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Someone put these all together at fieldgullshttp://www.fieldgulls.com/2016/1/31/10883266/russell-wilson-pro-bowl-mvp-seahawks-dominate-most-games-most

Russell Wilson wins MVPhttp://www.fieldgulls.com/2016/1/31/10883266/russell-wilson-pro-bowl-mvp-seahawks-dominate-most-games-most
Sherm hilariously RKO's Clay Matthewshttp://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/1/31/10882792/richard-sherman-rkos-clay-matthews-outta-nowhere-during-the-pro-bowl?_ga=1.266813774.1168015212.1439351052
Bennett miked at practice is hilarious as alwayshttp://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/1/31/10881136/michael-bennett-mic-pro-bowl-video?_ga=1.191701226.1168015212.1439351052
Bennett dancing with mascotshttp://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/1/31/10881136/michael-bennett-mic-pro-bowl-video?_ga=1.191701226.1168015212.1439351052
Bennett won the defensive MVP and scored a touchdown that got called back http://www.nfl.com/videos/seattle-seahawks/0ap3000000630723/Pro-Bowl-Can-t-Miss-Play-Michael-Bennett-runs-up-the-middle-for-57-yard-TD
Sherman and Lockett riffing on each otherhttps://www.facebook.com/Seahawks/videos/10153288068076722/?permPage=1
Wagner comments on Sherman's reversehttps://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/693986866257743872
Sherm loses a ton of yards on an end around and Wagner sticks him out of boundshttp://www.nfl.com/videos/seattle-seahawks/0ap3000000630699/Sherman-tries-offense-doesn-t-go-too-well

It's been a long while since I found the pro bowl even slightly entertaining, leave it to the Seahawks to not only steal the show, all the awards, and the hearts of football fans everywhere, but to also actually make the pro bowl worth a watch.

It was insanely hot today in the stadium. I can't believe that the players actually played (a little, anyway) without melting.

One thing for sure, when you only have 1 game a year, no-one from out here has a clue how to deal with security. Some of the crowd was still waiting in line after the first qtr.

Personally, I've seen or worked every game that's ever been here.. it's fun and the only one, but they sure aren't talking like they're coming back.

js

jshawaii22 wrote:It was insanely hot today in the stadium. I can't believe that the players actually played (a little, anyway) without melting.

One thing for sure, when you only have 1 game a year, no-one from out here has a clue how to deal with security. Some of the crowd was still waiting in line after the first qtr.

Personally, I've seen or worked every game that's ever been here.. it's fun and the only one, but they sure aren't talking like they're coming back.

js

Interesting observations, JS. Was the stadium staff unprepared or did the fans not realize how long the wait was going to be? You have to show up 30 minutes prior just to insure that you get to your seats in time for the kickoff. Houston in 2013 was really bad. We were at the gate 20 minutes early and nearly missed the kickoff.

Actually I always thought Hawaii was the perfect place for a Pro Bowl. I wish they'd abolish the game and find some place there in the islands and some other form of competition or means of honoring the season's best players. And it should be held after the Super Bowl, not before, and include players from the two conference champions.

I wanted to start a thread entitled Seahawks save the Pro Bowl but you were way ahead of my thought process. I'm proud of the number of our guys who respected the honor from the fans and showed up to play instead of some lame excuse like every single Patriot invitee. The Hawks are a different breed, so are the 12s. It was fun to watch. I think Gruden has a man crush on Wilson BTW

This is how I would save the pro bowl. #1 the game belongs in Hawaii.

#2 play it at least a week after the Super bowl, maybe on a MNF primetime special to give a couple of extra days if SB participants want to play, also raise interest for fans in a slow sports cycle.

#3 dramatically raise the compensation and perks for participants, also employ an insurer to guarantee fair compensation against injury in the game. I think it would be a viable game with a lot more players participating and fans watching.

River --- my observation tooling around the stadium in my golfcart was that they have 6 entry points, and every one was slow. Some gates have up to 4 pass-throughs available and some, due to I guess a shortage of 'wands' only had one or 2 of them open. It was a total cluster. Lack of planning/training by Homeland Security (which is in charge).. I don't know, not my part of the show.

