Football season is coming to a close but not just yet! There are still two very big games to be played. Of course the Super Bowl is the must see, most talked about, and widely publicized of the two but let’s not forget about the one in paradise. Here’s a sneak peek and a little history behind the upcoming Pro Bowl, held where else, but in beautiful Hawaii!
An all-star pro-football game has been played since 1939 but took an eight year hiatus from 1942 to 1950. For the early part of the Pro Bowl’s history it was been played in a different city each year until finally in 1980 it was moved to Aloha Stadium on the island of Oahu. Hawaii has remained the site of the Pro Bowl for 30 consecutive games.
Aloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium is located in Halawa, Hawaii in the city of Honolulu. It is where the University of Hawaii football team plays, as well as local high school games, concerts, events, and even a swap meet that brings large crowds every week. Built in 1975, Aloha Stadium has hosted the Pro-Bowl from 1980-2009 but was replaced by Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida for the 2010 game. Football lovers couldn’t keep it away from paradise for long and the game returned to Hawaii in 2011.
In previous years, the Pro-Bowl was played as a best of the best from the NFC (National Football Conference) and the AFC (American Football Conference.) Players from each conference were teamed together to compete against the other. As some interest in the game decreased over the years, the rules have been changed for the 2014 season. The teams will now be based on the choices of two team captains who will pick their players in a fantasy draft that will be televised.
With the new rule changes, it’s sure to be interesting how it all plays out. If you can’t make it to the islands to grab a mai tai and watch the game, football fans can catch the game this Sunday, January 26, 2014 on NBC.