McGarrett and Danno The Next Generation appeared at the Ihilani Resort the other day for some taping. This was right after what passes as Pro Bowl practice on picture day, thus adding another layer to a poserfest of hangers-on, professional autograph seekers, overbearing security types and all manner of what passes for a journalist these days.
The transition from chaos on the field to quiet on the set was a challenge, one that an overbearing TV flunky was not up to. I laughed when he tried to insist on silence from a wailing 3-year-old — who happened to be the child of one of the NFL’s best players. Ha. Good luck with that one. It made me wonder if “Hawaii Five-0” will outlast the Pro Bowl.
I’m not a fan of its current incarnation, but would probably have a better attitude toward the detective show if not for the recently aired attitude by one of its stars toward our home. I’m truly sorry Scott Caan has to rough it here in Hawaii a few months a year, but I’m guessing he won’t have to worry about it too much longer.
And there is the difference.
It’s really hard to find a Pro Bowl player complaining about the food, the surf, or anything — except (until this year) about having to play in a football game at something close to full speed.
The pantomime last year was less believable than some of those impossible traffic routes in “Five-0.” So if the players don’t at least make it look good today it might be the last Pro Bowl. Anywhere.
Peyton Manning delivered a rah-rah speech to his fellow all-stars. This would be ridiculous, except that it was hilarious; Manning had the good sense to coat his real message with humor.
Maybe the presence of rambunctious Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh can ramp things up. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is here too, and he didn’t have nice things to say about Suh after being kicked in the groin by him during a regular-season game.
Houston running back Arian Foster is keeping it real. He told reporters the players are going to try, but you can’t expect a real game from guys who practice together a couple of days.
He’s right. No matter how entertaining a pep talk Manning delivers, you’re not going to get a lot of intensity — especially from these players whose bodies are worth millions of dollars.
There is no easy solution. If there were, the NFL would have come up with one by now.
“You could always raise the pay,” said Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
Maybe incentive bonuses for being on the field when your team scores for offensive players, and for being in on defense for three and outs and turnovers would help.
A lot of fans might shrug it off, but even a one-year suspension of its all-star game would not be a good thing for the NFL.
The players say they don’t want to lose the Pro Bowl. Today we’ll see how much they really mean it.
