by Morris Phillips
HONOLULU–Since 1979 the NFL All-Star game the Pro Bowl has been held at Aloha Stadium with the exception of January 10, 2010 when the game was held in Miami. According to reports NFL Comissioner Roger Goodell wants the game to travel with the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl for 2015 will be held at University of Phoenix Stadium if the move of the game goes to Phoenix the game will be played the week before the Super Bowl.
According to the NFL they will judge how the new format of drafting teams works and if both teams plays with the intensity of last year’s Pro Bowl that Goodell expects as opposed to the flag football type effort from 2012’s game which brought. Jerry Rice and Dieon Sanders are the team captains for this year’s Pro Bowl and selected their rosters on Wednesday. Both Team Sanders and Rice have worked out during the week.
It is the hopes by the league and the players that this format will catch on with fans, if not there is even the possibility that the game could be cancel indefinitely. The players union although not issuing a statement on such a move would most likely object as this game would impact revenue for the union and it’s players. Word is the draft format of teams is crucial to make this game come back to Hawaii again the game format needs to be popular with fans for it’s survival. The players need to make it happen if they want to get back to Honolulu again.
According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority the game sold well in the 2012 game when it brought $25 million for Hawaii. The 2013 statistics weren’t available. The state pays $4 million for the game. The NFL is also aware of a lot of fans who do not take the game seriously and are concerned about advertising revenue and the game’s TV ratings.
The players and league hope it is a game that can survive so it’s survival rides heavily on Sunday’s game performance and the tweets and facebooking feedback from fans watching the game and if they accept the new format. Goodell said the game could move to different sites beside the Super Bowl city each year “There is interest in potentially bringing it back in mulitple sites as early as the following year.” said Goodell
The players have stated since the 2010 Miami game that they want the game to stay in Hawaii and are gearing up this week to make that happen. If the game moves to the mainland most likely a lot of the key players will not show up siting injuries from the regular season or post season they’ve also said that they play in the mainland all year long who wouldn’t want to come to Hawaii. Hawaii according to the players adds incentive and brings out the key players from the regular sesaon.
Pro Bowl Raiders and 49ers representatives: The Oakland Raiders lone representative fullback Marcel Reece says he’s having fun being here in Honolulu for the Pro Bowl and it’s his second time at the Pro Bowl and Reeces was selected on Team Sanders and Neon Dieon says he likes what Reece could do without the football, “that’s who we want, we love him because he’s not getting the ball. All we want him to do is block for that man over there” as Sanders was pointing at the Kansas City Chiefs Jamaal Charles.
Reece got to carry once in last year’s Pro Bowl and he got a yard out of it, Sanders is the boss and wants Reece to stop the rush, “I talked to Dieon after he said that, it’s all part of the plan, hopefully we’re going to catch the other team off guard” said Reece. Although the Raiders finished the season at 4-12 Reece had himself a decent season going 218 rushing yards, 331 passing yards and four touchdowns.
49ers rookie safety Eric Reid: The 49ers lone representative said on Friday he just couldn’t resist the invitation to the Pro Bowl. Coming off the bitter taste of a loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week Reid got the call and almost declined the invitation to play at the Pro Bowl, “I wasn’t sure, to be honest, if I was going to come because it was a hard pill to swallow to lose that game, but when they gave me the call, it was a heck of an opportunity and I had to say ‘yeah’ ” said Reid.
Reid had a chance to be selected to team Rice and had a chance to talk with Rice which made it special being a rookie and representing Rice’s former team the 49ers, “This is truly, truly a dream come true, this is all I’ve ever wanted to do and to be here as a rookie getting picked by Jerry (Rice), I had the opportunity to meet him back at Candelstick (Park), it’s just, I had to come, I had to do this.” said Reid
Morris Phillips is covering Team Jerry Rice versus Team Dieon Sanders for Sportstalk Radio
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