Medical excuse won’t keep some players from their bonuses. Andrew Brandt
The Pro Bowl has gone from a game featuring the best of the best to a game for the better than most. Because the game is being played a week before the Super Bowl in the same venue, multiple changes have been made to the AFC and NFC rosters to account for players from the Colts and Saints not being available and the usual slew of “medically excused” players. At last count, there are 29 players excused from the event due to the Super Bowl or medical excuses.
Here are some questions I’ve received the past week about the Pro Bowl:
What do players make for the Pro Bowl?
Each player on the winning team gets $45,000; each player on the losing team gets $22,500.
Do players who can’t participate because their teams are in the Super Bowl still get these shares?
Yes, with a qualification. Word from the NFL is that players from the Colts and Saints who are selected to play in the game will get their Pro Bowl winner's or loser's checks if they come to South Florida and participate in certain game-day activities such as pregame introductions and media interviews.
The Colts players will apparently fly to Miami in advance of their team, do their required obligations and leave at halftime to fly back to Indianapolis – then fly back to Miami on Monday. Seems like overkill, but this was all contemplated well in advance of the week-before-the-Super-Bowl plan.
What if they don’t participate in introductions and media interviews?
Presumably, they would not get their money.
What about Pro Bowl bonuses for all of the players added to the game?
The typical language for the bonus has been something like:
“Player will receive a bonus in the amount of --- in the event he is named as a Starter or Back-up on the initial Pro Bowl Ballot and participates in the Pro Bowl game following the regular season, unless medically excused.”
This language would not qualify the many replacements being named since they were not named on the original Pro Bowl ballot and therefore are not eligible to receive their bonuses.
What about Pro Bowl bonuses for Super Bowl players sitting out?
They’ll receive their bonuses since their participation in the Pro Bowl has been preempted by the league decision to move the game rather than by any actions of their own. Were they not to receive these bonuses, there would be a revolt.
Teams have begun adjusting Pro Bowl bonus language, with clauses like the one above extended to read: “…unless medically excused or Player is excused due to the Club’s participation in the Super Bowl.”
With uncertainty about the Pro Bowl being played before or after the Super Bowl, time will tell if this year’s trial event becomes a staple of the postseason.
What about all these “medically excused” players; are these real injuries or just ways to get out of going to the game?
I’ll let you answer that one. After a long season and sometimes bitter losses in the playoffs, the last thing some players want is to play in another game, even if the rules are softer. Thus, these players are “excused” from playing with certification from the team doctors and trainers that they can’t participate.
As to the veracity of the “certifications,” as someone who was involved in too many such medical excuses for one Brett Favre (who just got another one), I plead the fifth.
Of course, as per the language above, players who are medically excused still earn their Pro Bowl bonuses.
Although there were certainly some cost savings in not going to Hawaii this year, there are more bonuses than ever regarding the Pro Bowl. It will be the most player-expensive Pro Bowl ever.
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Andrew, I was really hoping you'd answer my burning question when I saw this title, but at least I don't think you did. What about the language in player contracts? Do players earn Pro Bowl bonuses just for being named to the Pro Bowl, or is it contingent on their actually attending it? I would think they wouldn't want to, just because why risk your best players getting injured in a meaningless game, but $45,000 is pocket change in the NFL. Do players have an incentive to attend the PB in their contracts or else miss out on the big bonuses?
Strictly from a viewer standpoint the pro bowl has always been kind of lame, but at least when it is played after the super bowl it softens the entry into the “no football” months
Fear of injury has always made the game a shadow of actual football. It might be more fun to see all these players play a different game; how about beach volleyball, or bowling? How about a 1970s “battle of the network stars” type competition? You know you’d watch it
Goodell made it worse by moving it out of Hawaii and playing it before the superbowl... players l didnt want to play before but at least they and their families got a nice vacation in Honolulu out of it...
This hare-brained idea by Goodell is another example of him fixing things that aren't broken, like moving to an 18 game season and putting a team in London, moving the draft to Thurs/Fri night, etc. If you think you have players making excuses not to play in the pro bowl now, just wait until they play this stupid 18 game schedule.... You'll be filling out the pro bowl rosters with practice-squad players.
