New York, NY (Sports Network) - The NFL Pro Bowl could soon be history.
ESPN, on Thursday morning, said the league is moving toward suspending the
annual All-Star contest. However, the NFL responded by saying talks with the
union are ongoing.
"We have been in discussions w/the NFLPA about Pro Bowl's future," said NFL
spokesman Greg Aiello on Twitter. "No decision has been made on this season's
game."
The quality of the contest has suffered in recent years. Numerous players opt
out of the game, which sometimes resembles glorified flag football with little
tackling.
In an effort to generate more interest, the NFL moved the game to a week
before the Super Bowl instead of a week after. It also tried to play it at the
same venue as the Super Bowl one year before moving it back to Hawaii.
If the contest was cancelled, or even put on hold, ESPN reported that the
league would still have its teams honor the Pro Bowl incentives already built
into certain contracts.
The Sports Network