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| Photo Credit: AP. |
(AP) - The NFL is replacing the Pro Bowl with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game, The Associated Press has learned.
The new
event will replace the full-contact showcase started in 1951. It will be
renamed “The Pro Bowl Games” and will feature AFC and NFC players showcasing
their football and non-football skills in challenges over several days. The
2023 Games will be held in Las Vegas, and the flag football game at Allegiant
Stadium is Sunday, Feb. 5.
Peyton
Manning and his Omaha Productions company will help shape programming and
promote the event’s content throughout the week. Manning, a 14-time Pro Bowl
pick during his Hall of Fame career, will provide his perspective and will also
be a part of the coaching staff for flag game.
“The Pro
Bowl is something that we’ve been looking at for a while, really continuing to
evolve,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly told The Associated Press. “Coming out of
last year’s game, we really made the decision based on a lot of internal
conversations, getting feedback from GMs and coaches, getting a lot of feedback
from players. We think there’s a real opportunity to do something wholly
different here and move away from the traditional tackle football game. We
decided the goal is to celebrate 88 of the biggest stars in the NFL in a really
positive, fun, yet competitive way.
“The
feedback very directly from guys who had been in the Pro Bowl recently was to
keep the construct of the week, make sure you’re having that multi-day element.
It was overwhelmingly positive both from players as well as from clubs.”
The Pro Bowl
debuted in January of 1951 in Los Angeles and stayed there for 21 seasons
before the game moved to different cities from 1972-80. Hawaii hosted from
1980-2009, and the game has had several homes in the years since, including
Miami, Phoenix, Orlando and Las Vegas.
Quality of
play in the Pro Bowl has often been criticized. Players, understandably
concerned about getting hurt, treat it as an exhibition more than competition.
A flag football game could increase competition while avoiding potential injuries
resulting from tackling, blocking and hitting.
The NFL has
a major interest in flag football. The league partnered with the International
Federation of American Football to bring flag football to The World Games in
July with an eye on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“You tap
into all the stuff that feels great about Pro Bowl week, the skills, the
helmets off, the engagement and then culminate that, keeping the AFC-NFC
construct, in something that’s really important, which is flag football and
that opportunity to have the best athletes in the NFL out there playing this
game that is so much about the future of our sport,” said O’Reilly, the
league’s executive vice president, club business and league events. “It’s been
an evolution, but coming out of Las Vegas last year, we really focused on how
do we reinvent and celebrate our all-stars even better.”
The league
plans to announce the new format on Monday.
“The Pro
Bowl has always been a time to step back and celebrate the game of football
with teammates, fans and family,” Manning told the AP. “I’m thankful I can
continue to be part of the week as all of us at Omaha Productions work with the
NFL to reimagine The Pro Bowl Games. Making Sunday’s game a flag football game
is great to see. Youth football has been extremely important to me, and knowing
NFL FLAG will help grow this sport, I hope boys and girls can see themselves
playing the same game as the best players in the world.”
Fan voting
will still help determine the AFC and NFC team rosters. Tom Brady has the most
invitations to the Pro Bowl with 15. Four players got 14 invites, including
Manning. The East-West Shrine Bowl will be held at Allegiant Stadium on
Thursday, Feb. 2.
Follow Rob
Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
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