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NFL Cancels Pro Bowl Due To COVID-19

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OVID-19 cancellations of sport are not behind us just yet, as the NFL has announced it has cancelled the 2021 Pro Bowl due to COVID-19.

This marks the first time since 1949 the NFL has not held its postseason All-Star Game.

The NFL said Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, who was set to host the 2021 edition before its cancellation, will now host the 2022 Pro Bowl.

So far due to COVID-19, the NFL has been forced to postpone four regular season matches after only starting one month ago in September, with the NFL Network indicating the league will not rule out adding more weeks on to extend the regular season if more games are affected.

The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl saw 7.97 million viewers tune into the broadcasts on ESPN and ABC, despite the death of NBA great, Kobe Bryant, whose death was announced an hour before the game started.

The NFL and the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) have however stated there will be virtual activations in place instead of the Pro Bowl in January to help fill the commercial void and mitigate the losses by cancelling the event.

To run these activations, the NFL will still select players to each respective Pro Bowl team at the end of the season as usual, via fan, player and coach voting, with the selected players set to participate in what the league defined “a variety of engaging activities to replace the Pro Bowl game this season.”

NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, said the league has a constant need for “flexibility and adapting” as the NFL attempts to fill an entire regular season and postseason.

“We cannot grow complacent, not the players, not the coaches, not the rest of personnel,” Goodell said.

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