The Pro Bowl has become useless in this age of huge contracts. They should just name the two teams and have no game. Just require they show up the week before Superbowl week, like now, and participate in meet the fan's activities, golf tournaments, and charity events. It would extent the Superbowl celebration, and be a bigger money base for the Hosting City.
There is no saving the Pro Bowl. Unlike some sports, you have to be 100% motivated on the football field or you are going to put yourself at risk. There is no incentive for these guys to play hard and no incentive for fans to watch.
Someone put this stupid game out of its misery.
The pro bowl is the one game that should be played overseas. Or how about a CFL-NFL all-star clash? That would be cool and teams could scout CFL guys trying to make a name for themselves. Probably need to have it in Hawaii though...
Nice article Andrew, cleared a few things up.
Naturally there has been alot of Pro Bowl talk over the NFL community over the past few days, and probably the best reccomendation I've read was from a commenter on another site. He recommended that they combine the overseas International Series and the Pro Bowl. Personally I don't like the idea of playing games overseas, because I don't see any positive net result coming of it. Honestly are they ever going to have an overseas team? Probably not. What if say the Raiders have to travel to London on a short week? That's never gonna work. So let's combine the meaningless Pro Bowl, with Goodell's mission to expose the league to the globe, and combine them. That way he gets to showcase the Superstars (because when he sends tabloid fodder Reggie Bush and Tom Brady in consecutive years, the motive can become a bit transparent), the players get their free trip, the regular season isn't putting teams at this disadvantage, and the Pro Bowl can continue to be an optional watch for the North American fans.
Also something I read this week - whatever happened to the NFL skills competitions? I remember as a kid, even when I wasn't as big into football as I am now, I would always watch the NFL QB challenge. I can't remember whether it was during the Pro Bowl or not, but take the skills completion out of the NBA and NHL All Star weekends, and I'm betting there's alot less interest.
It's about putting out the best product and building on it, not messing with the foundation of it all. On PTI yesterday Kornheiser called this the "Alternate Bowl", and I couldn't agree more. The "Superstars" are dropping out like drug addled teenagers out of high school this year. Sure it was just an experiment, but it wasn't an experiment for the fans, it was an experiment for the almighty dollar, and it doesn't seem that Goodell and company took everything into account on this one.
$45,000 is not "pocket change" for NFL players. If you really look at salaries, yes the top few get the big bucks, but it is surprising the number of players that are in a MUCH lower range. Now compared to our salaries (speaking for myself) even those salaries are high. But $45,000 would be a nice check for the majority of players.
What about holding it wherever the superbowl happens, but the week AFTER the superbowl (so the press can hag around for cheap too) ? And of course continue to "excuse" superbowl players if they want, even though it's the week after.
It's just too weird to have what is basicaly a "post season" exhibition game, when the season isn't even over yet !
Everyone has their mind on the superbowl, even those who aren't playing in it I guess.
This game should be eliminated. It's a joke. It's not real football, I don't even watch the damn thing. Nothing good can happen in this game. It' just more wear and tear on the players, potential of injury. Name the the All-pro team for both NFC and AFC and be done with it.
I though pro football was a team game? Why do NFL teams and coaches even support pro bowl nominations for their players? Don't they all preach its all about the TEAM, TEAM, TEAM, and not individual players? Yet, as soon as the year is over the first thing they do is nominate INDIVIDUALS to play in a game for bonuses. Makes no sense.
Anyway, I have not watched a prowl bowl in over 10 years. Stop playing this game. Its a waste and no one cares.
As an economist by training (if not by trade), the key to increasing the interest level in this game for fans and players alike is the same as in all of life - the use of various incentives (and disincentives).
In this case, all parties need to invest or buy-in to what's being done. Here are a few suggestions to improve the appeal & profitability of the Pro Bowl.
To increase player participation, go back to it happening after the Super Bowl and move the game back to Hawaii. The post-Super Bowl part is an obvious one, but Hawaii really is too as an incentive if for no other reason, those with family (almost all players in one form or another), will be under tremendous pressure on the home front to go.
Imagine if your company offered that to you - you go for a little work and vacation and you get to take your family. Even if you didn't want to go yourself, would it really be worth it have to listen to that brought up again and again down the road (and likely leading to having to spend your own money for a vacation)?
