Does anyone else think it's not a smart idea to have the All-star game before the Superbowl game? If I were a coach, or owner of the Colts or Saints, I wouldn't want to take a chance of one of my best players getting hurt in the All-star game. Am I missing something?

much of an All-star game if all the all-stars, and perhaps some of the best, aren't playing.

and after the Super Bowl. That way players from Super Bowl teams can play in the Pro Bowl, and enjoy Hawaii in the process.

The nfl pro-bowl is a money loser for the NFL. Unlike the NBA and Baseball, the pro-bowl may not be around much longer. The ratings are horrendous so this is a last ditch attempt to save it by mixing it up with superbowl excitement. Most players go for the vaca and most do not even want to play in it. Many this year backed out.

I have heard the game might not even sellout. Scalpers are having a difficult time getting $ 20 for prime seats.

Players haven't played together, and can only run basic plays. Rules are changed. No one wants to really hit, hustle or get hurt. It's a really BAD scrimmage.

Players used to get drunk & take their families to Hawaii. The game was/is a farce.  They should let it die.

Making ALL  PRO is a huge honor, but the game is a fucking joke.

of the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Then have the proceeds from the game be donated to the retired NFL players who made the game great.

That be different.

Too many injuries and sore players interested in more football. By the beginning of the season most players are recovered from the myriad of injuries and conditioned again.

The one issue I am sure is no team wants their players to tear and ACL in a pro bowl game before the season starts.

My solution would be to have the pro bowl as a flag football game or touch football game at the beginning of the season for pro bowlers from the last season. Risk of injury diminishes significantly but not entirely.

Right now the pro bowl is basically an audition for an player that wants to show up regardless of stats.

Another solution would be to basically recognize players from each conference as pro bowlers but no game is played or have an end of season awards ceremony gala similar to golf, Nascar and the NHL where winners are announced.

The Patriots lost a very good rookie in the late 90's.  And of course Wes Welker was just hurt recently without contact during this season.  I do not see owners endorsing any type of pre-season game.  Especially when they are trying to increase the number of regular season games.

Link goes to the article on Edwards

The Pro-Bowl has always had its flaws. First the game is anti-climatic. You just watched the Super Bowl the week prior...that should be the finality of the season. It's difficult to watch another game after crowning a champion. Second, especially for those players from teams that did not make the playoffs, you are now asking them to play a game up to six weeks after the season ended....clearly they are not in football shape. Also, you have too many players that simply don’t want to go (they may be tired from the grind of a long season) Third, there were too many rules instituted (i.e. no blitzing in certain situations) that doesn’t make it seem like a real game.

Now moving the Pro-Bowl a week before the Super Bowl will solve some of the "anti climatic" nature as fans will still have football on their minds in anticipation of the Super Bowl, but it hardly solves the problem. First, no Super Bowl participants will play in the game (a Pro Bowl without the games best in Peyton Manning???....enough said). Second, at least Hawaii was a vacation destination for the players and their families. Playing the game in Miami (this year's Super Bowl site) hardly seems like a vacation reward....heck a lot of these players live in Miami. What if the Super Bowl (and thus Pro-Bowl) was in Detroit?...just what they want to do, spend a week in Detroit in the middle of February.

The bottom line is there is no good time to play the Pro-Bowl. They would never play it before the season where guys are out of football shape and certainly never in the middle of the season (risk of injury is way too great). No matter when you play it, there are flaws. My suggestion would be too just leave it where it was (after the Super Bowl and in Hawaii) and accept its limitations.

The only All Star game that makes any sense is baseball. In spite of players only playing a few innings, at least it approaches a real game with respect to hitting and pitching. Basketball and hockey are merely offensive exhibitions; no defense of any magnitude.

a pro football game in any sense!

It sort of gives them their last fix of the year, but it doesn't actually get anyone off.

Does anybody actually watch the Pro Bowl???

to be in Miami on Sunday for functions with NFL advertisers/sponsors.  Talk about distrupting team preparations.  The teams arrive for the Super Bowl on Monday.

witchblade hardcore