This is one of the most exciting weeks of the year for fans who follow football, which seems to be just about everybody in America.
For the first time since 1959 the National Football League all-star game, The Pro Bowl, will take place before the championship game.
I saw an interesting piece by Pat Kirwin on NFL.com today in which he said, basically, let’s give this Pro Bowl game a chance.
Here, here, Pat. That statement not only is fair but is the only one that could be accurate for the simple reason that no one knows what is going to happen in a live event that is not rehearsed.
It is so popular for the press to trash the game, and along the way they purport to us that this is the view of the entire country, when in fact television ratings (here I go again) for the last decade have steadily had the Pro Bowl as one of the most popular TV sporting events.
In fact, given that NFL football is by far the most popular event on television, even if you allow that the Pro Bowl is less dramatic than regular season games, which of course is so, then let’s eliminate all NFL games and compare the Pro Bowl to “all others.”
An embarrassing television ratings defeat for virtually all of “all others.”
This week has already featured the Senior Bowl, highlighting many NFL stars of the future.
Tomorrow the Pro Bowl will take place, featuring many of the top 100 players currently in the game.
The next week you can barely count the story lines as the Colts go for their second world championship, led by Peyton Manning going against the former team of his legendary father, Archie Manning, with the New Orleans Saints making their first ever Super Bowl appearance.
It is a glut of football excitement for the true fan. And as a special item of interest for Denver Broncos fans, next Saturday’s vote by the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors includes voting on two Broncos, running back Floyd Little and tight end Shannon Sharpe.
Both are clear cut Hall of Famers and here’s hoping both get their due next week.
The announcement, with the ballots counted secretly and announced to a live national television audience, will be must-see TV for Bronco fans Saturday afternoon
So my message for true fans is to tune out the naysayers.
Tune in for yourself.
It’s going to be a great week in South Florida.
I am fortunate enough to have been invited as part of the NFL public relations staff again this year (I have worked on the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl every year since Super Bowl XVIII), and it is great to have a first hand view of the proceedings.
Chris Hall and Gray Caldwell of DenverBroncos.com have done a great job all week chronicling the Pro Bowl practices, and if you have been reading them they have put you front and center on the practices sessions down here.
Time to settle into that favorite chair, grab some munchies and watch three major NFL events in the next eight days.
Tags: 2010 Pro Bowl, Floyd Little, Hall of Fame, Shannon Sharpe, Super Bowl, TV Ratings
Whats everybodys pick for the Super Bowl next week?
I’d like to see the Saints win a Super Bowl personally, mainly because I don’t really like Payton Manning. With that being said I really think the Colts are the better team and will win in a shoot out.
Colts 38
Saints 31
“Call in the National Guard. The Patriots are getting killed.”- Shannon Sharpe! One of my most favorite Sharpe moments!
Jim, I for one am in full support of the Pro Bowl this year. Not so much the game, but honoring the best in it! What an amazing experience for those high school students as well! Chris and Gray did an outstanding job. Kudos! loved the pics and videos.
Im gonna go with the Saints. 24-21. They arent the Aints no more…lol!
“(I have worked on the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl every year since Super Bowl XVIII)”
Is he rubbing it in? Next will he mention how he has a whole room of memorabilia signed and dated by every member of both superbowl winning teams, all of whom he meats up with every saturday to grab dinner and some beers.
How do I get this guy’s job man? I wish I could go to just one superbowl. Jeez
by the way, my pick for the game is Colts 34 -Saints 20. Although I really hope the Saints win, they never have, I have always kinda liked em, and I really hate the Colts.
Doing your job well, Mr. Saccomano, sticking up for the NFL in all its forms, even the the pro bowl. Sorry to let you down, I am not part of the press, I am what I believe to be a true Bronco fan first, true NFL fan second and I still dislike the probowl very much for reasons I have stated all week. Different strokes for different folks, no reason to talk the detractors down. Just saying. You do use some pretty smart, bordering Machiavellic ways, to lure the fans to watch the game in order to boost the ratings. The NFL is lucky to have you, on the other hand, they won’t have me tonight, I’ll probably get my kicks watching Big Love. BTW, I did enjoy the Senior Bowl immensely yesterday, I have even been to that game in Mobile in person in the past, but the pro bowl could come in my backyard and I would snooze through it.
Maybe the NFL should have a “Free Agent” Bowl? Right after the SB all the NFL free agents could play a game so we could evaluate the players tallent.
Also We could have a “NFL Senior Bowl” Where every year, the retired players of old SB matchups would come out and do a 30min flag footbal game. Have a long halftime where the fans get to go down and meet the players and get the autographs?
Why not have a NFL “farm league” with teams in the US and other countries like England, Mexico and Hawaii….kddn, Maybe Hawaii and LA could share a team?
Anyhow, I personally like the Pro Bowl. It is one extra little bit of NFL that we get to see before the long dry spell. I thought the Senior Bowl was like a job interview and college pro bowl all wraped up into a public specticle! I loved it! I guess I just love football.
I’m going to enjoy the game today and hope to see our two guys get into the HOF next week. Then we get the SB! That is what this whole thing is about. Thats the reason why they all play, and we all watch, the pinnicle of the Greatest Sport On Earth!!!
