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Teams Don't Want Their Star Players Injured
This game features nothing but the best players in the NFL. If anyone were to get hurt, it could derail their preparation for next season. For example, if Andrew Luck were to tear his ACL during the game, he could be out for the beginning of the 2013 regular season. Is the prospect of missing a regular season game worth playing a few snaps in a meaningless game the week before the Super Bowl?
Most Players Don't Want To Play Either
The majority of the players who are selected to represent their conferences get bonuses simply for being selected to play. This means that they get paid whether or not they play in the game. Why risk playing and injuring yourself when you don't have to earn the bonus that is in your contract? It also means another week of practice when the players could be out partying or resting up for next season. Unlike years past, the NFL season is never really over. Therefore, players want to take whatever opportunity that they can to rest and relax after a punishing season and before they start preparing for next season.
Where's The Honor In Being An Alternate?
Anytime a player backs out of the game, it creates a situation where the first alternate at the position becomes a part of the roster. If multiple players back out of the game, you could have a situation where the second or third alternate at a position could play in the game. The bad news is that there usually aren't two or three players at a given position who deserve to be in the game who weren't already selected. You also have to consider that players selected from the teams playing in the Super Bowl are also held out of the game. Overall, you have at least a dozen or more players who are not truly the best at their position. Who wants to watch that?
Even Roger Goodell Was Thinking About Scrapping The Game
The commissioner of the NFL threatened to do away with the game after the debacle that was the Pro Bowl last season. It would make sense that the game would go away if the players, coaches and fans really don't care about it anymore. Although people understand that there won't be the same type of intensity during the game, it seems as if the players don't even try anymore. Quarterbacks aren't touched, defenses can only play vanilla schemes and the final score is typically 55-51. During the game, you often see players from opposing teams talking and being friendly with each other. At some point, you forget that this was supposed to be a competition between the two conferences.
The Honor Is More Important
Most fans and players would probably prefer to be named to the team, get their bonus and be done with the whole process. If the players want a trip to Hawaii, perhaps that can be included as a perk of being nominated to the team. However, no number of schedule changes, venue changes or rules changes will make the game exciting or meaningful. The players have nothing to play for and they can't be forced to participate in something that they don't care about.
It is most likely time to forget about playing the Pro Bowl on a yearly basis. The players should simply have the honor of being named and perhaps have a ceremony in Hawaii to recognize them. Otherwise, no one wants to watch a bunch of guys who may not have been selected to the game in the first place play in a game in which there is nothing to play for. Those on the AFC and NFC squads don't really care if their team wins or loses. Instead, they just want to enjoy the weather, avoid injury and get home as quickly as possible.
Written by: Don Phan
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