In addition, add skills & some combine-like competitions (speed, strength, endurance) to the event (somewhat like MLB & NBA), with participants selected by an online poll (fan investment) and player poll (both for investment and to get those overlooked by the fans). Maybe use statistical leaders for some nominees or competitors in some competitions.
For example, include a fastest man competition (perhaps in full pads) - maybe the top 12 online vote getters plus 4 others voted by players. Then have either 8 heats of 2 as round one & 4 of 2 with those 4 winners in the final (or 4 of 4, then the final with those 4 winners).
Most players are hyper-competative and would love this just for the titles, but there should also be prizes (and they should be significant. Have both cash and things like cars (donated by sponsors) in addition to the public recognition (somewhat of a factor) and the peer recognition (a huge factor).
An additional (and publicly unspoken) incentive with those sort of competitions is that there would be heavy peer pressure to participate, much in the form of prop bets among many players (often of small value, really more about bragging rights than the actual prize).
I have never known any NFL players well enough to ask, but 2 MLBers and an NBAer, and I am sure that like in those leagues, prop bets between players on a WIDE variety of things are common (and common knowledge) within certain cliques of players (and across team bounderies - some are based on friendship, some more on college affiliations).
These prop bets are not at all like betting on games (although I'm sure that happens too, often of the "winner buys dinner" variety), but are things like "I bet you strike out swinging 2+ times next time you face Pitcher X" or about topics totally unrelated to the game (from getting women, cars, # of shoes owned, etc to anything you can imagine and more).
Matt Bowen could conf
I keep reading the words "meaningless game." If the game is meaningless, then get rid of it all-together. Tradition is fine, but I don't like "tongue-in-cheek" when it comes to football.
Transform the Pro Bowl into a showcase - still a game but show off the running skills, catching skills and passing abilities of the best players.
I haven't seen the QB Compitition, the lineman competitions - as a fan I enjoyed those. If they are happening this season I have not heard about them.
We love the game, so lets treat it like we love it.
Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems to me when I was a little kid the college all stars played the all pros, or some such thing. Now, I wouldn't want that again, but I would pay to see the kids who are never going to get drafted play the NFL'ers who essentially camped on the bench all season. For some reason I think both sides would love to play that game, and it could be very entertaining. Or, maybe not.
Make it fun. Make it flag football with no helmets so we can see them laugh. Put some kegs out there. Invite their families. Let us all watch.
And do it after the SB in Ha. I'd love to see the bets really go at it, but if you put them in pads it'll continue to be a travesty...a mockery of a real game...slow dancing. Even I'd hate to end my career with a blown out knee in a $45k game. There are no Willie Laniers of Dick Butkis's out there who will play hard in the post season. Call what it is...just for fun and a nice post-season cool down...and let them start their off-season with their families along...
I like your idea Ken S... they might not be very good at flag football though.. lol
The game has always been played at less than full speed. I watch it to see the players that I like. My favorite part of the pro bowl has always been the skills competitions. I also enjoyed the legends flag football games in years past. The activities surrounding the pro bowl were always a bigger draw than the game itself for me. I hope to see those activities this year, but I can't find any information on it.
I enjoy the qb challenge so much more than the probowl because you get to see your leaders out there having fun not worrying about getting hurt and for people like me i get to see them more personaly when they do the interviews. i wish they would do things like this for other positions like the recivers and backs. or do they? lol not sure but the pro bowl is kinda in my opiion like a preseason game to me, no one knows what they are doing because its not your normal team and its just not a great way for them to excell like the challenge is.
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I don't mind Roger Goodell and the NFL moving the Pro Bowl, trying something new, to see if it makes the game more interesting and attracts more fun. But I hope the NFL acknowledges that this idea has been a colossal failure. Far too many pro bowlers are not playing, and I don't see that changing any time soon if the game remains the week before the Super Bowl - playing the game this way guarantees that the attraction of a week in Hawaii is gone, that players from the SB teams can't play, and for other players from playoff teams, the week before the Super Bowl might just be too quick a turn around to get motivated to go play a game (especially with it not being in Hawaii). The NFL is a major attraction and a ratings bonanza, maybe Goodell just has to realize, just not for the Pro Bowl.