The NFL is moving the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl had been held in Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii since 1980. The only years it wasn’t in Aloha Stadium was in 2009 and 2014. In 2009 it was held in Sun Life stadium in Florida and in 2014 the site was the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona where the Super Bowl was played the next week. In 2017 it is coming to the mainland to be played in Camping World Stadium located in Orlando, Florida.
Orlando beat out Honolulu, Houston, and Sydney, Australia to host the event. According to Yahoosports.com, Commissioner Rodger Goodell said, “We are excited to re-imagine the Pro Bowl experience for both fans and players and to celebrate the game of football at all levels.”
This is a solid decision by the NFL. Orlando has never hosted an event like this for the NFL. They have the ability to do it since they host the Citrus Bowl every year for college football. ESPN stated that NFL Senior Vice President of Events Peter O’Reilly said, “For us, Orlando is the new home of the Pro Bowl.”
They are even going to change the format. The last three years they have done a fantasy draft with two NFL Hall Of Famers picking the teams. This gave the fans a chance to see teammates play teammates in a game. This up coming season, they are switching back to the NFC vs. AFC.
The NFL should welcome the change. The players will be going to a city that they don’t normally play in for the regular season or the playoffs. If the Pro Bowl is successful in Orlando, then it might possibly stay there for years to come. If it isn’t, the NFL might want to scrap the Pro Bowl all together. On paper it sounds like a decent idea. The NFL has to hope the players and fans will enjoy the experience.
How do you feel about Orlando as the host city for the Pro Bowl and changing the format?
I don’t like it. I prefer the pro bowl to stay in Hawaii and give Hawaiins an opportunity to see live NFL football.
Ok with me