Fitzgerald Cecilio

For the 33rd time, the Pro Bowl will be played at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, the NFL and NFL Players Association jointly announced.

"The players have made it clear through the NFL Players Association that they would like the opportunity to continue to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii," NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson told nfl.com.

"We will support the players on this initiative to improve the Pro Bowl. We have had many discussions with the players in recent years about the Pro Bowl and they recognize that the quality of the game has not been up to NFL standards," he added.

"The players believe that the Pro Bowl is an important tradition," said NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth. "We worked hard with the league to make sure the best players in the NFL are honored for their achievements on the field."

The 2012 Pro Bowl on NBC was watched by an average of 12.5 million viewers, the second most-watched NFL All-Star game since.

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie welcomed the return of the Pro Bowl, calling it "wonderful news for football fans not just in the island state but elsewhere".

"It's also great news for NFL Players and their families who enjoy coming to our Aloha State," Abercrombie said in a statement.

Since its revival in 1950, the Pro Bowl was played in Los Angeles, California from 1951 to 1972 before it was moved to different sites in the next seven years.

The game was moved to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii for thirty consecutive seasons from 1980 through 2009 before it was played at Life Stadium in 2010. The 2011 and 2012 editions of the Pro Bowls were played in Hawaii.

"The players have made it clear through the NFL Players Association that they would like the opportunity to continue to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii," said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson. "We will support the players on this initiative to improve the Pro Bowl. We have had many discussions with the players in recent years about the Pro Bowl and they recognize that the quality of the game has not been up to NFL standards. We look forward to working with the players toward the goal of improving the competitiveness of this season's game."

"The players believe that the Pro Bowl is an important tradition," said NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth. "We worked hard with the league to make sure the best players in the NFL are honored for their achievements on the field."

The NFL's All-Star Game will be played the week before the Super Bowl for the fourth consecutive year. The 2012 Pro Bowl on NBC was watched by an average of 12.5 million viewers, the second most-watched NFL All-Star game since 2001 behind 2011's game (13.4 million viewers). The Pro Bowl was the most-watched all-star game in all of sports in the 2011 season.

Embattled Pro Bowl Returns to Hawaii for 33rd Time - NFL Football News