Pro Bowl changes look good for Hawaii

The National Football League has struggled to maintain interest in its annual Pro Bowl, which in recent years has been criticized for lackluster play by teams more interested in avoiding injury than providing fans with all-star performances. A decline in ratings and fan interest even prompted talk of ending the tradition entirely.

For Hawaii, the host of the Pro Bowl for more than 30 years, losing the game permanently would be bad news indeed. The state reaps many economic rewards, favorable media attention and good will by hosting the game.

So it’s encouraging to hear the NFL will make major changes to keep the Pro Bowl in business, and that those changes are drawing some positive reaction in the sports world.

The league and the NFL Players Association agreed that the 43-year-old format needed overhauling to make the post season all-star game look like real football. In the recent past, Pro Bowl rules prohibited blitzing and blocking kicks, and allowed the intentional grounding of passes. The rules have an understandable purpose — to guard against career-ending player injuries in an exhibition game. But the result was a game that resembled touch football, which even many players found distasteful. Something had to give.

"The players made it clear that they wanted to continue the Pro Bowl and were committed to making it better than ever," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The new rules are designed to achieve an optimal level of safety by eliminating kickoffs and using coin tosses to determine first possession. Play will start on the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scores. The ball will change possession after each quarter, which will please fans by encouraging "two-minute drills" near the end of the quarter. Kick-return specialists will be left out.

But perhaps the biggest change will be in how the players and teams are chosen. The NFL will pattern player selection after the immensely popular fantasy leagues, in which obsessive football fans create their own teams by "drafting" players.

Gone is the traditional AFC- versus-NFC format. Instead, fans, coaches and players will vote on the players without regard to conference. The two leading vote-getters will be become captains and will choose the players for their teams, schoolyard style. They’ll be helped by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders, two NFL.com fantasy football champions — and a lot of publicity.

The draft will be televised from Hawaii by the NFL Network for several hours on Jan. 22, four days before the game. The goal is to generate a lot of interest in the Pro Bowl before it’s played.

If the draft even approximates the level of enthusiasm fans have for fantasy football, then everyone comes out a winner — including Hawaii’s visitor industry.

It’s undeniable that this professional football all-star game, which dates back to 1939, needs an update. Whether these changes will revitalize the Pro Bowl remains uncertain, but it’s worth the effort.

Of course, one thing that doesn’t need to change is the venue — Aloha Stadium. Players and fans agree: It’s the perfect place for a great tradition for years to come.