I watched the first five minutes of the Pro Bowl then changed the channel to Bravo to watch reruns of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. That’s how much I was disgusted with the Pro Bowl.
And Aaron Rodgers pretty much felt the same way I did.
Rodgers said on ESPN 540 that he was a “little bit disappointed” in the other players lack of effort.
“I was a little bit disappointed. I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves.”
The AFC routed the NFC 59-41 in a game that drew boos at Aloha Stadium for its lack of early intensity. Rodgers, who started and played the first quarter for the NFC, didn’t name specific players.
“I was just surprised that some of the guys either didn’t want to play or when they were in there didn’t put any effort into it,” Rodgers said.
Avoiding injuries in a meaningless all-star game is a high priority for many players. Rodgers, however, said that playing half-speed isn’t the answer.
“I’ve always found that when you’re going that tempo, that’s when the injuries are going to happen, not if you’re going full speed,” Rodgers told ESPN 540. “You’re more likely to get an injury standing around a pile or just going through it half-speed.”
I know football is a dangerous sport and players don’t want to but their careers and livelihood on the line for a meaningless game, but they could have done better than that. They were pretty much playing flag football out there until the fourth quarter.
The past few Pro Bowls I’ve watched have been a snooze. The only memorable thing about the last few Pro Bowls was Redskins safety Sean Taylor’s hit on Bills punter Brian Moorman.
I don’t know what the NFL can do to make the game more entertaining and intense without jeopardizing the players’ health, but maybe Rodgers’ comments might light a fire under future Pro Bowlers butts and they’ll play like they actually care next year.