Pro Bowl loss a wakeup call for Hawaii
The writing’s on the wall for Hawaii’s Pro Bowl contract. And it says O-r-l-a-n-d-o in big, bold letters.
Although NFL officials are insisting that no decision has been made on where the 2017 all-star football game will be played, several news organizations have confirmed that it’s headed to the Sunshine State.
We bid the Pro Bowl a fond aloha, but what a shame that a tradition that’s been around for 30-plus years is slipping from our hands.
By leaving Hawaii, the NFL is opting out of its $5.2-million contract with the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). Most who recall this year’s Pro Bowl traffic fiasco at Aloha Stadium can hardly fault the NFL for exiting. Ticket-holding fans were stuck in traffic for hours — with some never making it through the stadium turnstiles.
The event’s departure must compel the HTA and Aloha Stadium officials to regroup, to do a serious post-mortem of the Jan. 31 debacle to ensure future events don’t experience the same fate.
And just weeks before the all-star matchup, the U.S. women’s soccer team abruptly canceled its game at the Aloha Stadium against Trinidad and Tobago, citing unsafe turf conditions.
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The 11th-hour cancellation also brought to light that there was no executed contract between the HTA and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The HTA argued that the lack of an executed contract worked in its favor, saving it from paying the soccer federation $200,000 to serve as a marketing sponsor — but it also highlighted the authority’s loose oversight of the contract.
These missteps clearly call for better management of high-profile sporting events.
Management of sports tourism is the responsibility of the HTA, which must shore up that part of its operation and aggressively pursue revenue- generating sporting events — especially now that $5.2 million would be freed up with the Pro Bowl leaving town.
The annual gathering of football stars here was good — at times great — while it lasted.
For many local kids and families, the Pro Bowl gave them a rare chance to meet NFL players, who were often gracious with fans during the week of events leading up to the game.
The NFL all-star game has been played at Aloha Stadium every year since it moved to Hawaii in 1980, with the exception of 2010 when it was played in South Florida and 2015’s game in Glendale, Ariz.
It’s commendable that the state was able to hold on to the event that long, but regrettable that the relationship ended so messily this year.
Orlando’s gain is Hawaii’s loss, especially the tourism benefits related to the Pro Bowl: HTA has cited $26.2 million in economic impact for the state. The images of sunny Hawaii, shown via the televised game, also was a boon for tourism marketing.
In response to the NFL’s “pending” decision on the Pro Bowl, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel, “I think it is pretty much ours to lose.”
Unfortunately, that used to be our line.
22 responses to “Pro Bowl loss a wakeup call for Hawaii”
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We shouldn’t be paying them so much to come here. most of the net benefit of the pro bowl probably goes to tourist industry profits and doesn’t completely make it back to tax payers pockets.
Agree. NFL likes to rip off our local politicians. SA needs to do a little more homework on the issue. As usual, bad planning led to last year’s debacle. I’ve never gone to a Pro Bowl and I’m a football fan. To drop a chunk of change to watch players perform at 50% or less is not entertaining. It’s a RIP OFF! Orlando is paying a lot less to host the event so let them have it forever.
Wakeup call?
We got bigger problems we need to wake up to, like HART. HPD. Nextera. TMT.
agree. NFL officials laughed all the way to the bank as people like Mufi gave away the store. IN addition to overpaying the NFL for a game,me few acre about anymore, locals fans were bored with the distraction. SA is wrong on this one but right that HTA has again failed to do much of anything for the vast amount of money the taxpayer gives them annually.
The condition and maintenance of the field is a major problem. Maybe someone can explain why Charlie Taguchi still has a job.
Yes, field is in need of maintenance, but the entire Aloha Stadium complex is in shameful condition. It is a dump.
The editor is still in the denial phase of this loss that independent studies clearly showed was an economic rip-off that has existed for decades from the NFL’s Pro bowl. Worse yet, Honolulu’s not-so-great metropolitan newspaper fails again to connect the dots between the HTA, the failed convention center, the failing rail, the failing stadium, the failing highways and byways, the state hospital, cancer center and university and the big three elephants sitting in the room all needing to be fed by the taxpayer, i.e., the collective liabilities of the general obligation bonds, the ERS and the EUTF. The bottom line is that there is no money to make the current payments due without borrowing more money or raising taxes, both of which are digging the hole to economic failure closer to the end.
Think you are right plus who cares about the new system. It was a little bit more relevant when it was AFC vs NFC stars but now, it it is not at all relevant.
Wait! You forgot the failing zoo!
agree
Take the 5 million and create activities for tourists and locals to do. Concerts, motor sports, parking in Lanikai, hiking trails, anything to enhance the Islands.
Thousands enjoy the pro bowl and I don’t know how you put a price tag on the national advertising window it brings us. In addition, you’re talking about giving 5 million dollars to a govt that can spend that overnight helping 200 homeless. 200 homeless who won’t do anything different or the enjoyment of thousands?
Where are these thousands that enjoy the Pro Bowl?
The Pro Bowl was a vacation for the players paid for by the state. Flew over to watch a game and it wasn’t worth it.
The Pro Bowl morphed into a game of flag football. The competition is gone and it fades away as does American Idol.
Attendance at the PRO-Bowl sucks. It should now be called the “Touch Bowl!” I went to the first two Pro-Bowls when Terry Bradshaw was the QB for the Steelers. The stadium was sold out. Now that was Pro Football at it’s best. No holding back on the tackling or other rough stuff. I can understand the concept of the games that are played now by keeping the “Hard Hitting Tackling and other stuff because of the investment of todays NFL stars. Having said all that, use the $5 mil for other Aloha Spirits for tourist or the Homeless.
bullturd: Agree wholeheartedly. It’s become an entertainment for quarterbacks and receivers. Defensive backs let receivers make those long receptions look easy and this why the scores are blown out. It’s not like what it use to be, hard hitting and low scoring games. Who cares if the game goes to Orlando. They can watch touch football in Orlando and hope the fans don’t get bored and start booing the players. It’s all about how the pro-bowlers wanting to have a good time with their families and could careless about getting serious and focus on the game.
The game is a farce and the pre game is nothing. The NFL “owes” the people of Hawaii a regular season game. They used Hawaii as much as Hawaii used them.They would sell out the stadium in the first day of sales even if they doubled the price of admission!
Doubt if the NFL will go to Orlando. The players and their families look forward to coming back to Hawaii. No players no game!
Hope the HTA can keep his event in Hawaii. Big money? Yes, but compared to how much the companies paid to advertise at this year’s Super Bowl? $5 million for just one (1) 30 second TV commercial. The beer company with horses paid for more that 6 of them.
How about putting those HTA resources into promoting indigenous sports like surfing? The World Surf League could use an infusion of cash and would be a very effective channel to get Hawaii’s SUN, SAND and SURF image out globally.
That whatever is a sham. No tackle hard only touch the qb , no bllitzing , free trip to Hawaii for family and friends. this is not a game.. boring.
Big time players no show to get hurt and ruin contracts, who needs this? Go and no come back . Poor sense of economy .
Make better use of the stadium and get big time concerts or similar.
No loss at all. Very few even care anymore.