Menu
Events and Attractions

Game On: Players Agree To Play Harder In Pro Bowl, Game Returns To Hawaii For '13

After an apparent pledge from the players “to make the Pro Bowl more competitive, the NFL said it is returning game to Hawaii for 2013,” according to Ferd Lewis of the HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER. The game will be played Jan. 27 at Aloha Stadium, "one week before the New Orleans Super Bowl, and shown on NBC.” The future of the annual all-star game “had been in doubt after a lackluster effort by the players” in the ‘12 game. In addition, comments by Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie questioning the worth of the event in the state "had overshadowed the 2012 game.” The Pro Bowl has been held at Aloha Stadium “every year except 2010 since 1980 and the 2012 game was the final one under the Hawaii Tourism Authority's deal with the NFL.” Lewis notes New Orleans “had also been under consideration as a site for the game if it was to be held in 2013.” NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Ray Anderson in a release said, “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.” He added, “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" (STARADVERTISER.com, 5/30). NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal wrote there were “serious discussions about canceling the game after the quality of play deteriorated in recent years.” But it “sounds like the players wanted to keep the game afloat” and the TV networks likely agreed as the game “gets great ratings” (NFL.com, 5/30). USA TODAY’s Nate Davis writes players “enjoy the paid vacation to Hawaii … but seem much less enthused about playing it outside tropical confines.” The league “tried to drum up interest in the Pro Bowl by holding it in South Florida” before Super Bowl XLIV in ’10. However, the players “made it clear they could basically go to Florida any time they wanted” (USA TODAY, 5/31).

RATINGS ARE RATINGS: ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the Pro Bowl is still the "highest-rated All-Star game of any of the All-Star games played in any sport." Schefter: "It attracted huge numbers and (NFL Exec VP/Media) Steve Bornstein, combined with the players, did not want to kill off a game as popular as it is. We can criticize the Pro Bowl all we want, we can say what a joke it’s become -- and it has -- but the bottom line is people like to tune in in late January on a Sunday night and watch this game. The ratings have supported it” ("NFL Live," ESPN, 5/30).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/05/31/Events-and-Attractions/Pro-Bowl.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/05/31/Events-and-Attractions/Pro-Bowl.aspx

CLOSE