The National Football League has announced that Hawaii will be hosting its all-star Pro Bowl game once again in 2013. However, NFL officials have not commented about what will happen past 2013 and there has been speculation that the NFL may decide to cancel the Pro Bowl event completely. Brian McCarthy, spokesman for the NFL stated, “We’ll evaluate the event after (next) year’s game before making any decision about its future. The players expressed interest in improving the quality of play and playing the game in Hawaii.We’ll work closely with them to develop ways to improve the game’s competitiveness, which, we all agree, is not up to NFL standards.”
Domonique Foxworth, the president of the National Football League’s Players Association, added, “The players believe that the Pro Bowl is an important tradition. We worked hard with the league to make sure the best players in the NFL are honored for their achievements on the field.”
Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie commented, “This is wonderful news for football fans in Hawaii and elsewhere who love watching the game. It’s also great news for NFL players and their families who enjoy coming to our Aloha State.”
According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Pro Bowl generated approximately $25.8 million in visitor spending last year and approximately $2.8 million in taxes. More importantly, the attracts over 12.5 million people watched the Pro Bowl on television, which the Hawaii Tourism Authority argues is fantastic advertising. The state in turn paid the National Football League $4.15 million in 2012 to have the rights to host the Pro Bowl game.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5-31-2012, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
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