document_title: Pro Bowl

question_text: when was the last time the pro bowl was played in hawaii

text: Pro Bowl

text: History of the Pro Bowl[edit]

text: The first "Pro All-Star Game", featuring the all-stars of the 1938 season (as well as three players from the Los Angeles Bulldogs and Hollywood Bears, who were not members of the league), was played on January 15, 1939 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.[9][10] The NFL All-Star Game was played again in Los Angeles in 1940 and then in New York and Philadelphia in 1941 and 1942 respectively. Although originally planned as an annual contest, the all-star game was discontinued after 1942 because of travel restrictions put in place during World War II.[11] During the first five all-star games, an all-star team would face that year's league champion. The league champion won the first four games before the all-stars were victorious in the final game of this early series.

text: The concept of an all-star game was not revived until June 1950, when the newly christened "Pro Bowl" was approved.[11] The game was sponsored by the Los Angeles Publishers Association. It was decided that the game would feature all-star teams from each of the league's two conferences rather than the league champion versus all-star format which had been used previously. This was done to avoid confusion with the Chicago College All-Star Game, an annual game which featured the league champion against a collegiate all-star team. The teams would be led by the coach of each of the conference champions.[11] Immediately prior to the Pro Bowl, following the 1949 season, the All-America Football Conference, which contributed three teams to the NFL in a partial merger in 1950, held its own all-star game, the Shamrock Bowl.

text: The first 21 games of the series (1951–1972) were played in Los Angeles. The site of the game was changed annually for each of the next seven years before the game was moved to Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii for 30 straight seasons from 1980 through 2009. The 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game (a decision probably due to increasingly low Nielsen ratings from being regarded as an anti-climax to the Super Bowl). With the new rule being that the conference teams do not include players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl then returned to Hawaii in 2011 but was again held during the week before the Super Bowl, where it remained for three more years.

text: The 2012 game was met with criticism from fans and sports writers for the lack of quality play by the players (see below). On October 24, 2012, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had second thoughts about the Pro Bowl, telling a Sirius XM show that if the players did not play more competitively [in the 2013 Pro Bowl], he was "not inclined to play it anymore".[12][13] During the ensuing off-season, the NFL Players Association lobbied to keep the Pro Bowl, and negotiated several rule changes to be implemented for the 2014 game. Among them, the teams will no longer be AFC vs. NFC, and instead be selected by captains in a fantasy draft. For the 2014 game, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders were chosen as alumni captains, while their captains were Drew Brees and Robert Quinn (Rice), along with Jamaal Charles and J. J. Watt (Sanders).[14]

text: On April 9, 2014, the NFL announced that the 2015 Pro Bowl would be played the week before the Super Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 25, 2015.[15] The game returned to Hawaii in 2016, and the "unconferenced" format was its last.[16]

text: For 2017, the league considered hosting the game at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which if approved will be the first time the game has been hosted outside the United States.[17] The NFL is also considering future Pro Bowls in Mexico and Germany. The NFL hopes that by leveraging international markets with the star power of Pro Bowls, international popularity and viewership will increase.[18] A report released May 19, 2016, indicated that the 2017 Pro Bowl would instead be hosted at a newly renovated Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida; Orlando beat out Brazil (which apparently did not make the final round of voting), Honolulu, Super Bowl host site Houston, and a bid from Sydney, Australia for the hosting rights.[19] On June 1, 2016, the league announced that it was restoring the old conference format.[20]

text: Player selection[edit]

text: Currently, players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the players themselves, and the fans. Each group's ballots count for one third of the votes. The fans vote online at the NFL's official website. There are also replacements that go to the game should any selected player be unable to play due to injuries. Prior to 1995, only the coaches and the players made Pro Bowl selections.

text: In order to be considered a Pro Bowler for a given year, a player must either have been one of the initial players selected to the team, or a player who accepts an invitation to the Pro Bowl as an alternate; invited alternates who decline to attend are not considered Pro Bowlers. Players whose teams advanced to the Super Bowl do not play in the Pro Bowl, and they are replaced by alternate players.

text: From 2014 to 2016, players did not play according to conference; instead, were placed in a draft pool and chosen by team captains.[14] Since 2017, players per conference are placed into separate draft pools and chosen by their team captains.

text: Coaching staff[edit]

text: When the Pro Bowl was held after the Super Bowl, the head coaches were traditionally the head coaches of the teams that lost in the AFC and NFC championship games for the same season of the Pro Bowl in question. From 1978 through 1982, the head coaches of the highest ranked divisional champion that lost in the Divisional Playoff Round were chosen.[21] For the 1983 Pro Bowl, the NFL resumed selecting the losing head coaches in the conference championship games. In the 1999 Pro Bowl, New York Jets head coach Bill Parcells, after his team lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, had to decline due to health reasons and Jets assistant head coach Bill Belichick took his place.[22]

text: When the Pro Bowl was moved to the weekend between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl in 2009, the team that lost in the Divisional Playoff Round with the best regular-season record would have their coaching staffs lead their respective conference Pro Bowl team returning to the format used from 1978–1982. It remained that way through 2013; it resumed in 2017. If the losing teams of each conference had the same regular season record the coaches from the higher-seeded team will get the Pro Bowl honor.[23] From 2014 to 2016, the Pro Bowl coaches came from the two teams with the best records that lost in the Divisional Playoffs. (In the 2015 Pro Bowl, when John Fox left his coaching job with Denver after his playoff loss to Indianapolis that year, John Harbaugh of Baltimore took over. The next year saw Green Bay's assistant coach Winston Moss took over as Mike McCarthy resigned from coaching due to illness.)

text: Game honors[edit]

text: A Player of the Game was honored 1951–1956. 1957–1971, awards were presented to both an Outstanding Back and an Outstanding Lineman. In 1972 and since 2014, there are awards for both an Outstanding Offensive Player and an Outstanding Defensive Player. 1973–2007, only one Player of the Game award was honored (though thrice this award has been presented to multiple players in a single game). In 2008 the award was changed to Most Valuable Player (MVP).[24]

text: Players are paid for participating in the game with the winning team receiving a larger payout. The chart below shows how much the players of their respective teams earn:[citation needed]

text:
Years
Winners
Losers

2011/2013
$50,000
$25,000

2012
$65,000
$40,000

2014
$53,000
$26,000

2015/2016
$55,000
$28,000

2017
$61,000
$30,000

2018
$64,000
$32,000

text: Rule differences[edit]

text: The Pro Bowl has different rules from other NFL games to make the game safer.[25][26]

text:
No motion or shifting by the offense
Offense must have a running back and tight end in all formations
Offense may have 1 or 2 receivers on the same side
Intentional grounding is legal
Defense must run a 4–3 at all times, though the Cover 2 and press coverage is allowed[14]
No blitz; DEs and tackles can rush on passing plays, provided they are on same side of ball
No blindside or below the waist blocks
Can not rush punts, PATs or FG attempts
Coin toss determines who receives first; loser receives to start 3rd period
Kickoffs are eliminated (including free kicks)[14]
Teams will start on their own 25-yard line after any score or at the start of each half/odd overtime[14]
38-second play clock to run plays
Deep middle safety must be aligned within hash marks
Replay reviews are allowed
44-player roster per team

text: In case of a tie after regulation, multiple 15-minute OT periods will be played (with each team receiving two time outs per period), and in the first overtime teams receive one possession to score unless one of them scores a touchdown/safety on its first possession. True sudden death rules apply thereafter if both teams have had their initial possession and the game remains tied. The Pro Bowl is not allowed to end in a tie, unlike preseason and regular season games. (In general, beyond the 1st overtime, whoever scores first wins. The first overtime starts as if the game had started over, like the NFL Playoffs.)

text: Pro Bowl uniforms[edit]

text: The teams are made of players from different NFL teams, so using their own uniforms would be too confusing. The players each wear the helmet of their team, but the home jerseys and pants are either a solid blue for the NFC or solid red for the AFC, with white jerseys with blue or red accents, respectively, for the away team. While it had been speculated that the color of Pro Bowl jerseys was determined by the winner of the Super Bowl—as it had been played post-Super Bowl for many years—this is untrue. The design of Pro Bowl uniforms is changed every two years, and the color and white jerseys are rotated along with the design change. This has been Pro Bowl tradition since the switch to team specific helmets, which started with the January 1979 game. The two-year switch was originally created as a marketing ploy by Nike, and was continued by Reebok, which won the merchandising contract in 2002. Nike subsequently won the contract back in 2011.

