Why the NFL Changed The Pro Bowl Game in 2023

The NFL is smarter than we think

As I sat down for lunch today the NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas began playing on ESPN. Normally after the 2 Super Bowl teams are identified I pay no attention to the Pro Bowl festivities.

Wait a minute, do you mean to tell me they're playing flag football now for the Pro Bowl? I couldn't do anything but shake my head while sitting in awe. Flag on the PLAY! Of course, I had to ask myself the question.

Why did the NFL "Switch Up" the format?

My 12-year-old son Bryce plays football. He is currently in a 5v5 league. In middle school currently, his high school is nationally ranked. It's designed to keep them active during the off-season. More importantly, working on his game so it translates on the field next season. Is there really an off-season?

His Mother is a Nurse and we both had to have the talk. Will we allow our son to play full-contact football? Allow him to chase his NFL dream as a result? In addition, we have to consider the costs associated with what comes with it. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially.

As a fan of the game, we also paid attention to things like CTE. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is?a brain condition thought to be linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head. Do we want our son to dedicate his life to a game that could potentially harm him during, or even afterward?

These are legitimate questions parents should be asking themselves.

While discussing the new format with fellow veterans over lunch one thing was abundantly clear. The NFL is smarter than we think. Parents who are against allowing their sons to play full-contact football might reconsider now as a result. Well played NFL.

The NFL is in the entertainment business

Can we just agree that the NFL Pro Bowl altogether has been diminishing? Not only its ratings, but players like Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys opted out of the 2022 game altogether. Many players call it "Soft" altogether.

Remember those 4 opponents I shared with you last week every NFL team faces? Ahhhh ok the NFL says if players are complaining about injuries from a meaningless game. Maybe this could change their minds now.

Especially since the name, image, and likeness (NIL) game has changed for college athletes. Smart NFL players enter the ranks by building a brand of their own now. Why not allow them to show their personal side more by "Switching UP" the format?

Potentially doing this reduces players "Opting Out" like Prescott did last year. Changing the stage in the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas, is it not more appealing now as a result to fans?

It's a grassroots NFL recruiting effort on both sides now

Yes, girls play flag football and full-contact football too. What better way to reach your target audience than by opening both sides of the game? Mothers, are you paying attention? The NFL is smart. Mothers of children who want to play full-contact football are worried about them getting hurt.

I was one of those statistics with my parents growing up. I didn't play football until my senior year in high school. Mainly because we were poor and they feared medical bills due to injury as a result. They couldn't afford it.

The format has changed but the location has not. Just before finishing my lunch CD Lamb catches a touchdown and the celebration of all players ensues in the end zone with the trendy "Griddy" dance. The name comes from the nickname of the high school football creator of the dance,?Allen "Griddy" Davis.

A celebration that won't die. Davis assures he wasn't trying to make it famous. But Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson brought it to the NFL, where it exploded. Bryce literally does this dance around the house every day.

Cultivating their audience and target market is on full display now. Flag football is safe, that's the message to both players and fans, and most importantly parents. The gatekeepers.

It may be winter, but Autumn is making history. Autumn Lockwood, that is.?

Lockwood, an assistant coach with the?Philadelphia Eagles , is set to become the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl when the team battles the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, AZ next Sunday.

In Conclusion

This is why I love the NFL. The Pro Bowl on the other hand might take another year for it to grow on me further. Either way, this is why I believe they changed the game's format. Now it's more appealing to parents like us as a result.

Understanding the battlefield and what it may bring as a result is half the battle. After all, I'm happy to see the NFL taking a proactive approach to remain appealing to its fans through feedback and valuable research.

What are your thoughts on the format "Switch UP" with the NFL? Please leave me a comment below to keep the discussion going.

Please be sure to join my "Newsletter" here as I share my thoughts weekly on the only game that truly has no off-season. Flag on the play!!!!