The Pro Bowl doesn't traditionally attract a big television audience, but many New Yorkers will feel inclined to tune in for a bit tonight. Long time Giant great Tiki Barber will be suiting up for the final time before submitting his formal retirement papers when he returns from Hawaii. With Frank Gore set to start and Steven Jackson waiting in the wings, touches may be limited for Barber. That won't matter for Tiki. He's just happy to be playing in a third straight Pro Bowl with twin Ronde. To make things even better, he'll be coached by Sean Payton, a man he credits for elevating his career to new heights. Given the circumstances I expect Payton to involve Barber in some fun ways, but I expect Tiki to baske in all of the interview opportunities he'll have throughout the game.
Out of the four all-star competitions for major spots (yes, I loosely include hockey), the Pro Bowl is the only post-season game. In seasons past they used a clever advertising scheme "One last, final last, game' to try and rope in NFL enthusiasts for one last time before a long offseason, but there's little attention surrounding this year's game. CBS is telecasting on a Saturday as opposed to the traditional Sunday, and the game is having trouble attracting stars. Many of the competitors from last Sunday's Super Bowl have pulled out for a variety of reasons and even Golden Boy Tom Brady opted for a Pebble Beach Pro-AmGolf tournament then to fill in for the injured Philip Rivers. The NFL has benefitted from a wealth of attention to its offeason, so a lack of interest in it's all-star festivities has not hurt the sport. Following the draft has become as intense a passion to the fans as regular season play, so the "offseason" does not last quite as long. Once the final whistles blows tonight, expect Draft 2007 coverage to hit the accelerator.
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