text: The early Pro Bowl, contested by the National Football League's Eastern and Western Division stars and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featured the same uniforms from the 1950s to mid-1960s; the Eastern team wore scarlet jerseys with white numerals and a white crescent shoulder stripe, white pants with red stripe, red socks, and a plain red helmet. The Western team wore white jerseys with royal-blue numerals and a Northwestern University-style Ukon triple stripe on the sleeves, white pants with blue stripe and socks and a plain blue helmet. Perhaps oddly, the Eastern team wore home dark jerseys, although the host city team, the Los Angeles Rams, were members of the Western Conference. From January 1967 to January 1970 both teams wore gold helmets with the NFL logo on the sides; the Eastern helmets featured a red-white-red tri-stripe and the Western a similar blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In fact, the players brought their own game helmets to Los Angeles, which were then spray-painted and decorated for the contest. For the 1970 game the helmets featured the '50 NFL' logo, commemorating the league's half-century anniversary.

text: In the earliest years of the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, the players did not wear their unique helmets, as they do now. The AFC All-Stars wore a solid red helmet with a white A on it, while the NFC players wore a solid white helmet with a blue N on it. The AFC's red helmets were paired with white jerseys and red pants, while the NFC's white helmets were paired with blue jerseys and white pants.

text: Two players with the same number who are elected to the Pro Bowl can now wear the same number for that game. This was not always the case in the past.

text: The 2008 Pro Bowl included a unique example of several players from the same team wearing the same number in a Pro Bowl. For the game, Washington Redskins players T Chris Samuels, TE Chris Cooley, and LS Ethan Albright all wore the number 21 (a number normally inappropriate for their positions) in memory of their teammate Sean Taylor, who had been murdered during the 2007 season.[27]

text: On October 7, 2013, Nike unveiled the uniforms for the 2014 Pro Bowl, which revealed that the red, white and blue colors that the game uniforms bore throughout its entire history will no longer be used for this game. As the NFC–AFC format was not used between 2014 through 2016, team 1 sported a white uniform with bright orange and team 2 sported a gray uniform with volt green.[28] The new uniforms received mixed reviews from fans and sports columnists alike, one even mentioning that the game would look like an "Oregon vs. Oklahoma State" game.[29]

text: Since 2017, when the conference format was restored, the league takes an approach similar to the NFL Color Rush initiative, in which jerseys, pants, and socks were all a uniform colour (red for the AFC, blue for the NFC).

text: Game results[edit]

text: NFL All-Star Games (1938–1942)[edit]

text:
Season
Date
Score
Venue
Attendance
Head coaches

1938
January 15, 1939
New York Giants 13, NFL All-Stars 10
Wrigley Field
15,000[30]
AS: Ray Flaherty (Washington) and Gus Henderson (Detroit)
NY: Steve Owen

1939
January 14, 1940
Green Bay Packers 16, NFL All-Stars 7
Gilmore Stadium
18,000
AS: Steve Owen (New York)
GB: Curly Lambeau

1940
December 29, 1940
Chicago Bears 28, NFL All-Stars 14
Gilmore Stadium
21,624
AS: Ray Flaherty (Washington)
CB: George Halas

1941
January 4, 1942
Chicago Bears 35, NFL All-Stars 24
Polo Grounds
17,725
AS: Steve Owen (New York)
CB: George Halas

1942
December 27, 1942
NFL All-Stars 17, Washington Redskins 14
Shibe Park
18,671
AS: Hunk Anderson (Chicago Bears)
Wash: Ray Flaherty

text: 1943–1950 – No games

text: NFL Pro Bowls (1950–1969)[edit]

text:
Season
Date
Score
Series
Most Valuable Players
Venue[31]
Attendance
Head coaches
Network

1950
January 14, 1951
American Conference 28, National Conference 27
AC, 1–0
Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns, Quarterback
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
53,676
AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland
NC: Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles

1951
January 12, 1952[32]
National Conference 30, American Conference 13
Tied, 1–1
Dan Towler, Los Angeles Rams, Running back
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
19,400
AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland
NC: Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles
NBC

1952
January 10, 1953[32]
National Conference 27, American Conference 7
NC, 2–1
Don Doll, Detroit Lions, Defensive back
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
34,208
AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland
NC: Buddy Parker, Detroit
NBC

1953
January 17, 1954
East 20, West 9
Tied, 2–2
Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles, Linebacker
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
44,214
EC: Paul Brown, Cleveland
WC: Buddy Parker, Detroit
DuMont

1954
January 16, 1955
West 26, East 19
West, 3–2
Billy Wilson, San Francisco 49ers, End
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
43,972
EC: Jim Trimble, Philadelphia
WC: Buck Shaw, San Francisco

1955
January 15, 1956
East 31, West 30
Tied, 3–3
Ollie Matson, Chicago Cardinals, Running back
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
37,867
EC: Joe Kuharich, Washington
WC: Sid Gillman, Los Angeles

1956
January 13, 1957
West 19, East 10
West, 4–3
Back: Bert Rechichar, Baltimore Colts
Lineman: Ernie Stautner, Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
44,177
EC: Jim Lee Howell, New York
WC: Paddy Driscoll, Chicago Bears

1957
January 12, 1958
West 26, East 7
West, 5–3
Back: Hugh McElhenny, San Francisco 49ers
Lineman: Gene Brito, Washington Redskins
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
66,634
EC: Buddy Parker, Pittsburgh
WC: George Wilson, Detroit
NBC

1958
January 11, 1959
East 28, West 21
West, 5–4
Back: Frank Gifford, New York Giants
Lineman: Doug Atkins, Chicago Bears
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
72,250
EC: Jim Lee Howell, New York
WC: Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore
NBC

1959
January 17, 1960
West 38, East 21
West, 6–4
Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts
Lineman: Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
56,876
EC: Buck Shaw, Philadelphia
WC: Red Hickey, San Francisco
NBC

1960
January 15, 1961
West 35, East 31
West, 7–4
Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts
Lineman: Sam Huff, New York Giants
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
62,971
EC: Buck Shaw, Philadelphia
WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay
NBC

1961
January 14, 1962
West 31, East 30
West, 8–4
Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns
Lineman: Henry Jordan, Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
57,409
EC: Allie Sherman, New York
WC: Norm Van Brocklin, Minnesota
NBC

1962
January 13, 1963
East 30, West 20
West, 8–5
Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns
Lineman: Eugene Lipscomb, Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
61,374
EC: Allie Sherman, New York
WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay
NBC

1963
January 12, 1964
West 31, East 17
West, 9–5
Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts
Lineman: Gino Marchetti, Baltimore Colts
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
67,242
EC: Allie Sherman, New York
WC: George Halas, Chicago
NBC

1964
January 10, 1965
West 34, East 14
West, 10–5
Back: Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings
Lineman: Terry Barr, Detroit Lions
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
60,598
EC: Blanton Collier, Cleveland
WC: Don Shula, Baltimore
NBC

1965
January 15, 1966
East 36, West 7
West, 10–6
Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns
Lineman: Dale Meinert, St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
60,124
EC: Blanton Collier, Cleveland
WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay
CBS

1966
January 22, 1967
East 20, West 10
West, 10–7
Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
Lineman: Floyd Peters, Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
15,062
EC: Tom Landry, Dallas
WC: George Allen, Los Angeles
CBS

1967
January 21, 1968
West 38, East 20
West, 11–7
Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
Lineman: Dave Robinson, Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
53,289
EC:Otto Graham, Washington
WC: Don Shula, Baltimore
CBS

1968
January 19, 1969
West 10, East 7
West, 12–7
Back: Roman Gabriel, Los Angeles Rams
Lineman: Merlin Olsen, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
32,050
EC: Tom Landry, Dallas
WC: George Allen, Los Angeles
CBS

1969
January 18, 1970
West 16, East 13
West, 13–7
Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears
Lineman: George Andrie, Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
57,786
EC: Tom Fears, New Orleans
WC: Norm Van Brocklin, Atlanta
CBS

text: AFC–NFC Pro Bowls (1970–2012)[edit]

text:
Season
Date
Score
Series
Most Valuable Player(s)
Venue
Attendance
Head coaches
Network

1970
January 24, 1971
NFC, 27–6
NFC, 1–0
Lineman: Fred Carr, Packers
Back: Mel Renfro, Cowboys
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
48,222
AFC: John Madden, Oakland
NFC: Dick Nolan, San Francisco
CBS

1971
January 23, 1972
AFC, 26–13
Tied, 1–1
Defense: Willie Lanier, Chiefs
Offense: Jan Stenerud, Chiefs
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
53,647
AFC: Don McCafferty, Baltimore
NFC: Dick Nolan, San Francisco
NBC

1972
January 21, 1973
AFC, 33–28
AFC, 2–1
O.J. Simpson, Bills, Running back
Texas Stadium
37,091
AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh
NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas
CBS

1973
January 20, 1974
AFC, 15–13
AFC, 3–1
Garo Yepremian, Dolphins, Placekicker
Arrowhead Stadium
66,918
AFC: John Madden, Oakland
NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas
NBC

1974
January 20, 1975[33]
NFC, 17–10
AFC, 3–2
James Harris, Rams, Quarterback
Miami Orange Bowl
26,484
AFC: John Madden, Oakland
NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles
ABC

1975
January 26, 1976[33]
NFC, 23–20
Tied, 3–3
Billy Johnson, Oilers, Kick returner
Louisiana Superdome
30,546
AFC: John Madden, Oakland
NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles
ABC

1976
January 17, 1977[33]
AFC, 24–14
AFC, 4–3
Mel Blount, Steelers, Cornerback
The Kingdome
64,752
AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh
NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles
ABC

1977
January 23, 1978[33]
NFC, 14–13
Tied, 4–4
Walter Payton, Bears, Running back
Tampa Stadium
51,337
AFC: Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore
NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles
ABC

1978
January 29, 1979[33]
NFC, 13–7
NFC, 5–4
Ahmad Rashād, Vikings, Wide receiver
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
46,281
AFC: Chuck Fairbanks, New England
NFC: Bud Grant, Minnesota
ABC

1979
January 27, 1980
NFC, 37–27
NFC, 6–4
Chuck Muncie, Saints, Running back
Aloha Stadium
49,800
AFC: Don Coryell, San Diego
NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas
ABC

1980
February 1, 1981
NFC, 21–7
NFC, 7–4
Eddie Murray, Lions, Placekicker
Aloha Stadium
50,360
AFC: Sam Rutigliano, Cleveland
NFC: Leeman Bennett, Atlanta
ABC

1981
January 31, 1982
AFC, 16–13
NFC, 7–5
Lee Roy Selmon, Buccaneers, Defensive end
Kellen Winslow, Chargers, Tight end
Aloha Stadium
50,402
AFC: Don Shula, Miami
NFC: John McKay, Tampa Bay
ABC

1982
February 6, 1983
NFC, 20–19
NFC, 8–5
Dan Fouts, Chargers, Quarterback
John Jefferson, Packers, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
49,883
AFC: Walt Michaels, New York Jets
NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas
ABC

1983
January 29, 1984
NFC, 45–3
NFC, 9–5
Joe Theismann, Redskins, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,445
AFC: Chuck Knox, Seattle
NFC: Bill Walsh, San Francisco
ABC

1984
January 27, 1985
AFC, 22–14
NFC, 9–6
Mark Gastineau, Jets, Defensive end
Aloha Stadium
50,385
AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh
NFC: Mike Ditka, Chicago
ABC

1985
February 2, 1986
NFC, 28–24
NFC, 10–6
Phil Simms, Giants, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,101
AFC: Don Shula, Miami
NFC: John Robinson, L.A. Rams
ABC

1986
February 1, 1987
AFC, 10–6
NFC, 10–7
Reggie White, Eagles, Defensive end
Aloha Stadium
50,101
AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland
NFC: Joe Gibbs, Washington
ABC

1987
February 7, 1988
AFC, 15–6
NFC, 10–8
Bruce Smith, Bills, Defensive end
Aloha Stadium
50,113
AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland
NFC: Jerry Burns, Minnesota
ESPN

1988
January 29, 1989
NFC, 34–3
NFC, 11–8
Randall Cunningham, Eagles, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,113
AFC: Marv Levy, Buffalo
NFC: Mike Ditka, Chicago
ESPN

1989
February 4, 1990
NFC, 27–21
NFC, 12–8
Jerry Gray, Rams, Cornerback
Aloha Stadium
50,445
AFC: Bud Carson, Cleveland
NFC: John Robinson, L.A. Rams
ESPN

1990
February 3, 1991
AFC, 23–21
NFC, 12–9
Jim Kelly, Bills, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,345
AFC: Art Shell, L.A. Raiders
NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco
ESPN

1991
February 2, 1992
NFC, 21–15
NFC, 13–9
Michael Irvin, Cowboys, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
50,209
AFC: Dan Reeves, Denver
NFC: Wayne Fontes, Detroit
ESPN

1992
February 7, 1993
AFC, 23–20 (OT)
NFC, 13–10
Steve Tasker, Bills, Special teams
Aloha Stadium
50,007
AFC: Don Shula, Miami
NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco
ESPN

1993
February 6, 1994
NFC, 17–3
NFC, 14–10
Andre Rison, Falcons, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
50,026
AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Kansas City
NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco
ESPN

1994
February 5, 1995
AFC, 41–13
NFC, 14–11
Marshall Faulk, Colts, Running back
Aloha Stadium
49,121
AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh
NFC: Barry Switzer, Dallas
ABC

1995
February 4, 1996
NFC, 20–13
NFC, 15–11
Jerry Rice, 49ers, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
50,034
AFC: Ted Marchibroda, Indianapolis
NFC: Mike Holmgren, Green Bay
ABC

1996
February 2, 1997
AFC, 26–23 (OT)
NFC, 15–12
Mark Brunell, Jaguars, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,031
AFC: Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville
NFC: Dom Capers, Carolina
ABC

1997
February 1, 1998
AFC, 29–24
NFC, 15–13
Warren Moon, Seahawks, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
49,995
AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh
NFC: Steve Mariucci, San Francisco
ABC

1998
February 7, 1999
AFC, 23–10
NFC, 15–14
Keyshawn Johnson, Jets, Wide receiver
Ty Law, Patriots, Cornerback
Aloha Stadium
50,075
AFC: Bill Belichick,[34] N.Y. Jets
NFC: Dennis Green, Minnesota
ABC

1999
February 6, 2000
NFC, 51–31
NFC, 16–14
Randy Moss, Vikings, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
50,112
AFC: Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville
NFC: Tony Dungy, Tampa Bay
ABC

2000
February 4, 2001
AFC, 38–17
NFC, 16–15
Rich Gannon, Raiders, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,128
AFC: Jon Gruden, Oakland
NFC: Dennis Green, Minnesota
ABC

2001
February 9, 2002[32]
AFC, 38–30
Tied, 16–16
Rich Gannon, Raiders, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,301
AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh
NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia
ABC

2002
February 2, 2003
AFC, 45–20
AFC, 17–16
Ricky Williams, Dolphins, Running back
Aloha Stadium
50,125
AFC: Jeff Fisher, Tennessee
NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia
ABC

2003
February 8, 2004
NFC, 55–52
Tied, 17–17
Marc Bulger, Rams, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,127
AFC: Tony Dungy, Indianapolis
NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia
ESPN

2004
February 13, 2005
AFC, 38–27
AFC, 18–17
Peyton Manning, Colts, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,225
AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh
NFC: Jim L. Mora, Atlanta
ESPN

2005
February 12, 2006
NFC 23–17
Tied, 18–18
Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers, Linebacker
Aloha Stadium
50,190
AFC: Mike Shanahan, Denver
NFC: John Fox, Carolina
ESPN

2006
February 10, 2007[32]
AFC 31–28
AFC, 19–18
Carson Palmer, Bengals, Quarterback
Aloha Stadium
50,410
AFC: Bill Belichick, New England
NFC: Sean Payton, New Orleans
CBS

2007
February 10, 2008
NFC 42–30
Tied, 19–19
Adrian Peterson, Vikings, Running back
Aloha Stadium
50,044
AFC: Norv Turner, San Diego
NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay
Fox

2008
February 8, 2009
NFC 30–21
NFC, 20–19
Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
49,958
AFC: John Harbaugh, Baltimore
NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia
NBC

2009
January 31, 2010
AFC 41–34
Tied, 20–20
Matt Schaub, Texans, Quarterback
Sun Life Stadium
70,697
AFC: Norv Turner, San Diego
NFC: Wade Phillips, Dallas
ESPN

2010
January 30, 2011
NFC 55–41
NFC, 21–20
DeAngelo Hall, Redskins, Cornerback
Aloha Stadium
49,338
AFC: Bill Belichick, New England
NFC: Mike Smith, Atlanta
Fox

2011
January 29, 2012
AFC 59–41
Tied, 21–21
Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, Wide receiver
Aloha Stadium
48,423
AFC: Gary Kubiak, Houston
NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay
NBC

2012
January 27, 2013
NFC 62–35
NFC, 22–21
Kyle Rudolph, Vikings, Tight end
Aloha Stadium
47,134
AFC: John Fox, Denver
NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay
NBC

text: Unconferenced Pro Bowls (2013–2015)[edit]

text:
Season
Date
Score
Most Valuable Player(s)
Venue
Attendance
Head coaches
Network

2013
January 26, 2014
Team Rice 22,
Team Sanders 21
Offense: Nick Foles, Eagles, Quarterback
Defense: Derrick Johnson, Chiefs, Linebacker
Aloha Stadium
47,270
Rice: Ron Rivera, Carolina
Sanders: Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis
NBC

2014
January 25, 2015
Team Irvin 32,
Team Carter 28
Offense: Matthew Stafford, Lions, Quarterback
Defense: J. J. Watt, Texans, Defensive end
University of Phoenix Stadium
63,225
Irvin: Jason Garrett, Dallas
Carter: John Harbaugh, Baltimore
ESPN

