If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Right?
What if it is broke? You fix it, right? Well…it depends on what “it” is.
One week removed from an incredible championship weekend in the NFL, fans of football will have to settle for the Pro Bowl this weekend.
As early as Sunday evening, social media superstars will light up Twitter with 100 different ways to make the game better and more meaningful. Some will present a case for the annual exhibition to be canceled all together.
And I get it.
The Pro Bowl is the NFL’s version of an all-star game. An all-star game that doesn’t often resemble the game we watch Sundays between Labor Day and early January every year.
There are no kickoffs or blitzing…intentional grounding is encouraged, and tackling is well…optional.
But what incentive does the NFL have to do anything?
Over the last ten years, the Pro Bowl is averaging 9.73 million viewers. By comparison, the 2021 NBA Finals series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns averaged 9.91 million.
Even with declining ratings, the Pro Bowl remains the most watched exhibition of the major sports.
The NFL will continue to tinker with a game, but a massive overhaul is not in the cards so long as the ratings are what they are.
It’s broke, but it ain’t getting fixed.
