Probowl

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Should the PB be held the week before or the week after the SB?

I think it should be held after because the week before results in more players not going.  A dispropotional number of really good players are on teams that go deep into the playoffs. 

[MikeO]

I would rather have the game not be played at all.

But between your two options play it the week before. The Super Bowl has to be the CLIMAX to the season and the last thing to take place.

[Brian Fein]

The pro bowl is supposed to be fun.  The Super Bowl is the climax.  The Pro Bowl is the after party.

After is the only way.

[masterfins]

^^^ the problem is people are still feeling the Super Bowl "hangover" the week after, and everyone has put football out of their head.

[MikeO]

^^^ the problem is people are still feeling the Super Bowl "hangover" the week after, and everyone has put football out of their head.

Yep! IF you have to play the game let it be the start of Super Bowl Week!

[Brian Fein]

Then they don't have to watch it.  Who cares?  If you care, and you want to watch it, its there.

If you want to have a pro bowl, and the players are all the league's second-rate players because the best players aren't going to play, then no one will watch

If you have it with the good players but its the week after, still no one's going to watch but at least the word "all pro" still has meaning, because there won't be 3rd, 4th, or 5th choices playing in the game.

People don't watch the pro bowl because they don't care about it.  Not because of when its on.

[MikeO]

Then they don't have to watch it.  Who cares?  If you care, and you want to watch it, its there.

If you want to have a pro bowl, and the players are all the league's second-rate players because the best players aren't going to play, then no one will watch

If you have it with the good players but its the week after, still no one's going to watch but at least the word "all pro" still has meaning, because there won't be 3rd, 4th, or 5th choices playing in the game.

Disagree. If a guy is on a team that won or played in the super bowl, he ain't gonna be playing in the pro bowl the week later 9 times out of 10. Obviously they won't play in it if it's the week before either. SO, IF its the week before or the week after those players are skipping it. Back in the 80's and 90's it was a different mindset and things were very different. Today's players don't think like that. Most aren't playing in that game a week after they played in a Super Bowl!

[masterfins]

Then they don't have to watch it.  Who cares?  If you care, and you want to watch it, its there.

If you want to have a pro bowl, and the players are all the league's second-rate players because the best players aren't going to play, then no one will watch

If you have it with the good players but its the week after, still no one's going to watch but at least the word "all pro" still has meaning, because there won't be 3rd, 4th, or 5th choices playing in the game.

People don't watch the pro bowl because they don't care about it.  Not because of when its on.

Gotta disagree with you on all counts.

[Landshark]

I agree with Brian.  It should be the week after.  I've always viewed the Pro Bowl as a "cool down" game where fans can see their favorite star players one more time before the long off-season.

[Brian Fein]

Its not just the Super Bowl players.  The one year they played the game before the Super Bowl and held it in Miami, remember how many people dropped out.  Almost none of the originally-elected players actually played in that game.  Why is that?

It should be a fun celebration of the end of the season, and you can't do that when the most important game is yet to play.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Its not just the Super Bowl players.  The one year they played the game before the Super Bowl and held it in Miami, remember how many people dropped out.  Almost none of the originally-elected players actually played in that game.  Why is that?

Often if it is the week after the SB you don't get the players from the team that just lost the SB, emotional it is hard to turn around after losing and 7 days later play a meaningless game. 

If it is the week after the AFCCG/NFCCG you often don't get the players who just lost the AFCCG/NFCCG along with automatically losing the winners of said games. 

[mecadonzilla]

It's so much better as a cool down game than an appetizer.  I need to have this meaningless game played as a gentle let down before the 6 month off season.

I'd also like to see the Super Bowl played the week directly following the conference championship games.  I hate the 2 week media build up.  It almost turns me off the game altogether.

[Thundergod]

Then they don't have to watch it.  Who cares?  If you care, and you want to watch it, its there.

If you want to have a pro bowl, and the players are all the league's second-rate players because the best players aren't going to play, then no one will watch

If you have it with the good players but its the week after, still no one's going to watch but at least the word "all pro" still has meaning, because there won't be 3rd, 4th, or 5th choices playing in the game.

People don't watch the pro bowl because they don't care about it.  Not because of when its on.

 

QFT! 

Leave the Pro Bowl until after the Super Bowl

[Jim Gray]

If it were up to me, I would get rid of it.  Personally, I find it tedious.  I usually watch it for a few minutes and find it too boring to keep my attention.  Since football is a very physical game, why would you risk injury in an all star game that has absolutely no meaning.  With the league focused on player safety, it makes no sense to me.

BUT......it's not up to me, so I guess I'll exercise my vote by not watching.

[Spider-Dan]

Then they don't have to watch it.  Who cares?

The entire purpose of the game (and the sport, for that matter) is for people to watch it.

Its not just the Super Bowl players.  The one year they played the game before the Super Bowl and held it in Miami, remember how many people dropped out.  Almost none of the originally-elected players actually played in that game.  Why is that?

Because it wasn't in Hawaii.  Believe it or not, an all-expense-paid vacation to Hawaii (for the player and his family) is a significant draw for the players.

In any case, I say before.  There should be a 2-week break between the conference championships and the Super Bowl (to allow both teams to be at their best), and the Pro Bowl is a nice filler for that weekend.  The players on the SB teams will be displayed prominently next week anyway, so that's not a real loss.