2015
January 31, 2016
Team Irvin 49,
Team Rice 27
Offense: Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Quarterback
Defense: Michael Bennett, Seahawks, Defensive end
Aloha Stadium
50,000
Irvin: Winston Moss, Green Bay
Rice: Andy Reid, Kansas City

text: AFC–NFC Pro Bowls (2016–present)[edit]

text:
Season
Date
Score
Series
Most Valuable Player(s)
Venue
Attendance
Head coaches
Network

2016
January 29, 2017
AFC 20–13
Tied, 22–22
Offensive: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, Tight end
Defensive: Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills, Linebacker
Camping World Stadium
60,834
AFC: Andy Reid, Kansas City
NFC: Jason Garrett, Dallas
ESPN

2017
January 28, 2018
AFC 24–23
AFC, 23–22
Offensive: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans, Tight end
Defensive: Von Miller, Denver Broncos, Linebacker
Camping World Stadium
51,019
AFC: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh
NFC: Sean Payton, New Orleans
ESPN/ABC

text: Stadiums that have hosted the Pro Bowl[edit]

text:
Wrigley Field (1939)
Gilmore Stadium (January and December 1940)
Polo Grounds (January 1942)
Shibe Park (December 1942)
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1951–1972, 1979)
Texas Stadium (1973)
Arrowhead Stadium (1974)
Miami Orange Bowl (1975)
Louisiana Superdome (1976)
Kingdome (1977)
Tampa Stadium (1978)
Aloha Stadium (1980–2009, 2011–2014, 2016)
Sun Life Stadium (2010)
University of Phoenix Stadium (2015)
Camping World Stadium (2017–present)

text: Records[edit]

text: Players with most appearances[edit]

text: As of the most recent Pro Bowl, the 2017 Pro Bowl, 39 players have been invited to at least ten Pro Bowls in their careers.[35] Except for those that are current active or not yet eligible, each of these players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Four players share the record of having been invited to 14 Pro Bowls, the first being Merlin Olsen, followed by Bruce Matthews, Tony Gonzalez, and Peyton Manning.[36]

text:
Pro
Bowls
Player
Position
Seasons by team
Selection years
Year of induction into
Pro Football Hall of Fame

14
Tony Gonzalez
TE
Kansas City Chiefs (1997–2008)
Atlanta Falcons (2009–2013)
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Eligible in 2019

14
Peyton Manning
QB
Indianapolis Colts (1998–2011)
Denver Broncos (2012–2015)
1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
Eligible in 2021

14
Bruce Matthews
G
Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Tennessee Titans (1983–2001)
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
2007

14
Merlin Olsen
DT
Los Angeles Rams (1962–1976)
1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
1982

13
Tom Brady
QB
New England Patriots (2000–present)
2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Active player

13
Ray Lewis
LB
Baltimore Ravens (1996–2012)
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
2018

13
Jerry Rice
WR
San Francisco 49ers (1985–2000)
Oakland Raiders (2001–2004)
Seattle Seahawks (2004)
1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002
2010

13
Reggie White
DE
Philadelphia Eagles (1985–1992)
Green Bay Packers (1993–1998)
Carolina Panthers (2000)
1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
2006

12
Champ Bailey
CB
Washington Redskins (1999–2003)
Denver Broncos (2004–2013)
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Eligible in 2019

12
Ken Houston
S
Houston Oilers (1967–1972)
Washington Redskins (1973–1980)
1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
1986

12
Randall McDaniel
G
Minnesota Vikings (1988–1999)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000–2001)
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
2009

12
Jim Otto
C
Oakland Raiders (1960–1974)
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972
1980

12
Junior Seau
LB
San Diego Chargers (1990–2002)
Miami Dolphins (2003–2005)
New England Patriots (2006–2009)
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
2015

12
Will Shields
G
Kansas City Chiefs (1993–2006)
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
2015

11
Larry Allen
G
Dallas Cowboys (1994–2005)
San Francisco 49ers (2006–2007)
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
2013

11
Drew Brees
QB
San Diego Chargers (2001–2005)
New Orleans Saints (2006–present)
2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
Active player

11
Derrick Brooks
LB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1995–2008)
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
2014

11
Brett Favre
QB
Atlanta Falcons (1991)
Green Bay Packers (1992–2007)
New York Jets (2008)
Minnesota Vikings (2009–2010)
1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009
2016

11
Larry Fitzgerald
WR
Arizona Cardinals (2004–present)
2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Active player

11
Bob Lilly
DT
Dallas Cowboys (1961–1974)
1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
1980

11
Tom Mack
G
Los Angeles Rams (1966–1978)
1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978
1999

11
Gino Marchetti
DE
Dallas Texans (1952)
Baltimore Colts (1953–1964; 1966)
1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
1972

11
Anthony Muñoz
OT
Cincinnati Bengals (1980–1992)
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
1998

11
Jonathan Ogden
OT
Baltimore Ravens (1996–2007)
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
2013

11
Willie Roaf
OT
New Orleans Saints (1993–2001)
Kansas City Chiefs (2002–2005)
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
2012

11
Bruce Smith
DE
Buffalo Bills (1985–1999)
Washington Redskins (2000–2003)
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
2009

11
Jason Witten
TE
Dallas Cowboys (2003–present)
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017
Active player

11
Rod Woodson
CB
Pittsburgh Steelers (1987–1996)
San Francisco 49ers (1997)
Baltimore Ravens (1998–2001)
Oakland Raiders (2002–2003)
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
2009

10
Joe Greene
DT
Pittsburgh Steelers (1969–1981)
1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979
1987

10
Ronnie Lott
S
San Francisco 49ers (1981–1990)
Los Angeles Raiders (1991–1992)
New York Jets (1993–1994)
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
2000

10
Leo Nomellini
DT
San Francisco 49ers (1950–1963)
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961
1969

10
Mel Renfro
S
Dallas Cowboys (1964–1977)
1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973
1996

10
Jim Ringo
C
Green Bay Packers (1953–1963)
Philadelphia Eagles (1964–1967)
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967
1981

10
Barry Sanders
RB
Detroit Lions (1989–1998)
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
2004

10
Joe Schmidt
LB
Detroit Lions (1953–1965)
1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963
1973

10
Mike Singletary
LB
Chicago Bears (1981–1992)
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
1998

10
Lawrence Taylor
LB
New York Giants (1981–1993)
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
1999

10
Joe Thomas
OT
Cleveland Browns (2007–present)
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Active player

10
Johnny Unitas
QB
Baltimore Colts (1956–1972)
San Diego Chargers (1973)
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967
1979

text: Television[edit]

text:
Under the prior NFL television contract which was in effect through the 2014 Pro Bowl, the network which aired the Super Bowl also aired the Pro Bowl. The 2007 game on CBS was held on the Saturday after Super Bowl XLI because of the 49th Grammy Awards. The 2008 game was on Fox, broadcaster of Super Bowl XLII. Likewise, the 2009 game was on NBC, broadcaster of Super Bowl XLIII. CBS sold off their rights to the 2010 game to ESPN, which was played a week before the Super Bowl at the Super Bowl site, Sun Life Stadium. CBS also declined to broadcast the 2013 game, which was instead shown on NBC. The 2014 game, also shown on NBC, was the final Pro Bowl on network television for four years, as exclusive broadcast rights moved to ESPN in 2015 prior to being simulcast with sister network ABC in 2018.
The Pro Bowl was originally broadcast on an alternative basis by CBS and NBC 1971–1974; the other network broadcast the Super Bowl. Later, the game was broadcast as part of the Monday Night Football package on ABC 1975–1987 and again 1995–2003. In 2004–2006, ABC sold its rights to the Pro Bowl to sister network ESPN (who had shown it 1988–1994). In those years, the ESPN Sunday Night Football crew covered the game.
In the early 2000s, after suffering through several years of dwindling ratings ABC considered moving the game to Monday night. The idea was scrapped, however, when ABC decided to sell off the rights to sister network ESPN.
Throughout his broadcasting career, John Madden declined to be part of the announcing crew when his network carried the Pro Bowl due to his aviatophobia and claustrophobia (a joke referencing both is made in the Madden NFL '97 video game before the beginning of the Pro Bowl in season mode, where Madden quips that he drove his "Madden Bus" to Hawaii, rather than flying). Until Madden's retirement from broadcasting after the 2009 Pro Bowl, it had only occurred twice: former San Diego Chargers quarterback and MNF personality Dan Fouts, whom Madden had replaced, took his place on ABC in 2003, and Cris Collinsworth took his place on NBC in 2009 (Collinsworth ended up replacing Madden permanently upon the latter's retirement).
ESPN will hold exclusive rights to the Pro Bowl from 2015 through 2022, although in 2018, the Pro Bowl returned to network television for the first time in four years as part of a joint ABC/ESPN simulcast (both sister networks are owned by The Walt Disney Company).[37]

text: Most watched Pro Bowls[edit]

text:
Rank
Game
Date
Matchup
Network
Viewers (millions)
TV Rating [38]
Location

1
2011 Pro Bowl
January 29, 2011
AFC
41
NFC
55
Fox
13.4
7.7
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

