Pro Bowl Preview: Will they ditch the All-Star format?

The NFL Pro-Bowl has seriously declined in quality in recent years, but amid talking of axing the game, will tonight's encounter be any better?

By Adrian Collins

The Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell has been talking this week about getting rid of the Pro-Bowl fixture, which takes place every year on the weekend before the Super Bowl, if the players don't put more commitment into it.

Arian Foster has retorted that Goodell is not the one out there taking the hits, a valid point, especially considering there's nothing on the line for either team, so players aren't very likely to be motivated to put their bodies on the line to make the big hits or big plays that fans want to see. For them, their season is over by this point, and it's not a high priority.

The Pro Bowl is where two teams of the league's best players are chosen to face off and represent their respective divisions, the AFC and the NFC in a fixture that's supposed to be good fun for the players and fans alike.

However, with poor attendances in recent years and even poorer quality games, the challenge seems to be now about how to actually get something from the game.

Usually, the players chosen have just recently been knocked out of the playoffs, and would rather be headed to the real bowl game the following week than the Pro Bowl.

However, it's not a terrible thing to have to do, considering that they get sent to Hawaii to play the fixture every year. We'd happily volunteer for a game of touch football in the sun and the sand if they're not interested...

This year, with some great rookies in the ranks, the intensity might be ramped up a bit with them making their first appearances. Both Andrew Luck or Russell Wilson could be interesting talents to watch in this game, as they've proven throughout the season.

While fans don't want to see injuries, they also don't want to see a non-contact version of the game if they've paid money for their tickets.

There should still be a great array of talent on display tonight though both on offence and defence, and with players like A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson getting some quality service from the best passers in the league, there could be some spectacular stuff on show later.

We'll be watching anyway, the season is almost over and you've got to squeeze in all the football you can!