NFL Rumors: Pro Bowl Possibly Being Moved From Hawaii To Orlando

NFL rumors are swirling around the Pro Bowl. According to NBC Sports, the all-star game is being moved from Honolulu to Orlando.

There is something wrong with the Pro Bowl. Attendance is low, and so is the quality of the game. NFL players are coming up with all sorts of injuries, so that they don’t have to go to Hawaii to play in the game. That says a lot that players are refusing a free trip to an island that many consider to be paradise.

Honolulu is not giving up on the fight. The city is still trying to be the host of the Pro Bowl. They need to figure out how to increase attendance, as a lot of the locals are no longer interested because the game isn’t as exciting as it used to be. Hawaii officials may need to figure out how to convince more tourists to head to the islands for the game.

Another city that is in contention to host the Pro Bowl is Houston. They’re already hosting the Super Bowl. By getting both games, city officials are hoping that travelers stay for the entire duration of the events. Doing that enables the city to generate even more revenue because that is a pretty expensive trip.

If the NFL wanted to go outside the box, then they will choose the sole international candidate on their list. Sydney, Australia, wants to host the Pro Bowl. It would be quite the exotic trip for the players. It also might be enough to convince the top level stars to actually play in the game instead of skipping out as usual.

Officials who run the Citrus Bowl have been seeking out ways to bring more events because they spent a ton of money on renovations. The Pro Bowl is one of their targets. The Citrus Bowl has already secured the rights to host WrestleMania 33 next year. Officials have also been negotiating with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers about hosting occasional home games for them.

While the NFL is trying their best to save the game, changing the venue is something that does not make a lot of sense to people. Hawaii was never the issue for players. Many of them enjoyed being able to take their families there for a week. Players simply just aren’t interested in putting themselves at risk of being injured in a game that really doesn’t mean anything.

Though the deal has yet to be confirmed by the NFL, some details have emerged on how long of a deal this is. The Citrus Bowl has been pushing heavily for a three-year pact. It appears that the National Football League might be willing to use Orlando as the host for the Pro Bowl for that duration. It gives them time to see if the city can be a long-term solution.

Regardless of where the game is being played, the NFL needs to quickly find a way to convince the star players to show up for the Pro Bowl. Otherwise, fans will continue to avoid the game. While there are plenty of talented players in the National Football League, fans still would much rather pay to see guys like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

The deal that the NFL has with the Honolulu tourism authority expires at the end of May. They have opted to not renew the deal. That leads many to believe that shifting the Pro Bowl to Orlando might take place as soon as next February.

The Pro Bowl needs to be fixed, and the NFL is hoping that Orlando can provide that.

[Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images]