Is the NFL in a public relations crisis? Sunday’s viewership ratings for the exhibition scrimmage known as the ‘Pro Bowl’ does not give strong evidence of that. according to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, the game pulled in 8.6 million viewers between its broadcasts on both ESPN and on ABC.
That is not only up somewhat significantly from last season, and even more significantly from the season prior, it is, as he put into context, a high enough number that would place it seventh as the most-watched if it were a regular season college football game.