The game, on a Sunday afternoon, totally shut down the freeway system that passes around the stadium. How do you not know to prepare that 50k are coming, when the game is a sell-out 3 days in advance? Got me. \\

Years ago we used to do a 'skills' competition at the Ihilani resort ahead of the game. It was set-up on a mini football field that the hotel has long since removed, but it was corny (golf carts pulling cardboard cutouts with holes in them for the QB to throw at) -- the best part is they brought in bleachers and bussed in kids from the local schools to be up close and personal with the players, something else they seem to have long since dropped. They also used to have a rookies game at the beach, until one of them blew out his knee. The issue of the ProBowl is to balance the 'game' with the players health. This year, I read stories of players 'boycotting' and that may be a little harsh, but this year was the first year I can remember where most of the best players didn't come, except for most of the Seahawks.

One more point. I may be biased, but the Seahawks dominated the fans, dominated the game and the "12" was everywhere including a nice big flag hanging off a construction crane across the street from the main entrance. Nice day all around for the 12.

jshawaii22 wrote:River --- my observation tooling around the stadium in my golfcart was that they have 6 entry points, and every one was slow. Some gates have up to 4 pass-throughs available and some, due to I guess a shortage of 'wands' only had one or 2 of them open. It was a total cluster. Lack of planning/training by Homeland Security (which is in charge).. I don't know, not my part of the show.

The game, on a Sunday afternoon, totally shut down the freeway system that passes around the stadium. How do you not know to prepare that 50k are coming, when the game is a sell-out 3 days in advance? Got me.

One more point. I may be biased, but the Seahawks dominated the fans, dominated the game and the "12" was everywhere including a nice big flag hanging off a construction crane across the street from the main entrance. Nice day all around for the 12.

There are a lot of Washingtonians that visit Hawaii regularly. When we were in Maui and went to a comedy/magic show, the host asked everyone in the crowd what state they were from, and the only state that had more guests was California. Pus isn't there a lot of local Hawaiians like yourself that are 12's? I sure see a lot of people wearing Seahawks gear anytime I've visited Hawaii.

Is Homeland Security in charge of screening? I thought that the host teams were responsible for it with oversight from Homeland Security. I've been to NFL games at several locations and don't remember seeing any of the security people being identified as working for Homeland Security.

RiverDog wrote:
There are a lot of Washingtonians that visit Hawaii regularly. When we were in Maui and went to a comedy/magic show, the host asked everyone in the crowd what state they were from, and the only state that had more guests was California. Pus isn't there a lot of local Hawaiians like yourself that are 12's? I sure see a lot of people wearing Seahawks gear anytime I've visited Hawaii.

Is Homeland Security in charge of screening? I thought that the host teams were responsible for it with oversight from Homeland Security. I've been to NFL games at several locations and don't remember seeing any of the security people being identified as working for Homeland Security.

River, was that comedy/magic show Warren and Annebelle's by any chance? My wife and I went to that show about 8 years ago. Really a fun experience. I recommend it to anybody going to Maui.

mykc14 wrote:River, was that comedy/magic show Warren and Annebelle's by any chance? My wife and I went to that show about 8 years ago. Really a fun experience. I recommend it to anybody going to Maui.

Yes, it was! But I think you got it backwards. I think it was Annabelle and Warren. It was one of the highlights of our trip, laughed our guts out and got to see some really good magic. Like you, I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Maui.

Awesome Post! Love it.. I totally agree... the hawks saved the Pro Bowl!

mak

Homeland Security is who confirms all the worker's credentials, even though they are issued through the NFL.
While the actual gate security is a 3rd party contractor, how they screen, where they screen, and to what level the screening is done is all set by Homeland Security.

jshawaii22 wrote:Homeland Security is who confirms all the worker's credentials, even though they are issued through the NFL.
While the actual gate security is a 3rd party contractor, how they screen, where they screen, and to what level the screening is done is all set by Homeland Security.

