For some time now, the NFL’s Pro Bowl has been really lackluster. Other leagues have found ways to keep their respective all star games relevant, but with football, it’s kind of a different beast.
For starters, at the end of a grueling 18-week regular season, the last thing most players want to do is put their bodies at risk for a meaningless game. Over the last several years, the game itself had already begun devolving into a weird form of football. Defenders were reluctant to take ball-carriers to the ground, offensive and defensive linemen were making deals about how hard they would try, and it all contributed to a really gross on-field product.