# The NFL Pro Bowl: can it be fixed? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 12, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375 "2011-01-12T19:35:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/41 "2011-01-23T00:21:05Z")
I would be more likely to watch that than to watch the Pro Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/42 "2011-01-23T05:49:00Z")
I think the complex system and injury problems make an All-Star game in the NFL pointless. Just do an All-Pro selection. **Little Nemo** ’s idea is good too. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/43 "2011-01-23T06:08:30Z")
Ugh, I can’t watch 10 seconds of the ESPYS without terminal douche chills. I like the idea in concept, but in practice it would be a trainwreck. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/44 "2011-01-29T00:43:53Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Why and when was it started in the first place? > > I believe baseball started the All-Star game to help the players fill their pension fund. That’s why they used to have two games for a while, until baseball realized that fans didn’t care that much about it to watch 2 games. > > Football just doesn’t lend itself to a good game. Flag football would be interesting, but not to fill up a stadium full of beer drinking, money spending fans. I don’t know who in the hell watches the Pro-Bowl. Ever. I don’t remember the last one I saw highlights from. If people actually travel to this game each year, then wow. Just wow. I guess that’s the best reason to play in Hawaii. > > bag it. Name the players all stars for their contract bonuses, HOF voting, and whatever else they get for being named to it, take the money that would be spent by sending players and their families to Hawaii and give it to Hawaii to help offset the tourism losses for 5 years, and that’s it. Time to put it to bed. The first all star game per se was baseball in 1933. It was supposed to be a one-off affair to celebrate the Chicago’s World Fair but was so popular that it became a yearly thing (or two a year for a while 50 years ago). There were some previous games earlier for charity: when pitcher Addie Joss died, a game was played to raise money for his family. A sidenote to that game is Ty Cobb’s uniform didn’t arrive and he played wearing a Cleveland uniform, in case you ever run across a photo on him in one. > **[Arch Ward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Ward)** > > Archie Burdette Ward (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for the Chicago Tribune. He was the creator of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament and the World Professional Basketball Tournament. > Ward was born in 1896 in Irwin, Illinois, and attended Columbia Academy and Columbia College (now Loras College) in Dubuque, Iowa. He worked for the Telegraph Herald in Dubuque in 1919. Ward completed colleg... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/45 "2011-02-02T02:06:05Z")
The [Onion](http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/no-one-shows-up-for-pro-bowl,18994/) says it all. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/46 "2011-02-02T03:29:22Z")
What about the idea of a state of origin series? You could have the country divided into conferences and place players in the teams that match up with were they started played HS ball? Now that would be cool. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/47 "2011-02-02T10:07:41Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > What about the idea of a state of origin series? You could have the country divided into conferences and place players in the teams that match up with were they started played HS ball? Now that would be cool. Works in Australia. It’s good fun. There are guys that you hate when your team plays theirs but you love them when they are playing for your state. So most Brisbane fans probably despise the Melbourne Storm most of the year but come the 3 game Origin series they no doubt love Queenslanders like Cameron Smith, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Cooper Cronk. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/48 "2011-02-02T11:19:02Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > What about the idea of a state of origin series? You could have the country divided into conferences and place players in the teams that match up with were they started played HS ball? Now that would be cool. Hell, 90% of the players in the NFL are probably from California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/49 "2011-02-02T12:06:53Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > What about the idea of a state of origin series? You could have the country divided into conferences and place players in the teams that match up with were they started played HS ball? Now that would be cool. How 'bout doing it by race? “Okay, you white boys line up ovah here…” Or how about by birth order? You know, first-borns (or only children) vs. later-borns? Or how about we take care of the safety factor by swaddling the players in grotesque amounts of padding, so much so that getting hurt will be just about impossible, and you’d have these huge guys unable even get their arms around each other to make