The Pro Bowl seemed on its way out with the increasing concern for safety, it was a glorified 7 on 7 practice with the scores totaling in the 90s. This game seemed to be waning with ratings dropping from the 8s to the 7s, but this exhibition game still had 12.5 million viewers beating MLB’s all-star game which had 11 million. This year the NFL decided to mix it up, doing away with NFC vs. AFC by switching to a pool of players that have two team captains Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. This is a good way to spice it up especially if those two legends suit up for a play or two just like the old days when these two battled it out in the 90’s.

This new system helps fill more football during the bye week in-between the conference championship games and media week leading up to the Super bowl with the draft on Wednesday and game on Sunday. The one negative to this new system is fans having the dilemma of their favorite team’s players on opposing sides. I think it will be fun for defensive players to hit their offensive teammates in this game as they might not get the chance during practice. This game is about, what it’s all about for players in an exhibition game . . . bragging rights and even the coaches especially if they play like rumor has it. The nice twist was the trade at the end of the draft because leading up to it Deion said he wouldn't draft Robert Mathis, but did in the middle rounds which added an interesting wrinkle. In the end the trade was Rice trading Mathis and the rule was it has to be the same position so Rice sent Sanders Brian Orakpo.

I like this new system to change it up, if the game is going to be like the NBA all-star game, a pick-up game, this is the best way to go about it. I do like the draft style as it allows the best of the best at each position in the league not in each league as sometimes the old way leaves people off that are more deserving. This system may catch on, but I don’t see it lasting past a novelty stage of three to five years and when that runs out then what? The best way to go is not something new, but a blast from the past. A skills competition either leading into or in place of it. By skills competition between quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and return men. The players would be judged on their skills in speed, distance and accuracy for each position in their own ways and pit man vs. man. An added twist could be you could have the winner of each four positions battle it out in a winner take all competition for a prize or donation to a charity to see who is the best all-around athlete in the bunch.