2
2000 Pro Bowl
February 6, 2000
AFC
31
NFC
51
ABC
13.2
8.6
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

3
2012 Pro Bowl
January 29, 2012
NFC
41
AFC
59
NBC
12.5
7.3
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

4
2010 Pro Bowl
January 31, 2010
AFC
41
NFC
34
ESPN
12.3
7.1
Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

5
2013 Pro Bowl
January 27, 2013
AFC
35
NFC
62
NBC
12.2
7.1
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

6
2014 Pro Bowl
January 26, 2014
Team Rice
22
Team Sanders
21
11.4
6.6
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

7
2008 Pro Bowl
February 10, 2008
AFC
30
NFC
42
Fox
10.0
6.3
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

8
2003 Pro Bowl
February 2, 2003
NFC
23
AFC
45
ABC
9.1
5.9
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

9
2009 Pro Bowl
February 8, 2009
NFC
30
AFC
21
NBC
8.8
5.4
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI

10
2015 Pro Bowl
January 25, 2015
Team Irvin
32
Team Carter
28
ESPN
8.8
5.1
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

text: Blackout policy[edit]

text: The Pro Bowl is still subject to the NFL's blackout policies, requiring the game to be blacked out within 75 miles (121 km) of the stadium site if the game does not sell out all of the stadium's seats.[39][40]

text: Criticism[edit]

text: Quality[edit]

text: For decades, the Pro Bowl has been criticized as a glamour event more than a football game. This is due to two causes: the voluntary nature of the game, and the fear of player injury.[citation needed]

text: While players are financially compensated for participating in the Pro Bowl, for a star player, the pay can be less than 1% of their salary. Many star players have excused themselves from participation over the years, meaning that the very best players are not necessarily featured. Not having the best players in the Pro Bowl was exacerbated by the introduction of fan voting (see section below).

text: Another criticism of the game is that the players—particularly on defense—are not playing "full speed". This is because player injury plays a much greater part in a team's success in the NFL as compared to the other major American sports. For this reason, unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB (which host their all-star events as a mid-season break), the Pro Bowl was historically held after the completion of the season and playoffs. This means that a player injured in the Pro Bowl would have at least six months to rehab before the next season begins. However, starting in 2010, the Pro Bowl was moved from the week after the Super Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl. Because of the above-noted fear of injury, players from the two teams participating in the Super Bowl were banned from participation, meaning that the absence of star players was only increased.

text: With the dearth of stars making the game the subject of much derision (Sports Illustrated website refused to even include one pre-game story on the event in 2012),[citation needed] the players on the field appear to be taking it less seriously as well.[citation needed] In the 2012 game, the lack of defensive effort was apparent, not only to anyone watching, but to anyone who saw the score of 100 points. One NFL player watching the game said, "They probably should have just put flags on them,"[41] indicating that the quality was about on the level of flag football. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the game needed to improve, otherwise it would be eliminated.[42][43] It is worth noting that entire teams have declined to participate after losing the conference championship, like the 2015 New England Patriots, which had seven starters on the Pro Bowl roster. This, among other factors, caused the 2016 Pro Bowl to be more of a game featuring emerging players, with a record of 133 players selected overall (including those who were absent), and ended up including rookie QB Jameis Winston instead of recognized veterans Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, who were both in the conversation for the 2015 NFL season MVP before losing in their respective conference finals.[44]

text: Selection process[edit]

text: Fan voting has increased criticism of the Pro Bowl. Voting by fans makes up 1/3 of the vote for Pro Bowl players. Some teams earn more selections of their players because fans often vote for their favorite team and not necessarily the best player. In the 2008 Pro Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys had thirteen players on the NFC roster, an NFL record. "If you're in a small market, no one really gets to see you play", said Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield, who spent much of his early career with the small-market Buffalo Bills. "If you're a quiet guy, it's hard to get the attention. You just have to work hard and play." Winfield made the Pro Bowl in 2008 after ten seasons of being shut out.[45]

text: The player voting has also been subject to significant criticism. It is not uncommon for players to pick the same players over and over again; former offensive lineman (and Sports Illustrated analyst) Ross Tucker has cited politics, incumbency, personal vendettas, and compensation for injury in previous years as primary factors in players' choices. Thus, players who have seen their play decline with age can still be perennially elected to the Pro Bowl due to their popularity among other players, something particularly common among positions such as the offensive line, where few statistics are available.[46] For example, in 2010, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs admitted voting for Ryan Fitzpatrick (then the backup quarterback of the Buffalo Bills) over eventual league most valuable player Tom Brady not because he thought Fitzpatrick was the better player but as a vote of disrespect toward Brady's team, the New England Patriots.[47]

text: Some players have had a surprisingly small number of Pro Bowl selections despite distinguished careers. Hall of Fame running back John Riggins was selected only once in his career from 1971 to 1985. He was not selected in the year after which he set the record for rushing touchdowns in a season and his team made it to the Super Bowl (although he did make the All-Pro team). Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke only made the Pro Bowl once, despite being named All-Pro seven times and being the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game. Defensive back Ken Riley never made the Pro Bowl in his 15 seasons, even though he recorded 65 interceptions, the fourth-highest total in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Former Jacksonville Jaguars halfback Fred Taylor, who is 15th in all-time rushing yards, was elected to his only Pro Bowl in 2007, despite averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career, better than all but five running backs ranked in the top 30 in all-time rushing. Aaron Smith made it to the Pro Bowl once in 13 years (2004) despite winning two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers and being named to the Sports Illustrated 2000s All Decade Team, despite defensive teammates such as Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, and James Harrison being named to multiple Pro Bowls during his career; Smith would often be ranked as one of the NFL's most underrated players during his career.[48]

text: Long snappers are picked by the coaches and not voted on at all. They are not allowed to play on their own coach's team.


document_title: United States at the FIFA World Cup

question_text: when was the last time the us did not qualify for the world cup

root

text: United States at the FIFA World Cup

text: Record at the FIFA World Cup[edit]

text:
World Cup record

Year
Result
Position
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA

 1930
Semi-finals
3rd[3]
3
2
0
1
7
6

 1934
Round 1
16th
1
0
0
1
1
7

 1938
Withdrew

 1950
Group stage
10th
3
1
0
2
4
8

 1954
Did not qualify

 1958

 1962

 1966

 1970

 1974

 1978

 1982

 1986

 1990
Group stage
23rd
3
0
0
3
2
8

 1994
Round of 16
14th
4
1
1
2
3
4

 1998
Group stage
32nd
3
0
0
3
1
5

  2002
Quarter-finals
8th
5
2
1
2
7
7

 2006
Group stage
25th
3
0
1
2
2
6

 2010
Round of 16
12th
4
1
2
1
5
5

 2014
Round of 16
15th
4
1
1
2
5
6

 2018
Did not qualify

 2022
To be determined

Total
10/21
0 Titles
33
8
6
19
37
62

tag: table

text: By Match[edit]

text:
World Cup
Round
Opponent
Score
Result
Scorers

1930
Group Stage
 Belgium
3-0
W
McGhee, Florie, Patenaude

 Paraguay
3-0
W
Patenaude (3)

Semi-Final
 Argentina
1-6
L
Brown

1934
First Round
 Italy
1-7
L
Donelli

1950
Group stage
 Spain
1–3
L
Pariani

 England
1–0
W
Gaetjens

 Chile
2-5
L
Wallace, Maca (pen.)

1990
Group stage
 Czechoslovakia
1–5
L
Caligiuri

 Italy
0–1
L

 Austria
1–2
L
Murray

1994
Group Stage
  Switzerland
1-1
D
Wynalda

 Colombia
2-1
W
Escobar (o.g.), Stewart

 Romania
0-1
L

Round of 16
 Brazil
0-1
L

1998
Group Stage
 Germany
0-2
L

 Iran
1-2
L
McBride

 Yugoslavia
0-1
L

2002
Group Stage
 Portugal
3-2
W
O'Brien, J. Costa (o.g.), McBride

 South Korea
1-1
D
Mathis

 Poland
1-3
L
Donovan

Round of 16
 Mexico
2-0
W
McBride, Donovan

Quarter-Final
 Germany
0-1
L

2006
Group Stage
 Czech Republic
0-3
L

 Italy
1-1
D
Zaccardo (o.g.)

 Ghana
1-2
L
Dempsey

2010
Group Stage
 England
1-1
D
Dempsey

 Slovenia
2-2
D
Donovan, Bradley

 Algeria
1-0
W
Donovan

Round of 16
 Ghana
1-2 (a.e.t.)
L
Donovan (pen.)

