5 facts about the history of the NFL Pro Bowl that you may not know

Steelers, Pro Bowl
Steelers, Pro Bowl | Kent Nishimura/GettyImages
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NFL Pro Bowl games were played in different cities before Hawaii

Many people immediately think of Hawaii when they hear the NFL Pro Bowl. It's a dream place to visit for most people, especially in the United States. You always hear stories about how magical those islands are, and it was the host of the event for many years. The NFL has gone away from Hawaii since 2009, and it seems to have deteriorated the game since.

The first couple of years of the then "All-Star" game was located in Los Angeles, which would have been a treat for the players at the time. It was a different event that was described earlier in the article. Before the All-Star game folded because of the war, it ended up hosting its final two contests in Philadelphia and New York. Two big cities that would surely bring interest to the players.

The return to Los Angeles happened again and stayed from 1950 till 1972. It was still a magical idea to go to California and see the lights and glamor of Los Angeles. The idea of East vs West was used till 1969 when it finally became the NFC vs AFC during the 1970 Pro Bowl. The game would bump around from place to place throughout the 70s which included locations like Miami, Seattle, Kansas City, Dallas, Tampa, New Orleans, and back to Los Angeles again.

Finally, the NFL came up with the idea of playing in Hawaii in 1980 and that is where the game would be held for nearly 30 years. It was an exciting place that players were attracted to participate in. After that, it flip-flopped from Hawaii, Arizona, Las Vegas, and different locations in Florida. Hawaii has always been the premiere place, but the NFL has not gone back there for a while.

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