The Pro Bowl isn’t dead yet.
Despite talk of suspending the game after this year’s poorly played contest, the NFL announced Wednesday that there will be a Pro Bowl in 2013. The game will be played in Hawaii once again, ending speculation that it would be played at the Superdome the week before the Super Bowl. The decision came after negotiations between the league and the NFL Players Association about the future of the game.
“The players have made it clear through the NFL Players Association that they would like the opportunity to continue to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson. “We will support the players on this initiative to improve the Pro Bowl. We have had many discussions with the players in recent years about the Pro Bowl and they recognize that the quality of the game has not been up to NFL standards. We look forward to working with the players toward the goal of improving the competitiveness of this season’s game.”
Anderson offered no suggestions about how they hope to improve the competitiveness of the game, which still drew a strong television rating in spite of being fairly unwatchable. Neither did NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth.
“The players believe that the Pro Bowl is an important tradition,” said Foxworth. “We worked hard with the league to make sure the best players in the NFL are honored for their achievements on the field.”
The game, which will be broadcast by NBC, will be played on January 27th at Aloha Stadium.