2014
Group Stage
 Ghana
2-1
W
Dempsey, Brooks

 Portugal
2-2
D
Jones, Dempsey

 Germany
0-1
L

Round of 16
 Belgium
1-2 (a.e.t.)
L
Green

text: Individual tournament results[edit]

text: Uruguay 1930[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1930 FIFA World Cup Third Place

MF Auld
FW Bookie
MF Brown
GK Douglas
FW Florie (c)
DF Gallagher
DF Gentle
MF Gonsalves
FW McGhee
DF Moorhouse
MF Oliver
FW Patenaude
MF Slone
DF Tracey
DF Vaughn
DF Wood
Coach: Millar

text: Group 4 final standings[edit]

text:
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts

 United States
2
2
0
0
6
0
+6
4

 Paraguay
2
1
0
1
1
3
−2
2

 Belgium
2
0
0
2
0
4
−4
0

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (UYT)

tag: p

text: United States  v  Belgium

text:
July 13, 1930
3:00 p.m.
Group 4

text:
United States
3–0
 Belgium

Report

text:
Estadio Parque Central, Montevideo
Attendance: 18,346
Referee: José Macías (Argentina)

text: United States  v  Paraguay

text:
July 17, 1930
2:45 p.m.
Group 4

text:
United States
3–0
 Paraguay

Report

text:
Estadio Parque Central, Montevideo
Attendance: 18,306
Referee: José Macías (Argentina)

text: Argentina  v  United States

text:
July 26, 1930
2:45 p.m.
Semifinal

text:
Argentina
6–1
 United States

Report

text:
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 72,886
Referee: John Langenus (Belgium)

text: Italy 1934[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1934 FIFA World Cup

MF Amrhein
DF Czerkiewicz
FW Dick
FW Donelli
MF Fiedler
MF Florie
MF Gallagher
MF Gonsalves
DF Harker
GK Hjulian
MF Lehman
MF Lynch
DF Martinelli
FW McLean
DF Moorhouse
FW Nilsen
MF Pietras
DF Rapp
FW Ryan
Coach: Gould

text: Game[edit]

text: Italy  v  United States

text:
May 27, 1934
4:30 p.m. (CEST)
Round of 16

text:
Italy
7–1
 United States

Report

text:
Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Rene Mercet (Switzerland)

text: Brazil 1950[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1950 FIFA World Cup

GK Borghi
GK Gard
DF Annis
DF Coombes
DF Keough
DF Maca
MF Bahr
MF Colombo
MF McIlvenny
FW Craddock
FW DiOrio
FW Gaetjens
FW Pariani
FW E. Souza
FW J. Souza
FW Wallace
FW Wolanin
Coach: Jeffrey

text: Group 2 final standings[edit]

text:
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
Pts

 Spain
3
3
0
0
6
1
6

 England
3
1
0
2
2
2
2

 Chile
3
1
0
2
5
6
2

 United States
3
1
0
2
4
8
2

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local BRT (UTC-03)

text: Spain  v  United States

text:
June 25, 1950
3:00 p.m.

text:
Spain
3–1
 United States

Report

text:
Estádio Durival de Britto, Curitiba
Attendance: 9,511
Referee: Mario Vianna (Brazil)

text: United States  v  England

text:
June 29, 1950
3:00 p.m.

text:
United States
1–0
 England

Report

text:
Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte
Attendance: 10,151
Referee: Generoso Dattilo (Italy)

text: Chile  v  United States

text:
July 2, 1950
3:00 p.m.

text:
Chile
5–2
 United States

Report

text:
Estádio Ilha do Retiro, Recife
Attendance: 8,501
Referee: Mario Gardelli (Brazil)

text: Italy 1990[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup

1 Meola
2 Trittschuh
3 Doyle
4 Banks
5 Windischmann (c)
6 Harkes
7 Ramos
8 Bliss
9 Sullivan
10 Vermes
11 Wynalda
12 Krumpe
13 Eichmann
14 Stollmeyer
15 Armstrong
16 Murray
17 Balboa
18 Keller
19 Henderson
20 Caligiuri
21 Covone
22 Vanole
Coach: Gansler

text: Group A final standings[edit]

text:
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts

 Italy
3
3
0
0
4
0
+4
6

 Czechoslovakia
3
2
0
1
6
3
+3
4

 Austria
3
1
0
2
2
3
−1
2

 United States
3
0
0
3
2
8
−6
0

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

text: United States  v  Czechoslovakia

text:
June 10, 1990
5:00 p.m.
Group A

text:
United States
1–5
 Czechoslovakia

Report

text:
Stadio Comunale, Florence
Attendance: 33,266
Referee: Kurt Röthlisberger (Switzerland)

text: Italy  v  United States

text:
June 14, 1990
9:00 p.m.
Group A

text:
Italy
1–0
 United States

Report

text:
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 73,423
Referee: Edgardo Codesal (Mexico)

text: Austria  v  United States

text:
June 19, 1990
9:00 p.m.
Group A

text:
Austria
2–1
 United States

Report

text:
Stadio Comunale, Florence
Attendance: 34,857
Referee: Jamal Al Sharif (Syria)

text: United States 1994[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup

1 Meola (c)
2 Lapper
3 Burns
4 Kooiman
5 Dooley
6 Harkes
7 Pérez
8 Stewart
9 Ramos
10 Wegerle
11 Wynalda
12 Sommer
13 Jones
14 Klopas
15 Moore
16 Sorber
17 Balboa
18 Friedel
19 Reyna
20 Caligiuri
21 Clavijo
22 Lalas
Coach: Milutinović

text: Group A final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 Romania
3
2
0
1
5
5
0
6
Advance to knockout stage

2
  Switzerland
3
1
1
1
5
4
+1
4

3
 United States (H)
3
1
1
1
3
3
0
4

4
 Colombia
3
1
0
2
4
5
−1
3

text: Ranking of third-placed teams[edit]

text:
Pos
Grp
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
D
 Argentina
3
2
0
1
6
3
+3
6
Advance to knockout stage

2
F
 Belgium
3
2
0
1
2
1
+1
6

3
A
 United States
3
1
1
1
3
3
0
4

4
E
 Italy
3
1
1
1
2
2
0
4

5
B
 Russia
3
1
0
2
7
6
+1
3

6
C
 South Korea
3
0
2
1
4
5
−1
2

text: Games[edit]

text: United States  v   Switzerland

text:
June 18, 1994
11:30 a.m. EDT
Group A

text:
United States
1–1
  Switzerland

Report

text:
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac
Attendance: 73,425
Referee: Francisco Oscar Lamolina (Argentina)

text: United States  v  Colombia

text:
June 22, 1994
7:30 p.m. PDT
Group A

text:
United States
2–1
 Colombia

Report

text:
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Attendance: 93,869
Referee: Fabio Baldas (Italy)

text: United States  v  Romania

text:
June 26, 1994
4:00 p.m. PDT
Group A

text:
United States
0–1
 Romania

Report

text:
Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Attendance: 93,869
Referee: Mario van der Ende (Netherlands)

text: Brazil  v  United States

text:
July 4, 1994
12:30 p.m. PDT
Round of 16

text:
Brazil
1–0
 United States

Report

text:
Stanford Stadium, Stanford
Attendance: 84,147
Referee: Joël Quiniou (France)

text: France 1998[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup

1 Friedel
2 Hejduk
3 Pope
4 Burns
5 Dooley (c)
6 Regis
7 Wegerle
8 Stewart
9 Moore
10 Ramos
11 Wynalda
12 Agoos
13 Jones
14 Preki
15 Deering
16 Sommer
17 Balboa
18 Keller
19 Maisonneuve
20 McBride
21 Reyna
22 Lalas
Coach: Sampson

text: Group F final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 Germany
3
2
1
0
6
2
+4
7
Advance to knockout stage

2
 Yugoslavia
3
2
1
0
4
2
+2
7

3
 Iran
3
1
0
2
2
4
−2
3

4
 United States
3
0
0
3
1
5
−4
0

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

text: Germany  v  United States

text:
June 15, 1998
9:00 p.m.
Group F

text:
Germany
2–0
 United States

Report

text:
Parc des Princes, Paris
Attendance: 45,500
Referee: Said Belqola (Morocco)

text: United States  v  Iran

text:
June 21, 1998
9:00 p.m.
Group F

text:
United States
1–2
 Iran

Report

text:
Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Attendance: 39,100
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)

text: United States  v  Yugoslavia

text:
June 25, 1998
9:00 p.m.
Group F

text:
United States
0–1
 Yugoslavia

Report

text:
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
Attendance: 35,500
Referee: Gamal Al-Ghandour (Egypt)

text: Korea-Japan 2002[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup

1 Friedel
2 Hejduk
3 Berhalter
4 Mastroeni
5 O'Brien
6 Regis
7 Lewis
8 Stewart
9 Moore
10 Reyna (c)
11 Mathis
12 Agoos
13 Jones
14 Cherundolo
15 Wolff
16 Llamosa
17 Beasley
18 Keller
19 Meola
20 McBride
21 Donovan
22 Sanneh
23 Pope
Coach: Arena

text: Group D final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 South Korea (H)
3
2
1
0
4
1
+3
7
Advance to knockout stage

