Monday: Other sports should take notes from NFL Pro Bowl

Welcome back from the weekend everyone!

We had Michigan continue its winning streak with a big win against Michigan State, Tiger failed to make a cut and the Miami Heat knocked off San Antonio in a NBA Finals rematch.

But lets talk about the Pro Bowl.

For those of you who didn’t watch at least a little of the NFL’s version of the All-Star game, you missed out.

The new rule changes added to the game more than I ever thought they would. The fantasy draft between Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders instead of separating the teams by conference was fantastic.

Teammates like the Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson and Jamaal Charles, the Browns’ Josh Gordon and T.J. Ward and the Panthers’ Mike Tolbert and Luke Kuechly were hammering each other on the field.

Even getting rid of kickoffs and starting each quarter with a different team added some flare to the game. It forced the squads to play in the two-minute offense at the end of quarters. This didn’t mean more points—the final score was only 22-21 Team Rice—it just meant more excitement.

It was something you never see in the Pro Bowl. There was an actual competitive effort in this game. Compare that to what happened the last couple years. The fans actually got their money’s worth in this game.

I liked the fantasy draft so much, why not try it in all the other major sports?

Think about it.

The MLB All-Star game would benefit the most.

Who wouldn’t want to see Detroit’s Justin Verlander against Miguel Cabrera? Or the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw against Yasiel Puig? Don’t tell me for a second that Cabrera or Puig want a shot at getting a hit against their All-Star teammates.

How about the NBA All-Star game?

The league would sell out whatever arena it played the game. Just picture Steph Curry and LeBron James on the same roster. Or James and Chris Paul. Or James and Kevin Durant.

OK, the last one probably would never happen, but you get the idea. You line up James with any Western All-Star and it would be must-see television.

Also, teammates going against each other would add entertainment as well. Durant against Russell Westbrook. James against Dwayne Wade. Talk about some interesting basketball.

I’m not saying the NFL’s system is perfect. There is still risk to injury. Players aren’t going to play at 100 percent all the time.

But the NFL has the right idea. All-Star games aren’t for the players, their for the fans. So make it worth their while.

Hot Reads

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-Michigan stays undefeated in the Big Ten, are they a Final Four threat?

-The Heat have faced a lot of pressure this season, but a win against the Spurs Sunday silenced the critics a little. 

-An upset in the Australian Open. 

-It's Super Bowl week! Here's a look at the game's biggest stars that never made the game. 

Thanks for reading everyone. As usually, feel free to comment or shoot me a message with suggestions. Have a good start to your week!

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