The future of the Pro Bowl and “structural changes to the financial awards and selection of teams are on the table” at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix this week, according to a source cited by Albert Breer of NFL.com. The source said that the NFL is “considering breaking up the compensation structure for the game by halves, or even by quarters, in order to ratchet up the in-game intensity.” Rewards for “big plays also are a possibility.” The source added that the "draft" concept -- which the NHL once used in its all-star game -- is "not a done deal." But the source added that it is “closer to being implemented than the other elements.” Breer reported the league is “considering having captains select teams and is working on the mechanics of the proposed change, which would include the timing of the draft, the opportunity to televise the draft, uniforms, team names and rules.” An NFL official said that the league “will have an announcement in the coming days about future locations for the game, and it's possible it could move from Hawaii and rotate to different sites.” However, the one thing that “won't change, at least in the short term, is the date of the game.” It has been played on the Sunday before the Super Bowl for four years (NFL.com, 3/19). PRO FOOTBALL TALK’s Darin Gantt wrote part of the reason the quality of play has dropped in recent years is "too many players took the check and the resume line and didn’t bother playing.” With a number of “deep alternates becoming all-stars, some of the novelty was gone.” Choosing sides “might restore some of that, and give more people reason to watch” (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 3/19).
