The 2012 Pro Bowl

Every year all professional sports gather their fan-picked favorite players to play in a game that pits one conference against the other. For professional baseball, basketball, and hockey there are the All Star games. But, for the National Football League, it is the Pro Bowl. Players are annually chosen by the fans to be sent to Hawaii to represent their team and their conference. It is usually a game with little defense, and practically no penalties. The 2012 Pro Bowl, which took place this past Sunday, January 29, 2012, was no difference. It became a game of possessions as the offenses achieved the highest scoring Pro Bowl points in the game’s history. In the end it was the AFC that defeated the NFC 59-41. With their win players from the AFC were awarded $50,000. The NFC players did not go home empty handed, they received $25,000.


The game began with a very slow start. The players seemed as if they had been having too much fun in the sun all week in Hawaii. The defensive lines barely rushed, and the run game in the first half seemed nonexistent. With a contact sport like football, it is difficult to motivate players to give one hundred percent during an all star game. The players do not want to get hurt, and their only motivation is money. Because of the lack of contact in the game, quarterbacks on both the AFC and NFC completed pass after pass to move their teams down the field. The most excitement in the game came from Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who had four remarkable touchdown catches in the game. The catches earned him the title of Pro Bowl MVP. Another exciting, but ultimately disappointing moment came when NFC quarterback attempted a drop kick after the NFC scored their final touchdown. It was a failed kick, but nicely paged homage to retired quarterback Doug Flutie who announced the game (Flutie successfully completed a dropkick in 2006, as a backup quarterback for the New England Patriots).


Overall, I believe the game was played like you would play in your backyard. Little rules, lots of offense, and lots of throws down the field. The players seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, and each other. There was a sense of camaraderie as players who are normally enemies on the field played together, and gave each other advice. The final quarters picked up the tempo, with the rookies quarterbacks playing, along with other first time Pro-Bowlers. It If you are looking for a game that showcases skills of the players the Pro Bowl is not the game to watch. But, it was game to watch if you just wanted to see players and coaches have a good time.