UPDATE: NFL.com "Taking the Pro Bowl to new locations can showcase our top players to more fans around the country. We are also in discussions with key leaders in Hawaii to continue our partnership with the State of Hawaii, which has embraced the Pro Bowl for 30 years."

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle issued the following statement today regarding the NFL Pro Bowl:
“I had the opportunity to speak with a senior NFL official earlier this month about their future plans for the Pro Bowl.  Our discussion about the partnership between the NFL and the state were open, candid and positive.  
“While I am disappointed the Pro Bowl likely will not be played in Hawai‘i in 2010, I respect the NFL’s decision to play the post-season all-star game in the same city as the Super Bowl, one-week before the Super Bowl, on a one-year test basis. 
“The senior leadership of the NFL told me explicitly that their decision had nothing to do with anything the State did or did not do, but was an opportunity to try something they had been talking about for years.
“I am optimistic that the Pro Bowl will return to Hawai‘i in 2011.  I, along with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, will continue to maintain open and ongoing dialogue with the NFL.  The State of Hawai‘i and the NFL have had a successful and collaborative 28-year relationship, and I am confident that this partnership will continue in the long-run.”

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