Big changes could be "coming to the Pro Bowl in the near future" after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during his State of the Game address on Friday admitted he "wasn't a fan of what he saw" during this year's game, according to John Breech of CBSSPORTS.com. Goodell said, "I'm open to new ideas, I'm open to how we do it, but it's not the kind of game that I think we want to continue to have in its current format, based on what we saw last week." Goodell said that he was "flat-out 'disappointed' by the game." Goodell: "I had raised this issue three or four years ago. We worked with a number of players to make changes in the game. They had a positive impact, at least in the short term. But I didn't see that this past week." NFL Exec VP/Int'l Mark Waller during a press conference after Goodell's speech said that the league was "looking at a 'very specific proposal' to hold the game in Australia." Waller "didn't offer a timeframe on when the game might move, but he did say it was definitely a possibility." Breech wrote moving the game to Australia "won't necessarily help the quality of play, but it might keep players from backing out of the game" (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/5). ESPN’s Andrew Brandt said the NFLPA does not want the Pro Bowl "taken away." Brandt: "It’s obviously a gift to the players -- a week in Hawaii -- but also $58,000 for winning team members, $29,000 for losing team members. ... The union has to sign off ... if they're going to do something about the Pro Bowl, and it was saved for that reason a few years ago" ("OTL," ESPN2, 2/7).
SUGGESTIONS TO CHANGE THINGS UP: NFL Network's Judy Battista said fans can "bank on some pretty significant changes" to the Pro Bowl, as she was "surprised by how candid Goodell was about his displeasure with what the Pro Bowl looked like" (NFL Network, 2/5). YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson wrote the NFL should "use the Pro Bowl platform to showcase the young talent that will make up the NFL's next wave of stars." The event should "draw from the league's pool of rookies and second-year players and create a skills competition similar to a more entertaining NFL scouting combine." Then the league can "use those players who received Pro Bowl nods," including veterans, and "divide them up into coaching staffs who will guide their 'teams' through the competitions." The league also should "give the winning teams -- and their coaches -- a financial award for their victories." The league can sell it to the veterans "as a free week in Hawaii for their families," and pitch it to rookies and second-year players "as an opportunity to glean tips from the best in the profession, as well as a free trip to Hawaii and possible cash winnings for their event" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/5). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said the easy change is to "dump the Pro Bowl entirely." He added, "They should take some of the NHL model and go for a skills competition -- flag football seven-on-seven, just passing. Wouldn’t you like to see Odell Beckham in a situation like that?” (“PTI,” ESPN, 2/5).
