Don’t look now, but the NFL may have finally realized that no one wants to watch substandard football. No, sadly, Thursday Night Football has not gotten the hook.
However, the NFL has come up with one of the best ideas they’ve had since the flea flicker, with the decision to make dodgeball, among other things, one of the events in the skills competition at this year’s Pro Bowl in Orlando.
According to Pro Football Talk, “The new competition will include four events. There will be a dodgeball game between members of the teams, a relay race, a precision passing contest and a challenge for quarterbacks and wide receivers that will see them try to complete “as many pass attempts as possible before time runs out.” While it has little to do with the game of football, there would seem to be less interesting things on television on a January Thursday evening than a dodgeball game between NFL players. We’ll see if the viewing public agrees in a little more than a month.”
This idea deserves three fist bumps and a donkey kick score. How did they not think of this sooner? This skills competition just might get a higher rating than the game itself. Even back when it used to consist of relatively tame events such as the 40-yard dash and beach football the skills competition was always the best part of the Pro Bowl.
Imagine the ferocity of a dodgeball game between bitter rivals Josh Norman and Odell Beckham Jr. Of course, the potential for injury will always loom large at events like this. One well-thrown ball to the head could put a player in concussion protocol.
One person who absolutely should get a front row seat to the dodgeball competition is “Dodgeball” actor Ben Stiller, and only if he shows up in full White Goodman regalia. You won’t have to worry about White Goodman getting injured. After all, nobody makes him bleed his own blood, nobody.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn