Houston bids to hold Pro Bowl in 2017
DENNIS ODA / JAN. 31
Todd Gurley celebrates his TD catch in the second quarter of the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.
The City of Houston is bidding to hold the 2017 Pro Bowl in conjunction with the Super Bowl, further complicating Hawaii’s push to retain the game.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the city’s bid for the annual NFL all-star game, which would be held the week before Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.
Australian media reports have previously said Sydney and Melbourne are also making bids.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “No decisions have been made on the future of the Pro Bowl. We have received interest from cities in the U.S. and from around the world.”
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has a contract with the NFL for the 2017 game but under terms of the agreement either party may opt out before March 31.
McCarthy said, “We anticipate making a decision this spring.”
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According to the Houston Chronicle, Turner recently told a press conference, “The Pro Bowl has historically been held in Hawaii, but I know the NFL is trying to consolidate their Super Bowl experience with the Pro Bowl. They’d like them to be held in the same city. It just makes it much easier for everybody who’s traveling who’s affiliated with the city and the Super Bowl.”
The only two Pro Bowls not held in Aloha Stadium since 1980 were matched with Super Bowls in Glendale, Ariz. (2015) and South Florida (2010).
17 responses to “Houston bids to hold Pro Bowl in 2017”
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Not sure we want this silly game.
I thought I read that the Hawaii Tourist Authority had negotiated for the Pro Bowl to return to Hawaii in 2017, and to be played 1 week after the Super Bowl.
Read the story!
Good bye and good riddance…..
there must be something you don’t know or understand if other state and countries are bidding for the pro bowl.
Yeah…they haven’t felt the sting of being a sucker…yet
gotta be careful what we wish for. the pro bowl has and continues to be great advertising for Hawaii. We don’t have that kind of money to get such great exposure for our islands. the players love it here! They say they love it here and that says a lot for our tourism industry. Those who say good bye and good riddance got no aloha spirit.
No aloha Spirit, not really. People are just tired of a make believe game. If the NFL can go all over the world for a regular season game, why not here? The stadium too small, double the price of thickets, it will still sell out!
Where are you getting this information on the advertising value? Thin air?,,
Goodell should be fired. He’s an idiot.
Good news – let Houston have it – State saves $5 million.
And the State loses $10 million in tourist dollars.
That’s like what it costs to air just one super bowl commercial.
Dozo…
Byem bye Pro Bowl. And don’t pay them even more. Hawaii doesn’t get a very good return on its investment.
Let Houston have it! Good riddance to a utterly ugly display of touch football. Even half the original squad opted out of attending , so the players were mostly practice squad quality. No one I know watched it.
Wow…that many!