In its earliest days after World War II, the Pro Bowl was simply the NFL’s all-star game, and the league’s best players from each conference matched up in full contact football. After the season ended fans got to see their favorite stars from opposing teams on the same field in full
pads going full speed. It was a celebration of peak athletic performance. In today’s league the players play a flag football game with no stakes or competition, what happened, why did it change so much?
For decades the game was a traditional AFC vs. NFC matchup, most memorably played in Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium, where players and their families enjoyed both the game and a post-season getaway. “Its great to be here, it’s an honor to play” said legendary safety Brian Dawkins after making the Pro Bowl. But then things began to change in the 2000s. Fans and players both noticed that the game lacked intensity. It wasn’t mid-season like the NBA All-Star Game so there was less enthusiasm while the season was still going. So many pro stars didn’t
want to risk injury in a meaningless exhibition when they could be recovering.
In 2010, the league even moved the game to before the Super Bowl which meant Super Bowl players couldn’t participate, making the roosters weaker. Then in 2014, the NFL was trying different ways to do the Pro Bowl making it relevant again, including a draft instead of strict AFC/NFC teams, and added fun skills games to give life to the other festivities in the event. This ultimately ended the old Pro Bowl as we knew it
