# Is anyone watching the pro bowl tonight on ESPN? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 1, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803 "2016-02-01T01:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NJ22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@NJ22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NJ22)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/1 "2016-02-01T01:38:24Z")
I am programmed not to watch it because it used to be the game after the SB which meant the end of the football. But now they think by putting it in between championship sunday and the SB people are going to watch? The most pointless game of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/2 "2016-02-01T01:41:54Z")
I’ve got in on, but only because I’m not interested in what is on Turner Classic Movies. It’s bullshit. I’m most mostly occupying myself by looking for new posts here. ---
**Author:** ![NJ22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@NJ22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NJ22)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/3 "2016-02-01T01:44:59Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’ve got in on, but only because I’m not interested in what is on Turner Classic Movies. > > It’s bullshit. > > I’m most mostly occupying myself by looking for new posts here. I don’t even want it on as background sound and rather wait for the next NBA Game. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/4 "2016-02-01T02:12:39Z")
I haven’t seen even a minute of this game in years until tonight. It’s almost a touch football game now played by 2nd string pro-bowlers. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/5 "2016-02-01T02:13:03Z")
I would watch the Pro Bowl if they played it as flag football, with shorts, no helmets, and Hawaiian shirts. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/6 "2016-02-01T02:13:56Z")
The Pro Bowl is on tonight? ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/7 "2016-02-01T02:21:45Z")
Also, they should have judges award extra “style points” for wacky trick plays. ---
**Author:** ![NJ22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@NJ22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NJ22)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/8 "2016-02-01T02:57:23Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The Pro Bowl is on tonight? yeah some idiot thought it would be a great idea to have it scheduled before the superbowl so more people could watch it. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/9 "2016-02-01T03:46:52Z")
Can’t watch it because it’s on Espn Heck the telecommunications robber barons ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/10 "2016-02-01T03:56:18Z")
All star games on rough sports just don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/11 "2016-02-01T03:58:24Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > I would watch the Pro Bowl if they played it as flag football, with shorts, no helmets, and Hawaiian shirts. That’s actually not a bad idea. I’ve felt for awhile now they should bring back the skills competition and make it more like the NBA All-Star stuff, but this way they could still keep the game. And even loud Hawaiian shirts would be better than the horrible uniforms they usually have (though this year’s were pretty demure). I had it on the in the background, but yeah, it’s bad. It’s always been somewhat like touch football, but the vast amount of guys sitting out the game makes it ridiculous. The six QBs who actually played in the game were Wilson, Eli, Carr, Winston, Bridgewater and Tyrod Taylor. That’s one guy who’s actually elite, one guy who’s at least won a couple Super Bowls even if he’s not that great, and four guys who are decidedly average at this point. ---
**Author:** ![NJ22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4af34b/32.png) [@NJ22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NJ22)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/12 "2016-02-01T04:27:13Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > All star games on rough sports just don’t work. The NBA all star game works a little better because it’s in the middle of the season and airs the same time as a regular NBA game on sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/13 "2016-02-01T07:42:30Z")
Nope. I mean, why? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/14 "2016-02-01T12:31:13Z")
I’ve seen it twice in the last ten years. Once when I was stuck at work on a Sunday night and once when I had the flu . Didn’t watch a minute this year. The damn thing still gets some ratings so it isn’t going anywhere although the football is worse than the 4th preseason game ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/15 "2016-02-01T13:32:50Z")
> [@NJ22](#): > > The NBA all star game works a little better because it’s in the middle of the season and airs the same time as a regular NBA game on sunday. Basketball also mostly does not involve beating the crap out of each other. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/16 "2016-02-01T15:05:39Z")
I’ll flip to it from time to time if there’s nothing else on and I’m bored. That said, I heard on ESPN radio that it consistently gets the highest ratings of all the All Star games in the US. But yeah, it’s worse than a complete waste of time due to the risk of injury to those players without guaranteed contracts (which is most of them). Related question: Have there been any major career-changing injuries in years past? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/17 "2016-02-01T16:05:04Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > That said, I heard on ESPN radio that it consistently gets the highest ratings of all the All Star games in the US. Not consistently, no. The Pro Bowl was in the lead 2011-12-13, but the last couple of years the MLB All-Star Game has been rated higher. This is perhaps evidence that fans don’t like the sandlot-draft format. As unexciting as it was, AFC-NFC was easier to understand and follow. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/18 "2016-02-01T17:57:42Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Related question: Have there been any major career-changing injuries in years past? It was actually in a flag football game on sand for rookies that was a part of the lead-in to the proper Pro Bowl, but [Robert Edwards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Edwards_%28running_back%29) destroyed his knee in that game after the 1998 season and almost had to have his leg amputated. (I don’t have a cite, but I think he tore every ligament, the main nerve, and the main artery in his knee.) He didn’t play again until 2002. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/19 "2016-02-01T19:54:19Z")
> [@NJ22](#): > > The most pointless game of the year. I might have to take issue with that, the University of Alabama (eventual national champions) vs. Charleston Southern (which sounds like a subway stop instead of a University), could give it a run for the money (Alabama won 56-6) But yeah, didn’t watch a minute of it, and apparently the ratings have continued their downward slide with this one. As well they should. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803/20 "2016-02-01T21:12:59Z")
I agree the game is stupid. If the NFL just did fun competitions (who can throw the furthest, who can push the dummy back more, stuff like that). I think people would watch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-watching-the-pro-bowl-tonight-on-espn/744803.md?page=2)