In the high-scoring Pro Bowl games on Sunday, Peyton Manning was defeated by his brother Eli once more, while the AFC narrowly missed a defensive stand at the goal line.
However, everyone came out on top since it appears the NFL has finally found a winning recipe for the Pro Bowl makeover.
The competitive spirit is strong despite the fact that a 7-on-7 flag football game is not the same as actual professional football. This is demonstrated by the coaches’ play call papers (yes, they actually have plays) and the frequency of arguments between Manning and his defensive coordinator, Ray Lewis, with the referees.
Additionally, the vibe is enjoyable.
No, it’s not quite as good as the old Pro Bowls, where real All-Stars played a somewhat competitive game of real football against each other the week following the Super Bowl to commemorate the completion of the season.
However, it’s still far superior to a lot of the NFL’s previous attempts to make this game entertaining to watch. Do you recall when we used to have a fantasy draft with alumni captains and did away with AFC vs. NFC? Oh no.
The enthusiasm was even diminished by relocating it to the week before the Super Bowl, which was strange because it seemed really anti-climatic to have it the week following the big game. We would watch anything, so I believe we were all simply desperate to hang onto some more Sunday football.
However, as things stand, this is the reality. Since the NFLPA keeps voting to maintain competitive football (since players like that cred, after all), we are unable to return to it and seem to be unable to do away with it.
I argued two years ago that the Pro Bowl should be abolished since it’s a dumb sport. I even recommended involving the Manning Brothers—how clever!
And I still kind of feel that way, but I also respect the NFL’s embrace of it after realizing the game had devolved into a farce and was little more than a pillow fight.
Furthermore, the outcome is actually not too awful. Although the lack of defence is infuriating, anyone who has played flag football knows that it is genuinely difficult to take off the flag.
Therefore, I’m okay with the flag football result of 50-34 and am excited for the AFC to win the championship game the following year.
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