The NFL is creating an almost full-scale temporary football field inside the south wing of San Francisco's Moscone Center to host the Pro Bowl. The event is designed as a made-for-television production with an invitation-only audience of about 2,000 after the previous year's record-low viewership. ESPN will air the Pro Bowl Games live with a pregame tribute to John Beam and a scheduled kickoff around 5 p.m. Regular fans can only attend by buying an NFL Experience ticket for the game day to serve as seat-fillers; other seating is reserved for players' guests and a youth group. Organizers aim for an energetic, lively atmosphere despite the windowless, subterranean venue.
"Beginning on Sunday, the temporary gridiron will play host to many of the NFL's biggest names in another attempt to rekindle interest in its annual All-Star event. After drawing record-low television viewership last year, the league is taking no chances with a made-for-TV event played in front of an invitation-only audience of 2,000 fans. Ewell, in charge of global events, said that while the goal is still to celebrate the 44 representatives from each conference, we want to have a compelling television product for ESPN,"
"There's only one way for a regular football fan to get in: Buy a ticket to the NFL Experience for Tuesday, the day of the game, and get a chance to serve as a seat-filler. The other spots in bleachers behind each end zone are reserved for players' friends and family. A standing-room-only riser on one sideline will host a group of kids from the Oakland nonprofit Youth UpRising that Ewell likened to The Wall at the Clippers' new arena."
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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