Should the NFL Dump the Pro-Bowl?

It is an honor to be selected to the NFL Pro Bowl. It means that you are one of the top athletes at your position, and it should be an honor to be picked to represent your team in Honolulu. Not only do you represent your team, you represent your city, those fans and your fellow teammates. This year, there have been many Pro Bowl drop-outs due to supposed injuries. The most notable players being Chicago Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher and San Diego Charger quarterback Phillip Rivers. But, is it really these trivial injuries that are keeping these stars from making the trip to Honolulu?

Brian Urlacher just finished his season with a loss in the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts. He played well, and to the fan's knowledge, had no injuries to speak of. So what is different now? Urlacher claims that he has been playing with an injured big toe for the better portion of the playoffs. Many fans in Chicago don't buy it, and are somewhat upset with the All Pro for not making the trip to the Pro Bowl. Urlacher, who spent the better portion of the week following the Super Bowl in Florida, is not likely to even make the trip out to Honolulu. As a result, some fans are insulted that Urlacher wouldn't want to join his fellow All Pro players in Honolulu to at least represent the city, even if he sits out due to his supposed injury. Chicagoans are a proud bunch of people. They love their city, it's atmosphere, and most of all, it's sports teams. For one of Chicago's (and the NFL's) best players to decline the honor is unacceptable.

But, can we blame Urlacher for not wanting to participate in the Pro Bowl? Keep in mind that the Pro Bowl doesn't mean anything more than a "friendly" game between NFL players. There is a large media gathering, a lot of exhibition type activities, and it's more about the fans than anything. In any form of football, there is always the risk of injury. All Pro's that get selected for the Pro Bowl, but don't want to participate may have a point. If you were making millions of dollars in the NFL, would you want to put yourself in harms way if there is no reward in return? I think not, so these athletes that choose not to play in the Pro Bowl can't take all the blame. Yes, it disappoints the fans to a degree, but how many fans even watch? The season is very long, and the Super Bowl is the climactic ending to it all. Not many fans are ready to watch a game where the players aren't going all out, and it's more about getting everyone playing time than anything.

Another major reason that the NFL should consider getting rid of the Pro Bowl is the lack of fan interest. If you've ever tuned in to the Pro Bowl, you've notice the lack of a full stadium. A ticket to the game just isn't in demand like tickets for regular season games. I've seen pre-season NFL games that have better attendance than the Pro Bowl. Also, it doesn't draw television viewers. There are virtually no advertisements for the game, and fans often don't know whether it's aired on ESPN or ESPN 2.

So, just what is the NFL's motivation for keeping the Pro Bowl? One can only speculate. Personally, the only reasons I can think of is for the players to represent their city, and to honor players and coaches that had outstanding seasons. That's really about it. Yes, there is a fan aspect of it and I'm sure that they have a large media gathering before and after the game, but how many people know about this? It's not televised and it seems like only the people that are actually there get to join in the festivities. Sad isn't it? But yet, the NFL will put these players at risk of injury just to please the 2 or 3 thousand fans that actually paying attention to the Pro Bowl. Of course, those are "low-ball" numbers and I'm sure more people view the game than that, but it seems like no one cares, even if they do catch the game on television. Honestly, I feel like if the Pro Bowl didn't take place, the vast majority of fans wouldn't even notice.