Thanks for the overview.

When it was NFC vs AFC I watched it I haven't watched a pro bowl in 10 years. They need to move it to after the SB.

...they need to move it to after the Super Bowl... AMEN to that.

Honestly I'm more likely to watch it before the superbowl than I would be to watch it after.

obiken wrote:When it was NFC vs AFC I watched it I haven't watched a pro bowl in 10 years. They need to move it to after the SB.

I don't think I've watched it in over 20 years.

And I agree with you about this stupid Team Rice vs. Team Irvin crapola. What a croc! Sounds like it's a pickup basketball game. If they're going to do that, they might as well get a corporate sponsor for the teams, like Team Cialis vs. Team Viagra or something. At least the team mascots would make it interesting.

I didn't watch it either because no one plays in it and the people who do don't take it seriously. It has long been the least entertaining all-star game of any of the 4 major sports.

That being said, the pick up aspect of the new format is more interesting than conference vs. conference to me. I don't get how there is any interest generated by the arbitrary distinction of dividing teams by AFC and NFC. Not only is it somewhat more interesting seeing Wilson across the field from Wagner but there have been years where the rosters are just imbalanced and it's no fun.

Take 1996... You have one team with Brett Favre, Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon at QB throwing to Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, Cris Carter and Herman Moore and and the other team with Cyborg Dan Marino, Steve Bono, Jeff Blake and Jim Harbaugh throwing to Tim Brown, Carl Pickens, Yancy Thigpen and Anthony Miller. If you're counting that's 7 HOFers (6 first ballot) on one team and 2 HOFers on the other, one of which was way past his prime. What is remotely interesting about that? That's what the arbitrary conference designations get you. Picking teams makes for a more even distribution of players and it has the added bonus throwing in some extra motivation based on being one of the last people picked at their position.

I thought it was stupid having the team Irvin and Rice etc. at first but its warmed on me. I truly enjoyed watching a couple of the hawks go at one another, especially when Hekker channeled his inner Jeff Fisher and dropped a dime to Lockette with Sherm covering. I think teammates going at each other is interesting. As for watching it if it says NFL on it I'm watching. I loved having it a week after the SB because it gave me another week of something that faintly resembled NFL football. In the offseason I watch replays of Hawks games or NFL network quite a bit of the time. I've never been to Hawaii but if I go I would consider scheduling it that weekend to see the game live.

If its that or basketball??????unless its the Zags, Cougs, or Dogs I could give a rip till tournament time. NBA is banned from my eyeballs.

I really like what hockey did this year with their all star game. Not sure how that could be easily implemented into NFL though.

EmeraldBullet wrote:I really like what hockey did this year with their all star game. Not sure how that could be easily implemented into NFL though.

Maybe with some 8 man football or something.

mykc14 wrote:Maybe with some 8 man football or something.

I liked the tournament style set up, with all stars representing specific regions. Football maybe could do it a 4 team tourney with the team regions being West, North, South, East.

I actually think it would be more fun watching the pro bowlers playing a completely different sport, such as golf, tennis, racquetball, etc. At least you could get a look at their faces.

Wouldn't it be great to see Russell playing racquetball against someone like JJ Watt? Or maybe beach volleyball, or scramble golf. Give the players a choice of 5 or 6 different sports and give a tidy sum of cash to the winners of each competition. IMO it would be something that the players would enjoy one hell of a lot more than another football game.

RiverDog wrote:I actually think it would be more fun watching the pro bowlers playing a completely different sport, such as golf, tennis, racquetball, etc. At least you could get a look at their faces.

Wouldn't it be great to see Russell playing racquetball against someone like JJ Watt? Or maybe beach volleyball, or scramble golf. Give the players a choice of 5 or 6 different sports and give a tidy sum of cash to the winners of each competition. IMO it would be something that the players would enjoy one hell of a lot more than another football game.

That would be fun to watch. Or turn it into flag football, but force them to play different positions or something.