Posted on 08/02/2013 6:59:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
Unwisely taking a page from the NHL All-Star Game, the National Football League announced today that it will further cheapen its annual Pro Bowl by scrapping the AFC vs. NFC format adapted in 1971.
Players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players. Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice will serve as alumni team captains for the teams.
The league is crediting (read: blaming) NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth for the idea. Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, in which two leading vote getters will join two NFL.com fantasy football champions — who will attend the Pro Bowl — to draft players.
“As players, we wanted to keep the Pro Bowl to honor excellence in individual performance and connect with the fans in a different environment,” Foxworth said. “To do that, I worked with a group of players to map out new ideas.”
It is similar to what the NHL adopted a couple of years back, and it’s hard to imagine a more meaningless game than what the hockey players put on annually.
The Pro Bowl draft will air Wednesday, Jan. 22, on the NFL Network. Players will practice with their teams on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC Divisional playoffs with the best regular-season record.
The game will take place Sunday, Jan. 26, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, and will be televised by NBC and broadcast by Dial Global radio.
Other changes:
Game within the Game: A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters and the ball will change hands after each quarter. This will increase the opportunities for quarterbacks to direct “two-minute drills,” which are especially exciting for fans.
No Kickoffs: The coin toss will determine which team is awarded possession first. The ball will be placed on the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scoring plays.
Rosters: The rosters will continue to consist of 43 players per squad. The kick return specialist will be replaced by an additional defensive back.
Cover Two and Press Coverage: The defense will be permitted to play “cover two” and “press” coverage. In previous years, only “man” coverage was permitted, except for goal line situations.
Stopping of the Game Clock: Beginning at the two-minute mark of every quarter, if the offense does not gain at least one yard, the clock will stop as if the play were an incomplete pass. This rule will make the team with the ball attempt to gain yardage toward the end of each quarter.
Game Timing: The game clock will start after an incomplete pass on the signal of the referee, except inside the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half.
Play Clock: A 35-second/25-second play clock will be adopted instead of the typical 40-second/25-second clock. Sacks: The game clock will not stop on quarterback sacks outside of the final two minutes of the game.
Currently, the game clock stops in these situations outside of two minutes of the second and fourth quarters.
Yes, I know. They didn’t have that problem this year though. Expanding the rosters was probably a good idea in that regard.
I guess you’ve never seen an NHL Pro Bowl game - they’re pretty entertaining.
;o)
WOW!!!! Still not going to watch it........
I have a better idea: let’s have the fans call the plays via their smartphones. Then have a bunch of malcontents such as 4chan call for a punt on every down. The fail-cascade would be glorious . . . .
Each team should have a sniper with one bullet up in the press box. It would be at the sniper’s discretion as to when to use that bullet. Imagine the drama this would create and the ratings it would draw. (Not my original idea. I read something like this years ago.)
I would ban all kicking, make teams go for it on 4th down. If you score a touchdown you get the ball back on the 20, why reward a team that can’t stop you from scoring by letting them have the ball.
Would it then be called "run/pass ball"?
Well I would call it “Handball”, but that was already taken.
I always preferred “Kill The Guy with the Ball”, myself.
I actually like that idea.
60 yard field goal competitions
100 yard kick return competitions
Tug-o-war competitions between defensive and offensive linemen.......
They used to have that, it was called, "The Superstars".
Sounds like “Smear-the Queer”.......
I remember that.......
Do fights break out?........
Agreed. Football has way too much required safety gear. If they just went back to requiring the old leather helmets we played with, it would return to a game of survival of the fittest.
I thought about a modified form of the game that would have no kicking at all.
No punting. So if you don’t get a first down after four tries, the other team gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.
No Field Goals. You can only score Touchdowns.
No Extra-Points. You have to go for a two-point conversion....But there is a twist...If you make it, you also get the ball back on your 20....but if you don’t make it, the opposing team gets the ball on their 20.
I actually don't remember the last time I watched the Pro Bowl..
This pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin...
I read the same book ('Killerbowl')...certainly would make things interesting... :-)
The hate I have for interleague play is exceeded only by my hate for the Designated Hitter.
If that rule ever comes to the National League (or the Braves are moved to the junior circuit) I will stop watching baseball altogether.
I could take or leave the DH but I do find it interesting that the only major league in professional baseball that has not adopted it is the National League.
No, not during the game - that happens later in the local bars.
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