Report: 2010 Pro Bowl to be played in Miami before Super Bowl

[Roody]

This is an incredibly stupid idea because it will take out the players in the Super Bowl who won't play to avoid getting hurt before the SB. Stupid, stupid idea.

MIAMI -- The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium, a person directly involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the move.

It's not a new notion to have the game moved up to take place between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The NFL has discussed it multiple times in recent years, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP last month that having the game precede the Super Bowl would avoid a "somewhat anticlimactic" ending to the season.

The Pro Bowl has been held in Honolulu since 1980, and it's probable that the game will return to Hawaii after 2010, although not on a permanent basis as has been the case over the past three decades.

It won't be South Florida's first Pro Bowl: The 1975 game took place in Miami's Orange Bowl, during a period when the site rotated annually.

Barring a schedule change, next season's Pro Bowl will take place Jan. 31, 2010, with the Super Bowl that year on Feb. 7. The league's plan is for players on the AFC and NFC championship squads not to take part in the Pro Bowl.

Miami was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl three years ago, a record 10th time the game will come to the Dolphins' home city. The notion of adding the Pro Bowl to the lineup in South Florida was first discussed several months ago. It's not clear when the final decision was made to move the game.

Hawaii tourism officials have lobbied in recent months to extend the game's current contract, which expires after this season's Pro Bowl, pointing to the fact that it's been sold out every year since moving to Honolulu and generates about $30.5 million in visitor spending and tax revenues.

And earlier this year, Hawaii's state government released $11 million for lighting and roofing improvements at Aloha Stadium, part of ongoing upgrades designed to refurbish and modernize the aging stadium. State officials have also considered demolishing the facility and building a new stadium.

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[Prey521]

The fact that nobody watches the Pro Bowl probably helped them in their decision also.

[64bit]

They should entirely do away with the game imo. Make it like the A-A honor in college. Its worthless in its current form.

[RoscoPColtrane]

Worthless game, nothing more than a popularity contest.

And it will be funny when half the 'starters' don't play because they don't want to get hurt for the real game...

[mountainman]

Add another notch to why I'm hating the NFL more and more...

[knightmare]

Add another notch to why I'm hating the NFL more and more...

yep....