The Pro Bowl moves back to Hawaii for the next two years, but it may not move back to the Sunday after the Super Bowl. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the game may remain before the league championship next year.
“We have the option when we go back to Hawaii, we can do it before
or after [the Super Bowl],” Goodell said to Armando Salguero of the
Miami Herald. “Here’s where I like it: I think you should stop or end
your season when you reach the pinnacle. The pinnacle is the Super Bowl. I think it’s anticlimactic when you come back with the Pro Bowl the week after the Super Bowl.”
Despite all the griping about this Pro Bowl, we agree with Goodell.
Players have dropped out of the game more than usual, but that’s always a problem. And despite all the fans that don’t care about the game, it gets great ratings. If those ratings go up, it sounds like this format may not change.
The biggest issue with a Hawaii Pro Bowl before the next Super Bowl could be a lack of media coverage. Even the league’s network would be spread thin and have to divide resources.
It sounds like that’s an issue Goodell believes is worth tackling.