A Flag Football Pro Bowl?

Don't worry Drew, I won't hit you!

This weekend, the NFL will play the Pro Bowl in Honolulu Hawaii, a week before the Super Bowl.  The game was usually played a week after the Super Bowl, but in an effort by Roger Goodell to enhance the popularity of the game, it was moved to the week directly following Championship Sunday.

The current Pro Bowl format raises two questions:

1. Should the NFL keep the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl? Or move it back to its original time?
2. Should the NFL consider a sort of flag football game?  No pads, no helmets, just the greatest stars of the game out there having fun.

To begin, I really like the Pro Bowl's new spot.  After the Super Bowl, nobody really cares about football, and the interest level among fans drops significantly.  But after Sunday's thrilling Conference Championship games, football fans are hungry for more.  Instead of having to wait two weeks for the main event, the Pro Bowl serves as a sort of appetizer of what is to come.

But the fact that the game serves as a build up to the Super Bowl is not enough in my opinion.  The game itself is extremely boring as none of the players really want to hit hard or get hurt heading into the off season.  Today on the Tony Bruno midday show, Bruno suggested that instead of having a traditional tackle game, the NFL should consider a flag football Pro Bowl.  Imagine Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers back in the pocket not having to worry about being pummeled by a defensive monster.  Imagine Lesean McCoy or Matt Forte shimmying and shifting around after a hand off.  Ultimately, the game would be a lot more entertaining without the threat of injury.  Guys would have fun, score a lot of points, and more people would tune in to watch.

Now the idea of a flag football Pro Bowl may sound a little absurd to some people who enjoy the traditional style of football.  But what game would you rather watch? A tackle game where guys are giving it 25% not wanting to hit or get hit?  Or a 100% high scoring-fast paced flag football game?

To me the decision is simple and the NFL needs to realize that the Pro Bowl doesn't and never will draw viewers if it remains in its current format.