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SPORTS Tuesday 27 sepTember 2022
NFL ends Pro Bowl; skills competitions, flag game instead

By ROB MAADDI the best athletes in the NFL
AP Pro Football Writer out there playing this game
The NFL is replacing the Pro that is so much about the
Bowl with weeklong skills future of our sport,” said
competitions and a flag O’Reilly, the league’s ex-
football game, The Associ- ecutive vice president,
ated Press has learned. club business and league
The new event will replace events. “It’s been an evo-
the full-contact showcase lution, but coming out of
started in 1951. It will be Las Vegas last year, we re-
renamed “The Pro Bowl ally focused on how do we
Games” and will feature reinvent and celebrate our
AFC and NFC players show- all-stars even better.”
casing their football and The league plans to an-
non-football skills in chal- nounce the new format on
lenges over several days. Monday.
The 2023 Games will be “The Pro Bowl has always
held in Las Vegas, and the been a time to step back
flag football game at Al- and celebrate the game of
legiant Stadium is Sunday, football with teammates,
Feb. 5. fans and family,” Manning
Peyton Manning and told the AP.
his Omaha Productions “I’m thankful I can contin-
company will help shape ue to be part of the week
programming and pro- as all of us at Omaha Pro-
mote the event’s content AFC quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15), of the Kansas City Chiefs passes against the NFC during ductions work with the NFL
throughout the week. Man- the first half of the Pro Bowl NFL football game, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Las Vegas. to reimagine The Pro Bowl
ning, a 14-time Pro Bowl Associated Press Games.
pick during his Hall of Fame Making Sunday’s game a
career, will provide his per- away from the traditional for 21 seasons before the ting. flag football game is great
spective and will also be a tackle football game. We game moved to different The NFL has a major inter- to see. Youth football has
part of the coaching staff decided the goal is to cel- cities from 1972-80. est in flag football. The been extremely important
for flag game. ebrate 88 of the biggest Hawaii hosted from 1980- league partnered with the to me, and knowing NFL
“The Pro Bowl is something stars in the NFL in a really 2009, and the game has International Federation of FLAG will help grow this
that we’ve been looking at positive, fun, yet competi- had several homes in the American Football to bring sport, I hope boys and girls
for a while, really continu- tive way. years since, including Mi- flag football to The World can see themselves play-
ing to evolve,” NFL execu- “The feedback very direct- ami, Phoenix, Orlando and Games in July with an eye ing the same game as the
tive Peter O’Reilly told The ly from guys who had been Las Vegas. on the 2028 Olympics in Los best players in the world.”
Associated Press. “Coming in the Pro Bowl recently Quality of play in the Pro Angeles. Fan voting will still help de-
out of last year’s game, was to keep the construct Bowl has often been criti- “You tap into all the stuff termine the AFC and NFC
we really made the deci- of the week, make sure cized. Players, understand- that feels great about Pro team rosters.
sion based on a lot of inter- you’re having that multi- ably concerned about Bowl week, the skills, the Tom Brady has the most
nal conversations, getting day element. It was over- getting hurt, treat it as an helmets off, the engage- invitations to the Pro Bowl
feedback from GMs and whelmingly positive both exhibition more than com- ment and then culminate with 15.
coaches, getting a lot of from players as well as from petition. A flag football that, keeping the AFC-NFC Four players got 14 invites,
feedback from players. We clubs.” game could increase com- construct, in something including Manning. The
think there’s a real opportu- The Pro Bowl debuted in petition while avoiding po- that’s really important, East-West Shrine Bowl will
nity to do something wholly January of 1951 in Los An- tential injuries resulting from which is flag football and be held at Allegiant Sta-
different here and move geles and stayed there tackling, blocking and hit- that opportunity to have dium on Thursday, Feb. 2.q

Fury rules out fighting Joshua after

deadline expires

LONDON (AP) — Tyson Fury and gone. It’s gone past 5 60-40 purse split in favor of
has ruled out fighting fel- o’clock, Monday. No con- Fury.
low British heavyweight tract has been signed. The unbeaten Fury’s last
Anthony Joshua after his “It’s officially over for Josh- fight was in April when he
self-imposed deadline ex- ua. He is now out in the knocked out another Brit-
pired. cold with the wolfpack.” ish fighter, Dillian Whyte,
Fury set Joshua’s camp an Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s pro- in front of around 90,000
ultimatum on Friday night, moter, had already said spectators at Wembley
insisting he would walk there was “no chance” of Stadium.
away from the long-antici- contracts being signed by Fury’s hopes of landing a
pated fight if a deal could Monday, while Joshua said fight with Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, of England, walks away after knocking out Deontay
not be done by Monday. on Sunday that the nego- who retained the WBA, Wilder in the 11th round of a heavyweight championship
In a video posted on Ins- tiations were down to his WBO and IBF belts by beat- boxing match on Oct. 9, 2021, in Las Vegas. Associated Press
tagram, the WBC cham- lawyers. ing Joshua in Saudi Arabia
pion said: “Well guys, it’s Joshua had verbally ac- last month, were dashed he did not intend to fight Fury then turned his sights
official. D-day has come cepted Fury’s offer of a when the Ukrainian said again this year. on Joshua.q