By Zack Cimini

Could the Pro Bowl be looking at its final days when their contract is over in 2009? According to Troy Aikman there shouldn?t be a Pro Bowl at all, as it is just an extra week from resting for veterans. Peyton Manning argued that opinion by stating that he still enjoys the Pro Bowl. With the rate of players dropping out every year it sways in the direction that Aikman states. So what can the NFL do to get the attention back to their distinguished All Star game?

One thing that is drastically different with the NFL is that their All Star game is at the end of the season. Baseball, basketball, and even hockey have their All Star game at the midway point of the season. With those three sports though their seasons are long with numerous games, so a midway point is going to represent the best athletes that will continue that pattern after that stretch. In the NFL every four weeks is a carousel ride, and by no means could there be an All Star game after week eight or nine.

First of all the injury factor would be the first no-no in trying that. Coaches don?t like anything that threatens their regular season, and is why every year teams go into the regular season rusty. They are unprepared as a result of minimal playing time in the preseason.

Still the Pro Bowl is supposed to be a celebration and carefree game before athletes get their couple months away from football. Every Pro Bowl it seems like everyone is having fun, so does every athlete deserve to get their own Grammy?

The new skills challenge that the NFL has been doing is quickly drawing a yearly craze, and may be the new route. This year they mixed it up with some strength and speed competitions that were unique yet intriguing. An athlete spends so much time training and conditioning but when they are on the field we don?t see any of that. It?s a nice competition to see which athletes are separating themselves with hard work ethic off the football field. Even though it?s an individual competition, it should quickly become a main attracter to the annual event.

Maybe they?ll forgo the game and just list the best player?s without a game. College basketball and football always have a first team, second team, third team, or a compiled list of All-American athletes. It is enough for those athletes when they get their award. No game is needed, yet it?d be nice to happen.

Sooner or later the NFL is going to need to reevaluate what they have to do before they lose the hype that is drawn in every year. It also doesn?t help when athletes are coming out with negative statements. The Pro Bowl isn?t going anywhere because the greatness of youth is always growing in sports. So there will always be plenty of hungry young athletes that shoot for that day in February to shine for their hard work.