NFL Pro Bowl: A Fan’s Paradise
The NFL Pro Bowl game has been under fire in recent years for not being a true representation of what people believe professional football should look like, but there is no disputing a trip to Honolulu gives players and fans alike a little taste of paradise.
It’s not a secret the Pro Bowl game itself isn’t exactly a thing of beauty. I’ve witnessed more intensity and passion in heated family card games than what is usually on display in Aloha Stadium. However, the Pro Bowl experience can’t be fully judged by missed tackles and sloppy turnovers. The game itself is almost an afterthought while experiencing all the fanfare, events and beautiful weather that comes with having the game in Honolulu.
Pro Bowl weekend is a chance for NFL fans across the globe to unite and mingle while enjoying the beautiful backdrop that Hawaii naturally delivers. This year I was fortunate enough to attend my first Pro Bowl game and pay my first visit to the fabulous island of Honolulu. Personally, the closest I had gotten to Hawaii was watching an old re-run of the “Brady Bunch” taking a family trip there, so my knowledge of the 50th state was very limited.
I arrived in Honolulu not knowing what to expect. I naturally assumed fans would be flocking in from around the country, but I had no idea the global attraction the NFL had. Sure there have been games played in London and the global branding of the league gets bigger every year. I just figured the interest in an “exhibition game” would be limited to fans in the states. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My first day after touching down in Honolulu, I was fortunate enough to run into two separate couples, who had traveled across the globe in support of their favorite NFL team and players. The first couple I had the pleasure of meeting came from Melbourne, Australia. They had flown more than ten hours to Honolulu and their favorite players weren’t even at the game. They were Denver Broncos fans, so their favorite players were gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday.
Having no Broncos make the trip to Honolulu didn’t discourage these Aussies from wearing their Peyton Manning jerseys proudly. The fact I was wearing my Oakland Raiders “Straight Outta Raider Nation” shirt was a great ice-breaker, and led me to my first but not last, ” So Where is Oakland playing next year” question that became a common theme during my four-day visit.
Not only did I have the pleasure of meeting fabulous people from around the globe, I attended plenty of the events that are associated with the Pro Bowl. The NFL holds a “Pro Bowl Beach Party”, which features NFL Cheerleaders and players. The party also paid tribute to all the military branches and featured athletic skills competitions between the branches.
Next: Oakland Raiders Past And Future
There is little debating watching NFL players run around at half speed and do everything in their power not to exude too much effort isn’t exactly “Made-For-TV.” Nor is it a great example on how the game should be played, but there’s no doubt the Pro Bowl experience is much more than 60 minutes of boring football. It’s a celebration of its fans and the camaraderie that is formed, by those who cheer in stadiums and living-rooms across the world.