It’s a game that boasts some of the most successful and famed NFL players of all time- big shots topping the fantasy football drafts and fan favorite lists.  But no matter how famous these all-stars are, the Pro Bowl is undoubtedly the most overlooked among the NFL’s competitions, catching ratings exponentially lower than the super bowl.  Take, for example, this year’s Pro Bowl, which only about 11 million people tuned into, as compared to the Super Bowl, which more than 96 million people watched (and that’s the lowest viewer number since 2010, significantly less than last year.)

In comparison, the games were vastly different in terms of score.  The pro bowl ended with a score of 22-21, and the game seemed evenly matched from the get-go. Compared to the Super Bowl, where Seattle managed to score almost immediately and Denver didn’t have a single point to call their own until the third quarter, this year’s Pro Bowl was certainly less one-sided, keeping fans guessing, whereas the Sea hawks were clearly celebrating their victory before their game had even ended.

Despite this inconsistency, the Pro Bowl is still totally overshadowed and receives significantly less advertisement from the media, leaving many wondering why. And the answer is simple: team spirit. Just like Cub fans, tragically hoping for an eventual win and sticking to their guns despite notoriety, football fans are also endlessly loyal to their own teams. Fans take pride in things associated with their own teams, which is why jersey numbers, colors, and mascots are so iconic.

As for the Pro Bowl, where teams aren’t associated with a city and the captains select players, that indestructible devotion just isn’t a factor.  In the end, sports fans cheer for their team as a whole, not for single individuals. We’ve been told all our lives that there is no ‘i’ in team, and that leads to one conclusion: there are no fans in the Pro Bowl.