a tackle, or to waddle down the field–I’m talking about a GROSS amount of padding everywhere, maybe hundreds of pounds of padding. That spectacle would be some funny shit. I’d pay a dollar to watch that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/50 "2011-02-02T15:28:50Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Hell, 90% of the players in the NFL are probably from California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Georgia. I decided to check. The 2011 Pro Bowl starters and their state of birth: John Abraham - South Carolina David Akers - Kentucky Nnamdi Asomugha - Louisiana (but grew up in California) Tom Brady - California Nick Collins - Florida Billy Cundiff - California John Denney - Colorado Zak DeOssie - Massachusetts Kris Dielman - Indiana Jahri Evans - Pennsylvania Dwight Freeney - Connecticut Antonio Gates - Michigan Jordan Gross - Idaho Andre Gurode - Texas James Harrison - Ohio Devin Hester - Florida Andre Johnson - Florida Calvin Johnson - Georgia Maurice Jones-Drew - California Vonta Leach - North Carolina Shane Lechler - Texas Ray Lewis - Florida Jake Long - Michigan Nick Mangold - Ohio Logan Mankins - California Marc Mariani - Montana Robert Mathis - Georgia Clay Matthews - California Mat McBriar - Victoria, Australia Ovie Mughelli - Massachusetts (went to high school in South Carolina) Haloti Ngata - California Montell Owens - New Jersey (went to high school in Delaware) Julius Peppers - North Carolina Jason Peters - Texas Troy Polamalu - California Jay Ratliff - Florida (went to high school in Georgia) Ed Reed - Louisiana Darrelle Revis - Pennsylvania Asante Samuel - Florida Chris Snee - New Jersey Ndamukong Suh - Oregon Joe Thomas - Wisconsin Michael Turner - Illinois Michael Vick - Virginia Cameron Wake - Maryland DeMarcus Ware - Alabama Reggie Wayne - Louisiana Eric Weems - Florida Roddy White - South Carolina Vince Wilfork - Florida Patrick Willis - Tennessee Adrian Wilson - North Carolina Jason Witten - Tennessee Charles Woodson - Ohio As you can see, my state New York does not have a single pro bowler despite being the third most populous state. We would be stomped in a State Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/51 "2011-02-02T18:10:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I say the winners of the ProBowl plays the winners of the Lingerie Bowl for the Fake Football Championship. Or perhaps winners of the Bud Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/52 "2011-02-02T18:22:23Z")
East vs. West Rookies vs. Sophomores SEC & Big 10 vs Pac-10 and Big 12 Protestants vs. Catholics Republicans vs. Democrats Circumcised vs. Uncuts ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/53 "2011-02-02T22:21:52Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Or how about we take care of the safety factor by swaddling the players in grotesque amounts of padding, so much so that getting hurt will be just about impossible, and you’d have these huge guys unable even get their arms around each other to make a tackle, or to waddle down the field–I’m talking about a GROSS amount of padding everywhere, maybe hundreds of pounds of padding. That spectacle would be some funny shit. I’d pay a dollar to watch that. I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again: nerf bats. Just a huge nerf bat free-for-all. It can’t fail! ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/54 "2011-02-02T23:32:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As you can see, my state New York does not have a single pro bowler despite being the third most populous state. We would be stomped in a State Bowl. So make it an east/west/middle conference? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/55 "2011-02-03T12:39:15Z")
If you want TV ratings, black all pros vs. white all pros would do the trick. Maybe have the Latinos line up with the whites to even things up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/56 "2011-02-03T13:10:03Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If you want TV ratings, black all pros vs. white all pros would do the trick. Maybe have the Latinos line up with the whites to even things up a bit. No. Make them fight it out to see who gets the Latinos. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/57 "2011-02-03T17:44:22Z")
I can see the Pro Bowl being interesting enough to watch if they actually bothered to play it, but then, that’s pretty much the root of the whole chicken-egg scenario. (For my part, I flipped over to it just long enough to see Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers standing on the sideline watching Matt Cassel throw a pick, think “WTF?”, and change back.) I know the flag football idea was a joke, but hell, I’d watch it. No pads, just jerseys, shorts, tennis shoes and flag belts…a playground game brought to you by the best in the world. X-percent of proceeds go to some children’s charity in the name of the winning conference. It’d actually be pretty entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375/58 "2011-02-03T17:59:07Z")
The players don’t want to play it. The viewers don’t want to watch it. Other than that , it is fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-pro-bowl-can-it-be-fixed/567375.md?page=2)