I highly respect Payton Manning and I also really like Drew Breese and the Saints soo I don’t have a personal preference for the SB winner. Just having the two best teams in the game should be awesome and grind down to a pretty close score. I’ll guess that the Colts win the game in the last 30 seconds by a score of:
Colts 44
Saints 31
I LOVE ME SOME DENVER BRONCOS!!!!!
I won my personal Super Bowl this year when the SanDiego SuperChoakers went down in flames in their own home at hands of a rookie QB and the J-e-t-s jets jets jets…hahahahahaha!
As I saw it , it’s just a rumor reported in “rumorcentral” in the insider part of ESPN. The way you make it sound is as if it’s official, we are going to have to refer to you as the “national enquire Bronco blogger”, LOL. If you have any substance to back up what you are saying, feel free to do so, otherwise feel free to freak out on your own without freaking others out on this blog.
milelow,
Calling for our new coach to be fired is ludicrous and not the answer here a the the Official Bronco blog. You might get some friends at the Denver Post with that kind of stuff. Try blogging over there.
On the other hand I personally like Brady Quinn and wanted to trade for him last year. I wonder if we could get Quinn and a 3rd rond pick for Marsh. I like Spidermarsh too but he doesn’t want to be here.
I tried to look up the article at ESPN. It is under “rumors” and I didn’t want to pay the $3 a month to read it. I am seriously curious to find out if Coach McD is shopping for a QB?
Everything is a rumor at this point. Nothing can be done until March 5th.
Knowing McD though, that sounds like a serious possibility.
“Don’t Freak Out, Baboo!” (Seinfield)
bay,
Do you happen to know off the top of your head who the best Guards in free agency are this year?
I would assume nobody under 310-315LB workhorse kind of guys that don’t need huge ccontratcs…I suppose?
I do know a couple who I have had my eyes on since McD likes N-E players, both Logan Mankins and Stephen Neal from the Pats are UFA guards.
Out of all the trade rumors, this one makes the most sense. In an egotistical McD sorta way. He couldn’t get Cassel. Wanted Quinn. Chicago gave the best deal. FIRE McD!
Logan is the one to really go after, he is 6’4″, 310 and 27 yrs old.
Neal, 6’4″, 305, but 33.
If the CBA isnt resolved Mankins is a RFA
This link is the best source for any free agent questions.
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2010/fa/ol.html
And it’s two players only on one team, meaning they are many more out there. One of the reason I’m thinking we should seriously address the O line with FA (along with NT) is because, IMO, the O line is so much harder to be good at coming out of college than the D line, where it’s just a react type of thing that can be learned much quicker than the intricacies of gelling on the O line. There is a Clady only once in a blue moon, Iupati proved that to me yesterday.
REPOST:
1st off, congrats to Wink! now, who’s gonna coach our LB’s? So let me pose this, if it was difficult for McD to lure coaches over- how difficult will it be to lure Free Agents over?
Maybe its a good thing the CBA hasnt been resolved. It makes the FA pool very small. Most teams will be forced to make their changes in the draft (or trades).
lol- Tell em what they won Wink!!!!! GO BRONCOS 2K10
While it may be a bit ridiculous i like the idea of the Free Agent bowl lol
Can we stop pasting rumors…until a deal is DONE, its kinda pointless wouldnt u say. And that won’t happen till March so WOOSAAHH. lol. And stop calling for McD to be fired, he is currently the only qualified guy out there that I can think of. Its one thing to say “I don’t think shanny should have been fired YET” but “Fire McD”…while it may be fun to say will not happen and probably isnt currently in our best interest. All we can do is wait it out.
OC is like brian , two of the most imaginative minds on this blog. And OC can be hilarious.
Qualified! To ruin our team. To trash talk opponents. To run a very lacadaisical and predictable offense. Qualified to run coaches out the door. Qualified to call out players on a regular basis. Trade probowl players on a yearly basis.
If thats what it takes to be qualified, sign me up!
This blog is merely a place to voice our opinions and everybody should know my stance on the coach. What is McD gonna trade me, or put a gag order on me, for not conforming?
Sandoval
Dont mistake my request for sanity as “I am for McD”…I’m not. He is possibly getting rid of my fave player. Cutler bothered me a bit cuz of the Chemistry he had with Marshall and Royal that was growing…but to trade Marshall pisses me off. At the end of the day…it is what it is. And yelling fire mcd won’t make it happen is all im saying. You are right…opinion based, so if peopel feel like yelling it, spreading rumors and panic…They can if the want. wass a request. not an order. my word (and everyones on here) isnt law. (except maybe the moderators lol) Just opinions
As far as the whole qualified thing goes…as a person…he is a pompous ego maniac. As a coach, heis a young guy with promise…better than getting a old guy stuck in his way with no promise that has coached for 9 different teams. Not many options out there is all im saying. Woulda liked to keep shanny but the owner who was close friends with him didnt, so u know…now we are in this predicament lol
OC……You said “I’ll guess that the Colts win the game in the last 30 seconds by a score of….Colts 44…Saints 31″
You really think the Colts are gonna score 13+ points in the last 30 seconds?????? Thats Damn near impossible even for the Colts.
Hey at least he improved our special teams this year. We actually had some returns and most of the time pretty good punt coverage. Prater was pretty reliable as well. So there is an upside.
Marshmelo15, I meant to put Colts 44 Saints 41, but I flubbed it up. Nice catch on that, lol.
Bay, thanks for the info and compliment… Bronc on Bro!
sndvl, thanks for the link!