After this year’s Pro Bowl, many are saying that the NFL is on a hot streak of dreary Pro Bowl games. The players have shifted their focus from putting on a show to securing their health in order to earn better contracts. Although this is understandable from the players’ perspectives, something has to change.
1. Put money on the line for charity
It has become awfully apparent that the NFL’s finest put little to no effort into the Pro Bowl games. If the game was for a good cause, then it would give the players a reason to put forth their best effort.
Therefore, the NFL should integrate an amount of money that goes to the charity of the winning team’s choice. It supports a good cause while raising the stakes at the same time.
2. Bring back physical competitions
All year long, fans from different teams debate who the most athletic players in the NFL are. Sometimes, the players themselves even chime in and offer their own opinions. So why not let the players prove it themselves in a weightlifting competition or a race or a longest throw contest?
We have seen the fastest man competition or the longest throw in the past, but it is time to make it a permanent event. These competitions would settle all the debates over physical attributes.
3. Incorporate celebrity guests into Pro Bowl weekend
It felt like the whole nation watched as Taylor Swift appeared over and over again on the Chiefs games’ broadcasts. The media quickly bought into the idea of her being at an NFL game. NFL viewership for Chiefs games greatly increased after the popstar started showing up at the games, especially for the female audience.
A lot of the most watched games this season were Chiefs games with Taylor Swift in attendance. The NFL should apply that same logic and invite stars out to Pro Bowl weekend. Stars like Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Terry Crews, and Lebron James have all expressed having a profound interest in football in the past already. Millions of fans would tune in to see a celebrity flag football game, or watch their favorite actor coach a team. The NFL just needs to get more starpower to broaden the audience.
4. Adjust the rules of the game
I’m sure everyone would love to see linemen playing skill positions or quarterbacks trying to kick the ball. If the Pro Bowl game was more unique, then it would draw in more football fans. The NFL would find success in trying things they have never tried before, like positional flexibility and different rules.
In this out-of-position game, team captains would be able to assign players from the Pro Bowl roster to play positions that they usually do not play. Also, adopting some of the XFL’s rules, such as sudden death in overtime, would make the game more exciting. The Pro Bowl should be somewhat different from the regular season and these changes would distinguish the Pro Bowl.
All in all, the Pro Bowl desperately needs change in order to bring in more viewership. Experimenting and trying new things would give the Pro Bowl the change it has needed for years. After all, it never hurts to try new things.
