Pro Bowl a success? Depends on whom you ask

Pro Bowl a success? Depends on whom you ask
Pro Bowl packs Sun Life Stadium; timing, location create buzz

MIAMI GARDENS – The stands at Sun Life Stadium were packed, parking lots were overflowing and the atmosphere on Sunday night was almost as festive as a postseason game that counts.

By all appearances, the NFL’s experiment of moving the Pro Bowl to the week before — and to the host city of — the Super Bowl appeared to have met its objectives.

“This is definitely a bonus. It creates a lot of hype, especially down here,” said Audrey Allen, of Dania Beach, wearing Pittsburgh Steelers gear and buying a T-shirt before the game. “This is the kickoff for the Super Bowl. We have the warm weather in South Florida, the people here, it’s such a melting pot. There’s so much energy and I’m definitely here for the experience.”

The game attracted the second-largest crowd in Pro Bowl history — 70,697 fans, who braved a rain that came in misty bursts beginning just before kickoff. It was the highest attendance for the league’s all-star game in 51 years, in part a function of Sun Life Stadium’s capacity. Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, where the game has been played the past 30 years, holds about 50,000.

But the rain may have been a sign that not everything was sunny about the NFL’s experiment. Reaction was mixed among fans and players, some of whom were disappointed that the game’s timing prevented Super Bowl players from participating.

Other fans, even those from South Florida, said the game belongs back in Hawaii.

“It doesn’t compare. At all,” said Fran Pagnotta, of West Palm Beach, who has attended the past seven Pro Bowls in Hawaii. “I wish it was in Hawaii. The ambiance, the festivities, the parties, even the hotel. It was all fabulous.”

Several players enjoyed the opportunity to bring their families to South Florida; others grumbled about missing Hawaii and the requirement that Super Bowl players attend the game to receive their Pro Bowl bonuses. Additionally, 34 players named to the Pro Bowl, including 14 participating in the Super Bowl, were replaced on the game’s roster.

Sun-Sentinel.com
1/31/10