The Pro Bowl is coming up as a rather interesting appetizer before the Super Bowl. The NFL All-Star Game has been played since 1939. And it has undergone various format changes to become the Pro Bowl we have today.
When and how is it played?
The Pro Bowl is played between the Championship Round and the Super Bowl. It used to be traditionally held in Hawaii. But in recent times, the venue of choice has been Camping World Stadium, in Orlando, Florida.
2023 Pro Bowl Game
DATE | AWAY | HOME | STADIUM | EST |
02-04-2023 | AFC | NFC | CAMPING WORLD STADIUM | TBD |
History
In 1938, the idea of an NFL All-Star Game was realized with the following format: the reigning NFL champion would face a team of NFL stars composed of players who were not part of any of the league’s champions. This format lasted from 1938 to 1942.
The Pro Bowls returned in 1950, pitting the best from the National Conference against the best from the American Conference, lasting from 1950 to 1952.
Starting in 1953, the conferences were realigned to simply be known as East vs. West, and this lasted until 1969.
By 1970, and continuing until 2012 with the merger of the AFL and NFL, the now-formed NFL All-Star Game was played between the AFC and NFC conferences. Between 2013 and 2015, the game had a format with teams represented by various captains was implemented. However, it didn’t yield the expected results, and it returned to the battle of determining which conference was superior, the AFC or NFC.
As you can see, the Pro Bowl serves as the highlight of the most important week in American sports, intensifying the excitement for Super Sunday to the maximum.
Pro Bowl Record
Here are the winners of the match since 1970 (AFL-NFL merge):
PRO BOWL WINNERS | ||
TEAM | WINS | WIN YEARS |
AFC | 26 | 1971,1972,1973,1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
NFC | 23 | 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2022 |