“More Of A Football Celebration”
May 31st, 2016
A deeper look at the 2017 Pro Bowl in Orlando (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Instagram account).
Raise your hand if you’ll be cruising happily over to Orlando in January to catch the Pro Bowl and celebrate all things Bucs there?
Joe’s has two hands up, and yes, Joe realizes a Super Bowl trip for Tampa Bay would knock its stars out of the Pro Bowl.
The NFL, per Falcons president and former Bucs general manager Rich McKay, is all fired up to improve the Pro Bowl and return the game to a higher level of prominence.
Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio, McKay said he expects the game will revert back to an NFC versus AFC format, and the week leading up the game will be “more of a celebration of football,” honoring diverse areas of the game and adding more sizzle and interest.
It’s all in the SiriusXM audio below.
Joe sure hopes cheerleaders get their just due. Joe would be pleased to attend a cheerleaders banquet and dance party, and donate to important cheerleader causes.
May 31st, 2016 at 2:15 pm
All of you should take my advice – go to the game. If you can, spend the week there. It’s a fantastic experience. Yes, the game sucks and half the stars don’t play, but it’s still fun. The players are in great moods, they will spend time with the fans, they will be laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves. They aren’t going to smack the hell out of each other, but it’s still fun to see all the great players share one field. Take it for what it is – an all star game. It’s not a real NFL game.
May 31st, 2016 at 2:45 pm
“McKay said he expects the game will revert back to an NFC versus AFC format”
Thank God. At least the fans will have a Pro Bowl team that they can solidly root for. The team Rice vs team Irving with a school yard pick that results in teammates pitted against was a ridiculous idea and did more to kill interest in the Pro Bowl than any other single factor.
They should make it so the losing conference team get $20k per player – and the winning conference team’s players get $200k each. Give these men something to play for.
May 31st, 2016 at 5:33 pm
Pickgrin…how about playing for charity? That might spike viewership a little.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:12 pm
I would not venture there with free tickets and a front row seat, a free ride there and free refreshments. Not even with free autographs from all the players could draw my interest.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:13 pm
“McKay said he expects the game will revert back to an NFC versus AFC format”
That’s a good first step. It would get me to watch it again at least.
“the week leading up the game will be “more of a celebration of football,” honoring diverse areas of the game and adding more sizzle and interest”
That does nothing to improve the game itself.
They need to remove fans from the voting process. Go with player votes, coach/GM votes and stats. That way, only people who deserve to be there will go.
And if the players are in the superbowl, they get out of the Pro Bowl.
But there still has to be a reason for the players to go…other than a small check. If you want only the best to go, and play hard, there has to be some sort of prize for winning.
For example…
…cities from each conference bid on getting the superbowl. The pro bowl winning conference gets the SB in the following year.
OR
…each winning conference team gets compensatory picks awarded in the fifth round, assuming they had a probowler in the game.
OR
Only the winning conference gets prime time games in the regular season.
OR
Winning conference gets an extra roster spot on all teams in that conference.
OR
Whatever.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:14 pm
@Pickgrin
I like that idea.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:15 pm
@Buccfan37
I have no desire to go…but to get everything you just mentioned? In a heartbeat.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:37 pm
My autistic daughter makes me go to Orlando about 6-7 times a year and well….I hate Orlando now. So no thanks for that reason alone.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:44 pm
gotta love that Orlando traffic – eh ’87?
May 31st, 2016 at 6:56 pm
Pickgrin…oh the hell. I could draw people a map of that entire city. Not just to the parks either. My kid forced me onto a city bus on one trip, screaming at the top of her lungs to go on a bus on I-Drive. So on we went into the darkness for a 2 hour tour of Orlando. I hate that place. Disney’s not the happiest place on earth anymore for me, more like the crappiest place on earth.
Plus I don’t like large crowds unless it’s at Ray Jay and I’m surrounded by Buc fans. I don’t like people in general actually. Perhaps it’s from working in hospitality for 15 plus years. It seems in today’s America no one thinks of others anymore. I want a bumper sticker that says : “Ya know, you’re not the only one that matters in this world.”
Yeah the hell with O-town.
May 31st, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Don’t you live there Pickgrin?
May 31st, 2016 at 7:33 pm
I live here and certain aspects of the “O” tic me off as well. As far as your sentiment of my stompin ground 87,well with all due respect you can shove it up ya @$$ bro.
May 31st, 2016 at 7:48 pm
Buc1987..as I got older, I detest Disney World and the freaking traffic..but to watch Pro Bowl Bucs!!?? Hell I would crawl on my hands and knees to Orlando..
May 31st, 2016 at 8:28 pm
Buc1987 Says:
May 31st, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Don’t you live there Pickgrin?
————————————————-
Hell No! I would never want to live in Orlando. Wouldn’t want to live in Tampa either. I have lived in N. Pinellas Co. for over 30 years and absolutely love living on the Gulf side of the Tampa Bay area. I fish saltwater inshore a good bit and live less than 5 minutes from my local boat ramp on the intra-coastal. Would be hard to give that up – although I do like fishing Upper Tampa Bay as well certain times of year. (From Weedon north)
May 31st, 2016 at 8:31 pm
I have lived all over the country and the greater Atlanta area is the worse traffic I have ever experienced on a daily basis. This is saying alot as I lived in Houston for 6 years. Orlando is only bad cause they never took in the growth rate when they originally built I-4. Therefore it is always under construction and always will be.
May 31st, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Lived there for almost 6 years. Had an absolute blast in that concrete jungle! I’m talking about the real Orlando, not lake buena vista disney land world.
Some serious sketchballs around those parts for sure, but I had fun. Summers are absolutely miserable though, I sure don’t miss that!
May 31st, 2016 at 8:38 pm
I-4 traffic has been terrible for 20 years at least. I don’t think it will ever get better.
May 31st, 2016 at 8:52 pm
unbelievable…I’ve seen that concrete jungle. It must be wonderful to live in it compared to San Diego!
May 31st, 2016 at 10:18 pm
Hoe-town does suck…Its one of the hottest places in Merika during the summer,traffic sucks,no beaches considering the Daytona,Tampa-st pete ,clearwater areas etc(even crappy circus county has spots to swim)
plus they have no football team there for they are lovey.
May 31st, 2016 at 10:26 pm
87, Haha!
It would take a ridiculous sum of money to get me to leave San Diego and go back to Orlando. Don’t get me wrong, otown was fun for a few years but compared to sd, not a chance.
May 31st, 2016 at 10:37 pm
I agree. Only a major hurricane with the option of making half a mil could drag me back to Fla for more than a week. Lived on the beach my whole life. You can’t get me out of these mountains now.
May 31st, 2016 at 10:52 pm
We should have Jaboo, Kwon, GMC, David, Grimes, Marpet and Roberto at the Pro Bowl next year. Too bad they won’t be able to play because of their game the following week… You see what I did there?
June 1st, 2016 at 11:35 am
@Fsuking
lol
/signed!