Reports circulated on Thursday that the NFL could potentially be moving the Pro Bowl from Honolulu, Hawaii to Orlando, Florida. Though not confirmed by the NFL, it appears that this move is inevitable. This is a big move that is obviously being fueled by the NFL’s desperation to make it a watchable game. But will this relocation to Camping World Stadium be enough to save it?
Probably not. Orlando is a very popular tourist attraction with all of its amusement parks, but outside of the city it won’t gather much interest. Fans just aren’t interested in the game. As shown in last year’s game, none of the players actually play defense, leaving all of the hard-nosed, old-school fans with little to nothing. Some of the league’s best players don’t play because of the Super Bowl, and others (like most quarterbacks last year) just choose not to play. This leaves the fans with less talented and less popular options. I mean honestly, did the likes of Tyrod Taylor, Adam Jones and Teddy Bridgewater really deserve to make the cut last year?
Plus, it’s not like the Pro Bowl is played during a hot tourist season either. Very few families plan their vacations to Disney World or Universal Studios in the beginning of February. Most people who go the aforementioned parks usually go during summer vacation or Christmas break. True football fans are more likely to spend money on a trip to the Super Bowl. Why go to the Pro Bowl- a game that isn’t really competitive- when you can go to the most important game of the year? It just doesn’t make much sense.
So will this Pro Bowl move to Orlando save the event? Don’t bet on it.
