NFL Pro Bowl Reportedly Heading to Orlando

NFL Pro Bowl is the equivalent of NBA All Star Weekend. The difference? Not everyone has the coins to go to Hawaii, the resident host of the event. The Pro Bowl was hosted exclusively in Honolulu, HI for 30 years. In 2010, it was hosted in Miami and then Phoenix in 2015. The Pro Bowl is the most watched All Star game out of any of the major US Sports teams. According to new reports, in 2017, Orlando will be the home to the Pro Bowl. The event will take place at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. 

There are a few major sports culture changes being made in Orlando, a city famously known for theme parks such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World. 

It was announced that Frank Vogel will be the new Head Coach of the Orlando Magic. Vogel, now former Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers will replace Scott Skiles who recently resigned. Maybe the recent episode of ESPN’s 30 for 30: The Magic Moment stirred up some attention to the rise and fall and current uprise of the Orlando Magic. The Magic should see great changes with this new direction.

But that's not it! Orlando Sports' scene has been on the come up for some time and new implementations make the city more attractive. Orlando shook the table with the inaugural season of MLS' Orlando City Soccer in 2015 with an audience of 62,510. There is not a place you can go in Orlando where you won't see Orlando City's logo on the back of someone's car.

Orlando Citrus Sports has seen great success and opportunity with their bowl games. Already home to the long withstanding Florida Blue Classic featuring FAMU and Bethune Cookman, Florida Citrus Sports also hosts the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, and Russell Athletic Bowl. This year, Florida Citrus Sports hosted Florida State’s 2016 Spring Game on April 9th, in which over 22,000 tickets were sold. For a spring game! It was announced that FCSports will be hosting Ole Miss vs FSU (2016), Alabama vs Louisville (2018), and Florida vs Miami (2019) as part of their Camping World Kickoff series.

Speaking of college sports, UCF Athletics should see a great improvement. UCF Football ended off 2015 with a losing season literally, of 0 – 12. This was followed by George O’Leary’s retirement. UCF hired Scott Frost of the powerhouse Oregon as new Head Football Coach. Frost was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback coach at Oregon. You know, the Oregon team that beat the undefeated FSU in the Rosebowl. The team that was led by the current QB of the Tennessee Titans, Marcus Mariota. UCF Football should see a drastic change, which is needed. Current alumni football successes include Latavius Murray, who had a phenomenal season with the Oakland Raiders; Blake Bortles, Breshad Perriman, Matt Prater, vet Brandon Marshall and several others. During the tutelage of Frost, I suspect there will be countless more pro alumni to turnover. UCF hired Danny White as their new Athletic Director in 2015 as well. White comes from a sports family and is the brother of Gator Men’s Basketball Coach, Mike White. In March, White fired both Men and Women’s basketball coaches Donnie Jones and Joi Williams after both teams lost in the first round of their American Athletic Conference tournaments. He in turn hired Johnny Dawkins as the new Men’s Basketball coach and Katie Abrahamson – Henderson to preside over the Women’s Basketball team. Danny White did NOT come to play! UCF Athletics will be something to look out for starting in the Fall. 

While newer additions to Orlando are out here snatching people by their wigs, other teams in Orlando are making noise too. Orlando is home to the Orlando Solar Bears, part of ECHL Hockey League, founded in 2011. Many of us are just catching on to how “lit” hockey is.

Another current Orlando team that is thriving is the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators. The Orlando Predators are in their 25th season and currently hold an undefeated season record of 7-0. Between 1998 and 2008, Jay Gruden was the Head Coach and a player for the Orlando Predators. Gruden is the current head coach of the Washington Redskins. 

Many would not initially see Orlando as a sports town, but they will in the near future. Orlando will be hosting the Copa America Soccer Tournament in 2016 as well as WrestleMania in 2017. After a successful hosting of the 2012 NBA All Star Weekend and the new acquisition of the Pro Bowl, Orlando is becoming a coveted site for major sports events. There has been constant gossip of Orlando petitioning to bring an NFL team home. With the movement of the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles and other NFL teams considering moves, it might be somewhat likely for that wish to be granted.

Whatever the case, Orlando ain’t just home to Mickey Mouse anymore. There's a lot more magic in Orlando than the Orlando Magic.

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