Pro Bowl is to see the best players out there competing verse one another, not half ass it.

 

[JDM]

I like it. But if they even think of implementing any of these ideas in real football in any way I might have to murder someone.

 

[BritishDolfan]

I like it. But if they even think of implementing any of these ideas in real football in any way I might have to murder someone.

Agreed, apart from maybe the anti-kneeldown thing.

 

[iowajerms]

Positives

*Teams will be more even.
*It causes more conversation. Not only is it who is going to make it but what team will they be on.
*Back n Hawaii, so it's like a true vacation for the players/coaches.

Negatives

*It's before the Super Bowl, so those players won't be in it.
*Turning it into 4 halves instead of 2 halves.
*Still Pro Bowl rules.

I think it should be like any other season/post season game. I want to know what a game like that would be with nothing but the best in the NFL, but they have it relaxing for the players. They went 6 months at going 100% and then they say don't go 100% and relax. It's dumb.

 

[NinerSickness]

I have a better idea. The Pro Bowl will no longer be an actual game. Instead, all of the guys in the Pro Bowl have to live together for one weekend in a reality TV format.

Or better yet: game show format.

 

[JDM]

If it was after the Super Bowl I could see players actually going to this and making it fun again.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Love it, I would like to see the probowl moved after the SB again honestly, that way the players who are worth watching are there :P