The Pro Bowl

[pzarquon]

The NFL is in town for "one last final last game," the post-season, post-Superbowl, played-in-Hawaii Pro Bowl. I got to see a lot of the NFL players at Kapiolani Park today, as they led a kids' football clinic. The game is tomorrow at Aloha Stadium.

While football fans here are excited, and many fans on the Mainland are, the game itself is taking some hits for being... well, uninteresting. The Los Angeles Times calls the Pro Bowl the NFL's sure cure for excitement.

And even people already in Hawaii apparently don't have much interest in the game. After 25 consecutive Pro Bowl sellouts, the NFL had to give this one an extra 24 hours to sell enough tickets at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium to avoid a local television blackout. ESPN, broadcasting the game at 4:30 p.m. PST because somebody has to, is faced with a doubly daunting task: How to manufacture buzz for a game nobody wants to play and nobody wants to watch.

Neighbor San Bernardino County Sun declares that it's time to throw out the Pro Bowl.

Every player in the league wants to be named to the Pro Bowl. Most players even receive bonuses if they make the team. The problem is players don't actually want to play in the game, even if it is in Hawaii.

Ouch. Er... still, anyone going? Anyone planning to watch?

Hello?

[hkplayer]

Re: The Pro Bowl

Being a passionate nfl fan, I will always watch the Pro Bowl especially when it is in Hawai'i. I hope it is held there forever!

[1stwahine]

Re: The Pro Bowl

PRO BOWL? No Way...I'd rather be here, Hawai'i Stories or irritating my family with emails galore!...and plus, I had a PRO of a Night putting someone in his place cause I'm old school.

[EastCoastTropics]

Re: The Pro Bowl

We're watching too! Hubby and I are NFL fans. My auntie's hula halau is dancing in the half time show. And my younger sister is a volunteer in the Kapolei High School concession stand.

I love da PATS!

[pzarquon]

Re: The Pro Bowl

Pro Bowl may skip '08 here

The NFL's executive in charge of the Pro Bowl said yesterday the league's All-Star game might skip a year in Hawaii as soon as 2008. [...] The 2007 Pro Bowl is set for Aloha Stadium on Feb. 10 (on Saturday instead of the usual Sunday the week after the Super Bowl) and the state is contracted with the NFL for two more Pro Bowls after this one. But the one in two months might be the last in a string of 28 in a row at Aloha Stadium going back to 1980.

And from Jon at TalkStink.com:

The NFL Hates Hawaii, Maybe For One Year

Of course, this is a negotiation play for a bigger piece of the contact pie. It’s all about money, because the game itself is meaningless tripe. You’ll see more competitive football during your kid’s pee-wee league scrimmage. [...] Frank Supovitz, NFL senior vice president of events, blows a lot of smoke up local fans asses at the end of the piece when he discusses talks about having the Super Bowl in Hawaii. It’s only further evidence for the buttering up of Hawaii and a fatter hosting rights fee.

[tutusue]

Re: The Pro Bowl

Oh shoots...I have a vested interest in the Pro Bowl remaining in Hawaii. My daughter gets a free trip and tickets every year. Some years that's the only time she gets back to Hawaii. Yep...I'm a selfish mom! Keep the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and let me see my kid!