For the first time in NFL history the Pro Bowl will be held before the Super Bowl, and considering how things have gone so far, it might be the last time.
The NFL’s annual all-star game will be held Sunday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, site of Super Bowl 44.
This is also the first time in 30 years the NFL Pro Bowl has not been held in Honolulu, Hawaii, and even though many of the best players in the league are not there, the crowd will be large and the controversy surrounding the game has attracted a lot of attention.
The NFC is listed as a 2-point favorite and the total is set at 57 at SBG Global.
Since the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are playing in next week’s Super Bowl, their players will not be in the game. In addition to those players, a large number of other players have backed out. In fact, there have been a record 33 changes to the Pro Bowl rosters already.
Many of the players and coaches are not happy about the game, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is optimistic and that might be all that matters.
“We’ll see what works and what doesn’t.” Goodell said. “We’ll talk to the players and other participants and try to figure out what the best approach will be.”
The next two years the game will be held in Hawaii but future plans for the Pro Bowl have not been announced.
The AFC and NFC teams are going to look nothing like true Pro Bowl rosters. Yes, there will still be players like Tennessee’s Chris Johnson and Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew, but other players like Jacksonville’s David Garrard and Chicago’s Johnny Knox have no business being at the Pro Bowl.
If the game were held in Hawaii there probably wouldn’t have been as many defections.
“Personally, I like it better over there,” said Denver safety Brian Dawkins, “This is not truly a getaway. But it’s still special. I appreciate this too much to take it for granted. So if I could play, I was going to play. A lot of people would love to do what I do for a living. I will never take this for granted.”
With all of the changes to the rosters, and despite the game not being held in Hawaii, the game is sold out and will have the highest attendance since 1959.
The NFC has won three of the last four Super Bowls and has a very slight 20-19 all-time edge. The NFC is a slight favorite this year simply because their quarterback rotation and their depth looks better than the AFC’s.
Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo are the three NFC quarterbacks while Matt Schaub, David Garrard and Vince Young are the three AFC quarterbacks.