2
 United States
3
1
1
1
5
6
−1
4

3
 Portugal
3
1
0
2
6
4
+2
3

4
 Poland
3
1
0
2
3
7
−4
3

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (UTC+9)

text: United States  v  Portugal

text:
June 5, 2002
6:00 p.m.
Group D

text:
United States
3–2
 Portugal

Report

text:
Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon
Attendance: 37,306
Referee: Byron Moreno (Ecuador)

text: South Korea  v  United States

text:
June 10, 2002
3:30 p.m.
Group D

text:
South Korea
1–1
 United States

Report

text:
Daegu World Cup Stadium, Daegu
Attendance: 60,778
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)

text: Poland  v  United States

text:
June 14, 2002
8:30 p.m.
Group D

text:
Poland
3–1
 United States

Report

text:
Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon
Attendance: 26,482
Referee: Lu Jun (China)

text: Mexico  v  United States

text:
June 17, 2002
3:30 p.m.
Round of 16

text:
Mexico
0–2
 United States

Report

text:
Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju
Attendance: 36,380
Referee: Vítor Melo Pereira (Portugal)

text: Germany  v  United States

text:
June 21, 2002
8:30 p.m.
QF

text:
Germany
1–0
 United States

Report

text:
Munsu Cup Stadium, Ulsan
Attendance: 37,337
Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)

text: Germany 2006[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup

1 Howard
2 Albright
3 Bocanegra
4 Mastroeni
5 O'Brien
6 Cherundolo
7 Lewis
8 Dempsey
9 Johnson
10 Reyna (c)
11 Ching
12 Berhalter
13 Conrad
14 Olsen
15 Convey
16 Wolff
17 Beasley
18 Keller
19 Hahnemann
20 McBride
21 Donovan
22 Onyewu
23 Pope
Coach: Arena

text: Group E final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 Italy
3
2
1
0
5
1
+4
7
Advance to knockout stage

2
 Ghana
3
2
0
1
4
3
+1
6

3
 Czech Republic
3
1
0
2
3
4
−1
3

4
 United States
3
0
1
2
2
6
−4
1

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

text: United States  v  Czech Republic

text:
June 12, 2006
6:00 p.m.
Group E

text:
United States
0–3
 Czech Republic

Report

text:
FIFA WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen
Attendance: 52,000
Referee: Carlos Amarilla (Paraguay)

text: Italy  v  United States

text:
June 17, 12006
9:00 p.m.
Group E

text:
Italy
1–1
 United States

Report

text:
Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern
Attendance: 46,000
Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay)

text: Ghana  v  United States

text:
June 22, 2006
4:00 p.m.
Group E

text:
Ghana
2–1
 United States

Report

text:
FIFA WM Stadion Nürnberg, Nuremberg
Attendance: 41,000
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

text: South Africa 2010[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup

1 Howard
2 Spector
3 Bocanegra (c)
4 M. Bradley
5 Onyewu
6 Cherundolo
7 Beasley
8 Dempsey
9 Gomez
10 Donovan
11 Holden
12 Bornstein
13 Clark
14 Buddle
15 DeMerit
16 Torres
17 Altidore
18 Guzan
19 Edu
20 Findley
21 Goodson
22 Feilhaber
23 Hahnemann
Coach: B. Bradley

text: Group C final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 United States
3
1
2
0
4
3
+1
5
Advance to knockout stage

2
 England
3
1
2
0
2
1
+1
5

3
 Slovenia
3
1
1
1
3
3
0
4

4
 Algeria
3
0
1
2
0
2
−2
1

text: Games[edit]

text: All times local (UTC+02)

text: England  v  United States

text:
June 12, 2010
8:30 p.m.
Group C

text:
England
1–1
 United States

Report

text:
Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Attendance: 38,646
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)[4]

text: Slovenia  v  United States

text:
June 18, 2010
4:00 p.m.
Group C

text:
Slovenia
2–2
 United States

Report

text:
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Attendance: 45,573
Referee: Koman Coulibaly (Mali)[5]

text: United States  v  Algeria

text:
June 23, 2010
4:00 p.m.
Group C

text:
United States
1–0
 Algeria

Report

text:
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Attendance: 35,827
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

text: United States  v  Ghana

text:
June 26, 2010
8:30 p.m.
Round of 16

text:
United States
1–2 (a.e.t.)
 Ghana

Report

text:
Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Attendance: 34,976
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

text: Brazil 2014[edit]

text:
[show]

v
t
e

United States squad – 2014 FIFA World Cup

1 Howard
2 Yedlin
3 Gonzalez
4 Bradley
5 Besler
6 Brooks
7 Beasley
8 Dempsey (c)
9 Jóhannsson
10 Diskerud
11 Bedoya
12 Guzan
13 Jones
14 Davis
15 Beckerman
16 Green
17 Altidore
18 Wondolowski
19 Zusi
20 Cameron
21 Chandler
22 Rimando
23 Johnson
Coach: Klinsmann

text: Group G final standings[edit]

text:
Pos
Team

v
t
e

Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification

1
 Germany
3
2
1
0
7
2
+5
7
Advance to knockout stage

2
 United States
3
1
1
1
4
4
0
4

3
 Portugal
3
1
1
1
4
7
−3
4

4
 Ghana
3
0
1
2
4
6
−2
1

text: Games[edit]

text: Ghana  v  United States

text:
June 16, 2014
7:00 p.m. UTC−3
Group G

text:
Ghana
1–2
 United States

Report

text:
Arena das Dunas, Natal
Attendance: 39,760
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

text: United States  v  Portugal

text:
June 22, 2014
6:00 p.m. UTC−4
Group G

text:
United States
2–2
 Portugal

Report

text:
Arena da Amazônia, Manaus
Attendance: 40,123
Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

text: United States  v  Germany

text:
June 26, 2014
1:00 p.m. UTC−3
Group G

text:
United States
0–1
 Germany

Report

text:
Arena Pernambuco, Recife
Attendance: 41,876
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

text: Belgium  v  United States

text:
July 1, 2014
5:00 p.m. UTC−3
Round of 16

text:
Belgium
2–1 (a.e.t.)
 United States

Report

text:
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador
Attendance: 51,227
Referee: Djamel Haimoudi (Algeria)

text: Record Players[edit]

text:
No.
Name
Matches
World Cups

1
Landon Donovan
12
2002, 2006 and 2010

2
Cobi Jones
11
1994, 1998 and 2002

Earnie Stewart
11
1994, 1998 and 2002

DaMarcus Beasley
11
2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014

5
Brian McBride
10
1998, 2002 and 2006

Claudio Reyna
10
1998, 2002 and 2006

Clint Dempsey
10
2006, 2010 and 2014

8
Tab Ramos
9
1990, 1994 and 1998

Eddie Pope
9
1998, 2002 and 2006

10
Marcelo Balboa
8
1990, 1994 and 1998

Eric Wynalda
8
1990, 1994 and 1998

Michael Bradley
8
2010 and 2014

Tim Howard
8
2010 and 2014

text: Top Goalscorers[edit]

text:
Player
Goals
1930
1934
1950
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014

Donovan, LandonLandon Donovan
5

2

3

Patenaude, BertBert Patenaude
4
4

Dempsey, ClintClint Dempsey
4

1
1
2

McBride, BrianBrian McBride
3

1
2

Bradley, MichaelMichael Bradley
1

1

Brown, JimJim Brown
1
1

Caligiuri, PaulPaul Caligiuri
1

1

Donelli, AldoAldo Donelli
1

1

Florie, TomTom Florie
1
1

Gaetjens, JoeJoe Gaetjens
1

1

Green, JulianJulian Green
1

1

Maca, JoeJoe Maca
1

1

Mathis, ClintClint Mathis
1

1

McGhee, BartBart McGhee
1
1

Murray, BruceBruce Murray
1

1

O'Brien, JohnJohn O'Brien
1

1

Pariani, GinoGino Pariani
1

1

Stewart, EarnieEarnie Stewart
1

1

Wallace, FrankFrank Wallace
1

1

Wynalda, EricEric Wynalda
1

1

Brooks, JohnJohn Brooks
1

1

Jones, JermaineJermaine Jones
1

1

~ !Own goals
3

1

1
1

Total
37
7
1
4
2
3
1
7
2
5
5

text: Jeff Agoos (scored for Portugal in 2002)


document_title: Icelandic cuisine

question_text: what kind of fish do they eat in iceland

text: Icelandic cuisine

text: History[edit]

text: The roots of Icelandic cuisine are to be found in the traditions of Scandinavian cuisine, as Icelandic culture, from its settlement in the 9th century onwards, is a distinctly Nordic culture with a traditional economy based on subsistence farming. Several events in the history of Iceland were of special significance for its cuisine. With Christianisation in 1000 came the tradition of fasting and a ban on horse meat consumption. More significantly in terms of farming and food supply was the onset of the Little Ice Age in the 14th century. Farmers were not able to grow barley anymore and had to rely on imports for any kind of cereal grains. The cooling of the climate also led to important changes in housing and heating: the longhouse of the early settlers, with its spacious hall, was replaced by the Icelandic turf houses with many smaller rooms, including a proper kitchen. This type of dwelling was used well into the 20th century.

