WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE?
Anyone looking to watch hard-hitting football should've tuned in to a dating show instead of the Pro Bowl ... so says ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman, who tells TMZ Sports he was blown away after watching "Bachelor" contestants duke it out on the gridiron.
In case you missed it, Lights Out and Antonio Gates coached up Zach Shallcross' ladies for a full-contact football game (dubbed the "Bachelor Bowl") during last week's episode ... with the winning team getting extra time with the bachelor.