The NFL wants a Pro Bowl makeover. Unhappy with the lack of intensity during the annual all star game, the league is proposing a a number drastic changes to make the players care.
The proposed Pro Bowl makeover shows Roger Goodell is still not happy with how players approach the game. He threatened to cancel the game entirely if players didn’t put more effort into their performance this last year . Players responded, a few more loudly than others , and the 2013 Pro Bowl wasn’t nearly the disaster the 2012 Pro Bowl was.
Roger Goodell still wants more intensity.
Included in the NFL’s Pro Bowl makeover proposal is adding in game financial incentives to players. Players would get more money for big plays, along with overall financial compensation for performance during quarters. The league hopes that changing how players approach the game by creating challenges to complete, like in a video game, will encourage them to play harder.
The most drastic Pro Bowl change being considered is a player draft to choose the teams . This would give the NFL the opportunity to televise the draft, bringing more money to the league.
The Pro Bowl draft would work by two captains being chosen. Then, in a televised event, each captain would pick their team. It is not clear if fans would pick the captains, or pick a pool of players for the captains to choose from. It’s possible the league thinks that by increasing player participation by removing some fan participation, players might take the game more seriously.
Here is an audience clip of the first play of the 2012 Pro Bowl to see the lack of effort the league is upset about:
http://youtu.be/Wk7zzcrqljk
With 12 million people watching the Pro Bowl every year , the NFL is hoping the makeover will give the audience the level of competition they are used to watching. Goodell also knows the importance of the advertising money the game brings to the league, and is willing try something drastic to avoid the financial disaster canceling the game would cause.
Are you a fan of a Pro Bowl makeover? Is the NFL proposing the right changes?