How to Fix the NFL Pro Bowl

As I watch yet another abysmal NFL Pro Bowl, I can't help but to think about how this event could be more enjoyable. The current format isn't working. The players don't try. The blocking is absurdly poor, and most importantly: it isn't fun to watch. There is no point in leaving the Pro Bowl the way it is, as it doesn't work for us fans. So here are five ways to fix the Pro Bowl:

Move It Away from Hawaii

The best thing that the NFL did regarding the Pro Bowl was to move it to the Super Bowl city like they did in 2010 (The Pro Bowl was in Miami). Sure, it is worse for the players, as I'm sure all of them would love to go to Hawaii, but honestly the $25,000 bonus should be enough for the players.

Make it about the fans.

When you bring the Pro Bowl to cities where more NFL fans live, game attendance isn't the only thing that goes up. People will watch the practices, and flock to be around the players. The Pro Bowl experience is better for the fans.

Get Rid of the Game

The game is an absolute joke. Football is too dangerous of a sport for any of these NFL players to really try. The monetary incentive cannot and never will be enough: winning $25,000 can't match the millions that the players will lose if they get hurt. If you don't try in football, it's not fun to watch.

Get rid of the game. No one cares anyways.

Add a Bench Press Competition

Now that we have gotten rid of the game itself, we need to fill the void with other competitions. NFL players spend huge chunks of time in the weight room. I am willing to bet that most are proud about the amount of weights that they can lift.

I'm also willing to bet that there is more than a handful of NFL players who will claim to be the strongest player in the league. These guys work throughout their entire careers, and only get to show off their weight room strength at the combine. That seems unfair.

So let them show off. I'm sure the players would love to participate, and the fans can marvel at the absurd strength of these athletes. Seems like a win-win to me.

Add Races

This one works in two ways. Similar to the bench press, there are NFL players who take pride in their speed. Watching skill position players face off for the crown of "fastest man in the league" is an event that I am sure we would all enjoy. Guys like C.J. Spiller and Trindon Holliday were collegiate track champions, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to have a race.

On the other hand, we can have "fat boy" races between the DT and OL in the NFL. It could be a hilarious event. Just imagine the possibilites of Vince Wilfork squaring off against Terrence Cody in a 40-yard dash.

Add Skills Competitions

There is a lot of leeway here, but there are also endless possibilities. Kickers could play horse and show off their legs. My money is on Janikowski.

Obstacle Courses could be set up to show athletic dominance, and wide recievers could compete for jump balls. Quarterbacks could hit targets to prove accuracy (My vote is Brees on this one).

The bottom line is that these non-contact events would prompt the players to actually try, making it enjoyable for everyone involved.