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02-09-2009, 01:57 AM
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=515480
Seven deadly truths: why the Pro Bowl deserves to die
Posted: February 7, 2009
Sporting News magazine
Fans don't exactly flock to the NFL's version of an all-star game: the Pro Bowl. From 1980 to 2008, the Pro Bowl's television rating has dropped from 20.0 to 6.3, and its share has dropped from 39 to 12.
Many players aren't too fond of the game, either. Of the 28 players who missed all-star games in 2008, 16 were from the NFL, seven from the NHL, three from baseball and two from the NBA.
Surely, not all of the 16 NFL absentees, most of whom played in their teams' final game, were too injured to suit up. Some of them might have had similar experiences and thoughts to the ones SN's Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and John Elway shared with Sporting News magazine in a piece about the seven deadly truths about All-Star games.
Aikman: "It's an all-star game, and we have like three practices to pull everything together. So they put rules in place for that game, limitations on what a defense can do. One rule is that you couldn't blitz, couldn't bring more than four guys. Well, they were also giving away a Cadillac Escalade [one year] to the MVP, so a lot of guys wanted that.
"So the first play of the game, Derrick Thomas, a linebacker, comes off the edge unblocked on my blind side -- remember, he's not supposed to blitz, so nobody thought about blocking him -- and earholes me, knocks me silly. First play.
"That got me to thinking about what the heck I was doing out there, that somebody -- me -- could get hurt out there."
Elway: "It's difficult to have an all-star game in football. There is just too much to orchestrate. It's a big honor to go, sure, to be voted in by your peers. It's not a smart move to play in them.
"Nobody wants to 'play' in them. Nobody. Well, maybe a rookie or second-year guy. Once you get older, you come to know what you're risking -- your health. Just think, I'm a quarterback playing behind a line. While they're all great individually, they hardly know each other's name let alone have worked together.
"Defensive linemen just dominate. I just remember always getting the snap and looking for the first place I could get rid of the ball. It's not about winning; it's about getting out of there healthy."
Other Pro Bowlers talked about the different atmosphere of the game and the vast difference in preparation.
"The moment I realized that the Pro Bowl was different from the regular season was when the bus ride over to Aloha Stadium was longer than the practices." -- Ahman Green, four-time Pro Bowl running back
"My approach was: A) surviving the game intact; and B) not embarrassing myself. I had gained some weight during the playoff break and needed to bring my weight down, so the entire week of the game I ate oysters and drank beer." -- John Riggins, 1976 Pro Bowl running back
For coaches, the biggest problem is that even with a star-studded roster, you can't make a team in just a few days. Bill Cowher, who has a 4-0 record as the AFC's coach in the Pro Bowl, told Sporting News:
"There's not much time to coach: three or four practices of about 45 minutes each and three or four meetings of about 45 minutes. You condense your offense and keep the defenses basic.
"You just try to get players acclimated to different terminology. You want enough diversity in your plays to have the ability to surprise. There's always a reverse, some fakes and a gimmick play or two. You put in a 1-minute offense and a no-huddle. "
Seven deadly All-Star truths
1. Internet fan voting has only made things worse.
2. These are team games, but you can't make a team in a few days.
3. Attempts to make these games mean something results in failure.
4. College sports seem to do just fine without the stars aligning.
5. No one watches these things anymore.
6. Guys use injuries -- or the threat of them -- to get out of playing.
7. Players don't give their all.
Seven deadly truths: why the Pro Bowl deserves to die
Posted: February 7, 2009
Sporting News magazine
Fans don't exactly flock to the NFL's version of an all-star game: the Pro Bowl. From 1980 to 2008, the Pro Bowl's television rating has dropped from 20.0 to 6.3, and its share has dropped from 39 to 12.
Many players aren't too fond of the game, either. Of the 28 players who missed all-star games in 2008, 16 were from the NFL, seven from the NHL, three from baseball and two from the NBA.
Surely, not all of the 16 NFL absentees, most of whom played in their teams' final game, were too injured to suit up. Some of them might have had similar experiences and thoughts to the ones SN's Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and John Elway shared with Sporting News magazine in a piece about the seven deadly truths about All-Star games.
Aikman: "It's an all-star game, and we have like three practices to pull everything together. So they put rules in place for that game, limitations on what a defense can do. One rule is that you couldn't blitz, couldn't bring more than four guys. Well, they were also giving away a Cadillac Escalade [one year] to the MVP, so a lot of guys wanted that.
"So the first play of the game, Derrick Thomas, a linebacker, comes off the edge unblocked on my blind side -- remember, he's not supposed to blitz, so nobody thought about blocking him -- and earholes me, knocks me silly. First play.
"That got me to thinking about what the heck I was doing out there, that somebody -- me -- could get hurt out there."
Elway: "It's difficult to have an all-star game in football. There is just too much to orchestrate. It's a big honor to go, sure, to be voted in by your peers. It's not a smart move to play in them.
"Nobody wants to 'play' in them. Nobody. Well, maybe a rookie or second-year guy. Once you get older, you come to know what you're risking -- your health. Just think, I'm a quarterback playing behind a line. While they're all great individually, they hardly know each other's name let alone have worked together.
"Defensive linemen just dominate. I just remember always getting the snap and looking for the first place I could get rid of the ball. It's not about winning; it's about getting out of there healthy."
Other Pro Bowlers talked about the different atmosphere of the game and the vast difference in preparation.
"The moment I realized that the Pro Bowl was different from the regular season was when the bus ride over to Aloha Stadium was longer than the practices." -- Ahman Green, four-time Pro Bowl running back
"My approach was: A) surviving the game intact; and B) not embarrassing myself. I had gained some weight during the playoff break and needed to bring my weight down, so the entire week of the game I ate oysters and drank beer." -- John Riggins, 1976 Pro Bowl running back
For coaches, the biggest problem is that even with a star-studded roster, you can't make a team in just a few days. Bill Cowher, who has a 4-0 record as the AFC's coach in the Pro Bowl, told Sporting News:
"There's not much time to coach: three or four practices of about 45 minutes each and three or four meetings of about 45 minutes. You condense your offense and keep the defenses basic.
"You just try to get players acclimated to different terminology. You want enough diversity in your plays to have the ability to surprise. There's always a reverse, some fakes and a gimmick play or two. You put in a 1-minute offense and a no-huddle. "
Seven deadly All-Star truths
1. Internet fan voting has only made things worse.
2. These are team games, but you can't make a team in a few days.
3. Attempts to make these games mean something results in failure.
4. College sports seem to do just fine without the stars aligning.
5. No one watches these things anymore.
6. Guys use injuries -- or the threat of them -- to get out of playing.
7. Players don't give their all.