Downfalls Of the NFL Pro Bowl.

Post #1
Cameron Boehning

The Pro Bowl happened last night Sunday Jan 29th 2012 in Honolulu, HI. It was the traditional AFC's best against the NFC's best where exactly 100 combined points were scored. This was the second highest scoring Pro Bowl game since the 2004 Pro Bowl where a total of 107 points were scored. To me the Pro Bowl is a complete joke. No one wants to watch it; it's a meaningless game where the athletes take a vacation to Hawaii and it's an offensive showdown. The athletes don't play hard for fear of injury and a lot of the Pro Bowl selections turn down the invite for that reason alone.

I propose that the NFL just recognizes the athletes that have been chosen and give them some type of reward instead of making us watch a horrible game of football. The NFL has become soft all-together fining the players for playing how the game was designed and played from the very beginning of time which is tough hardnosed, big hitting football. Commissioner Goodell is fining everyone that makes a big hit. Then we praise those who can't play defense by sending them to the Pro Bowl that is supposed to represent the best professional football players of that year.

With the NFL Draft approaching what message is the NFL sending to those upcoming athletes? That the big hitters and best blockers will only make it if they know how to score? In recent news Hines Ward was announced as the dirtiest player of the 2011-2012 season. Why? Have you seen his highlights? Is it really his fault that the linebackers and defensive backs don't know how to be alert when trying to make a play and will get lit up if they don't keep their heads on a swivel. Hines Ward just puts everything he has into the game and makes impact blocks that help his team win games and even Super Bowls.

Ndamukong Suh is another so called dirty player. I have watched him play since his college days at Nebraska his rookie year and this year. He plays with heart, passion, and energy. He doesn't care about the stats or the records all he wants to do is win. He plays with a chip on his shoulder wanting to get to the Super Bowl. He throws Lineman around like rag dolls and gets punished for making big plays. Before Ndamukong Suh came to the Detroit Lions the team went 2-14. Since then they have won the hearts of America and made the playoffs for the first time since 1999 when they went 8-8. You might ask why that is, but I am here to tell you it is because the players brought physicality to the field and played that way every down. Detroit did not just an offensive showdown each game they had defensive stops and made defenses turn the ball over allowing the offense to score.

We arrive back at the Pro Bowl. If it was a defensive game with big hits the best against the best making plays and earning points instead of scoring on will more fans would go and more people would watch, but until that day the Pro Bowl will always be a joke game that nobody cares about.