This is the third year that the Pro Bowl was in Orlando, and it was actually pretty good. Don’t let the empty stands on TV fool you; it was raining all day nonstop scaring people away from coming. Although it may not be something to watch on TV, it is something that needs to be seen in person by true football fans. Tickets are cheap, the cheapest I saw was around $25 and once purchased, people could sit where they want because the stadium was not filled. I took my seat on the way by the players. I was close enough I could hear their conversations and see the tattoos on their arms. Being this close to anyone’s favorite players is exciting for any football fan. Sometimes people would yell the names of the players and they would turn around and wave. At one point a Chicago Bears’ player came over to sign a jersey in the middle of the game. To sit within spitting distance of some of the greatest players in the modern NFL is a cool experience that cannot be traded, especially for $25.
Since it’s the Pro Bowl people are a lot more relaxed than a normal NFL game; a security guard gave my friends and I Gatorade towels that were used by the by the players. After that everyone moved toward the tunnels and to get high-fives and arm sleeves from the players that were leaving the stadium.
Other than the atmosphere the game itself was great. People were playing out of position all night, for example running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Alvin Kamara played defensive end, while Saquon Barkley played cornerback with Mike Evans. Evans even got an interception, while cornerback Jalen Ramsey played wide receiver and caught a touchdown pass then chose to dunk the ball on the goal post. The coolest part to me was when two of the best running backs were in the backfield at the same time. Elliot was at quarterback, and he handed the ball off to Barkley for a QB option. Dak Prescott recorded the only touchdown pass for the NFC as they lost to the AFC 26 to 7. The offensive MVP was Patrick Mahomes where he had 50 percent completion percentage for 156 yards and a touchdown. The defensive MVP was Jamal Adams of the New York Jets who got an interception and two tackles. Cowboys’ rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch led all tackles with seven. This is an experience that all football fans need to have, and hopefully, the Pro Bowl stays in Orlando.
