The NFL's biggest joke gets more inane ...

[Auggie]

AFC-NFC format gone in 2014 (espn.com / 7-31-13)

The NFL is overhauling the Pro Bowl, eliminating the AFC-NFC format in favor of captains picking 43 players per team regardless of conference.

In addition, kickoffs will be eliminated from the game as a safety measure, one of several changes to the game.

Voting for the game also will be changed as conference affiliation no longer will be considered in determining the All-Star selections. The two leading vote-getters will be named captains and will be assisted by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders and two NFL.com fantasy football champions in picking the two teams.

Among other changes:

• A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters in addition to the traditional rule in the second and fourth quarters. Possession also will change hands after each quarter.

MORE: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9525557/nfl-makes-major-pro-bowl-changes


Hey, Roger Goodell ... no one cares.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. pro bowl...pro bowl...oh yeah, that - haven't watched one in decades!

[bluedigger]

2. I like voting irrespective of conference.

Now if they would just treat them to a nice lunch and skip the game...

[Fuddnik]

3. Watching the Pro Bowl is almost as dumb as betting on it.

[charlie and algernon]

4. I like the schoolyard picking of teams

Would be interested to see how the teams form up. Ultimately meangingless, but still fun to see a real life fantasy draft, lol.

[El Supremo]

5. They outdid the Onion!

The Onion could not have invented a better satire.

[Dr. Strange]

16. Glad I'm not the only one who suspected this was the Onion.

The choosing teams seems goofy, but it sounds like maybe they're using the game to test out some rule changes (like the 35-second clock). That rule-testing is about the only decent thing mentioned here.

[MrSlayer]

6. The NHL does the captains draft for their All-star game.

It's always fun to watch the selection process. The NFL should do a skills competition too, make it a weekend long affair.

There's a lot of ways to make this more interesting. At least they're trying.

[KamaAina]

7. The only conceivable point to the Pro Bowl

is to bring the NFL to Hawai'i.

I once semi-seriously proposed that the Cowpies relocate there as the Honolulu Paniolos (paniolo = cowboy). That would kill two birds with one stone.

[Auggie]

8. Replace it with an Academy Awards type of show the weekend before Super Bowl ...

Yearly highlights. Announce MVP awards. Defensive/Offensive players of the year. Comeback award. Rookies, Coaches, Front Office awards, etc.

[Jamaal510]

9. I actually wish

they would eliminate the AFC-NFC format altogether, not just for the Pro Bowl. Just have all 32 teams in one conference, and the 16 teams with the best regular season records get to advance to the postseason.

[KamaAina]

10. You'd still have to have divisions

or you'd lose the classic rivalries like Bears-Packers, Jets-Patriots, Steelers-Ravens, Raiders-Chiefs, Saints-Falcons, R*dsk*ns-Cowpies, etc.

[madinmaryland]

11. The usual forty-whiner fan chimes in!!

[KamaAina]

13. Did I mention the NFC champs in that post?

I don't believe I did.

Their traditional rivalry with the Rams lost its edge when the Rams left L.A. Niners-Seachickens is heating up, though.

[madinmaryland]

14. Wow! cboy4 has a sockpuppet here!! Another forty-whiner fan!!

[KamaAina]

15. That's right. cboy and I are the only Niners fans in the entire group.

So who are your Cowpies sockpuppets?

[Auggie]

12. I like divisions

Geographical rivalies are great. The Cleveland/Pittsburgh/Cincinnati pairing is classic.