Jerry Rice blasts players’ attitudes towards Pro Bowl
By Stu White
Jerry Rice, undoubtedly the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, had some harsh words about current NFL players when he was asked about the new format for the Pro Bowl. According to Rice, changing the format isn’t going to solve any of the problems unless the players themselves change their attitudes:
"You’ve got prima donnas, egocentrics, who act like it’s not an honor. Plus, they’re thinking, ‘Why should I go and jeopardize what I’m doing?’ But it should be for the fans.”How can you get the players to recognize that it’s an honor? You’ve got to play your best football in the Pro Bowl. So the spirit of this needs to be changed. I’m not sure that can be accomplished now. If they want a vacation, go to the Bahamas. Back in the day, it was an honor to play in the Pro Bowl. (USA Today)"
In an interesting twist, Rice was named (along with Deion Sanders) as one of the captains in charge of selecting the teams under the new format. Needless to say, if you’re a player picked by Rice, you better show up ready to play.
[Source: USA Today]