Altered Pro Bowl Kicks Off Super Bowl Week, Tries To Retain Relevancy

Tonight's Pro Bowl kicks off at 8:00pm ET at Univ. of Phoenix Stadium, where fans "with Super Bowl fever can get a week's head start." The NFL's effort to "generate fan interest in a game that has long been the runt of professional all-star contests had led to a rulebook that is both simple and complex." Goalposts "have been narrowed from 18 to 14 feet, encouraging teams to go for the end zone" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/25). Last year's game drew 11.7 million viewers on NBC (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/24). 

Cardinals President Michael Bidwill: "The state has already invested in the Super Bowl, so the fact they get a second event is a bonus. We hope this turns into a soft infomercial for Arizona." Even though all 63,000 tickets "have been sold," the game, which will air on ESPN, "is likely to lose money." That is because the NFL will not receive a $4M subsidy from the Hawaii Tourism Authority for "holding the event in that state" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/25).