text: Historians often use the Reformation in 1550 as the transition between the Middle Ages and the early modern period in Icelandic history. Farming in Iceland continued with traditional practices from the 14th century to the late 18th century, when reforms were made due to the influence of the Enlightenment. A trade monopoly instituted by the Danish king in 1602 had a certain effect on culinary traditions. But the cuisine of Denmark had the most influence in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, when the country had close relations to Iceland. In the early 20th century, an economic boom based on commercial fishing and processing resulted in a slow transition from traditional dairy and meat-based foods to consumption of fish and root vegetables. Preserved foods began to be replaced with greater emphasis on fresh ingredients.

text: Medieval Iceland[edit]

text: When Iceland was settled by immigrants from Scandinavia and Viking colonies in the British Isles, they brought their farming methods and food traditions of the Norse world. Research indicates that the climate of Iceland was much milder during the Middle Ages than it is now, and sources tell of cultivation of barley and oats. Most of this would have been consumed as porridge or gruel or used for making beer. Cattle was the dominant farm animal, but farms also raised poultry, pigs, goats, horses and sheep. The poultry, horse, sheep and goat stocks first brought to Iceland have since developed in isolation, unaffected by modern selective breeding. Therefore, they are sometimes called the "settlement breed" or "viking breed".

text: Preservation methods[edit]

text: Fish was stored in salt, and before the Black Death, Iceland exported stockfish to the fish market in Bergen. However, salt seems to have been less abundant in Iceland than in Norway. Saltmaking, which was mostly done by boiling sea water or burning seaweed, gradually disappeared when overgrazing caused a shortage of firewood in most parts of the country in the 14th century. Instead of curing with salt, the people of Iceland began to preserve meat in fermented whey. This method was also known from Norway but acquired little significance there.

text: Archeological digs in medieval farms have revealed large round holes in storage rooms where the barrel containing the lactic acid was kept. Two medieval stories tell of men who save their lives in a burning house by staying submerged inside the acid barrel. Medieval Icelanders used fermentation for preserving both fish and meat, a method that greatly alters the taste of the food, making it similar to very strong cheese. Fermentation is still used to cure shark (see hákarl), skate and herring. Fermented eggs are a regional delicacy, rarely found nowadays. The practice of smoking and drying meat and fish was also practiced, although the drying of meat was seen as somewhat of a last resort.

text: Cheese[edit]

text: Cheese was made from goat and sheep milk as well as cow milk. Skyr, a soft yogurt-like cheese eaten with spoons, was originally a tradition brought to Iceland from Norway. It has survived only in Iceland. The whey left over when making skyr was made to go sour and used for storing meat. It is likely that the predominance of skyr in Icelandic cuisine caused the disappearance of other cheesemaking traditions in the modern era, until industrial cheesemaking started in the first half of the 20th century. Cheesemaking was part of seter-farming (seljabúskapur), living in mountain huts in the highlands in late spring. Here farmers could separate the kids/lambs from their mothers in order to milk the adults. They often made cheese while still in the highlands. Flavors would reflect the new grasses.

text: Cooking and meals[edit]

text: The longhouses of the first settlers usually included a long fire in the center to warm the house. Around it, holes were dug in the floor to be used as earth ovens for baking bread and cooking meat. Women would place dough or meat in the hole along with hot embers from the fire, and cover it tightly for the time needed. They boiled liquids in wooden staved churns by putting hot stones from the fire directly into the liquid (a practice that continued to the modern age). Low stone hearths surrounded the fire, but mostly the cooking was done on the floor.

text: In the 14th century, Icelandic turf houses were developed and gradually replaced the longhouses. They had a kitchen with a raised stone hearth for cooking called hlóðir. The cooling of the climate during the Little Ice Age made it impossible to grow barley, and sheep replaced the more expensive cattle as predominant livestock. Iceland became dependent on imports for all cereals. Due to a shortage of firewood, the people turned to peat, dung, and dried heather for fuels.

text: In medieval Iceland the people ate two meals during the day, the lunch or dagverður at noon, and supper or náttverður at the end of the day. Food was eaten from bowls. Wooden staved tankards with a hinged lid were used for drinking. Later these were developed into the bulging casks, called askar used for serving food. The upper class used elaborately carved drinking horns on special occasions. Spoons were the most common eating utensil, made of horn or bone, and often decorated with carvings. Except for feasts, where tables would be laid, people ate their food from their laps, while sitting on their beds, which lined the outer wall of the longhouse. In addition to processing crops and meats and cooking, the farmer's wife apportioned the food among the family and friends. In richer households this role was entrusted to a special butler called bryti.

text: Early modern period[edit]

text: Icelandic subsistence farming from the Middle Ages well into the 20th century was restricted by the short production period (summer) compared to the long cold period. Apart from occasional game, the food produced in the three months of summer (including preserving meats and cheeses) had to suffice for nine months of winter. Researchers have estimated that, based on these methods of subsistence, Iceland could support a population of around 60,000. For centuries, farming methods changed very little, and fishing was done by men using hooks and lines from rowboats constructed from driftwood. Farmers also owned the boats, so fishing was limited to periods when the farmhands weren't needed for farm work. Fish was not just a food, but a trade good, and it was exchanged for products brought by foreign merchant ships. The people were dependent on trade for cereals, such as rye and oats, transported to Iceland by Danish merchants. Until the 19th century, the vast majority of Icelandic farmers were tenant farmers on land owned by the Icelandic landowner elite, the Catholic church, or (especially after the confiscation of church lands during the Reformation) the king of Denmark. Tenant farmers used surplus fish, tallow ,and butter to pay the landowner his dues.

text: Considerable regional variation in subsistence farming developed according to whether people lived close to the ocean or inland. Also, in the north of the country, the main fishing period coincided with the haymaking period in the autumn. This resulted in underdevelopment of fishing because labor was devoted to haymaking. In the South, by contrast, the main fishing period was from February to July. Some historians have described Icelandic society as a highly conservative farming society. Because of the demand for farmhands in the short summers, tenant farmers and landowners opposed the formation of fishing villages. Fishing was considered risky compared to farming, and the Alþingi passed many resolutions restricting or forbidding landless tenants from living in coastal villages to pursue fishing.

text: Foreign trade[edit]

text: Given the dominance of subsistence farming in Iceland, there was a lack of specialisation and commerce among farms. As testified in some of the Icelandic sagas, domestic trade seems to have been suspect as a type of usury from the age of settlement. Trade with foreign merchant ships was lively, however, and vital for the economy, especially for cereals and honey, alcohol, and (later) tobacco. Fishing ships from the coastal areas of Europe stopped for provisions in Icelandic harbors and traded what they had with the locals. This would include stale beer, salted pork, biscuits, and chewing tobacco, sold for knitted wool mittens, blankets, etc. Merchant ships put in occasionally from Holland, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Spain, to sell their products, mainly for stockfish. It is prominently displayed in the royal seal of Iceland.

text: In 1602 the Danish king, worried about the activities of English and German ships in what he considered to be territorial waters, instituted a trade monopoly in Iceland, restricting commerce to Danish merchants. They were required to regularly send merchant ships to Iceland carrying trade goods needed by the country. While illegal trade flourished in the 17th century, from 1685 the government instituted stricter measures to enforce the monopoly. It flourished until 1787. As a result, Iceland farmers grew a type of rye predominant in Denmark, and brennivín, an akvavit produced from rye, was introduced. These products displaced other cereals and beer.

text: Cereals[edit]

text: Different types of bread were considered a luxury among common people, although they were not uncommon. The corn bought from the merchant would be ground using a quern-stone (called kvarnarsteinn in Icelandic) and supplemented with dried dulse (seaweed) and lichens. Sometimes it was boiled in milk and served as a thin porridge. The porridge could be mixed with skyr to form skyrhræringur. The most common type of bread was a pot bread called rúgbrauð, a dark and dense rye bread, reminiscent of the German pumpernickel and the Danish rugbrød, only more moist. This could also be baked by burying the dough in special wooden casks in the ground close to a hot spring and picking it up the next day. Bread baked in this manner has a slightly sulphuric taste. Dried fish with butter was served with all meals of the day, serving the same purpose as the "daily bread" in Europe.

text: Cooking and meals[edit]

text: From the 14th century, food was prepared in the kitchen on a raised stone hlóðir or hearth. Hooks were placed above in order to hold the pots at the desired height above the fire. Ovens were rare, as these required lots of firewood for heating. Baking, roasting and boiling were all done in cast iron pots, usually imported.

text: The two meals of the medieval period were replaced by three meals in the early modern period; the breakfast (morgunskattur) at around ten o'clock, lunch (nónmatur) at around three or four in the afternoon, and supper (kvöldskattur) at the end of the day.[2] In the Icelandic turf houses people ate sitting on their beds, which lined the room. Food was served in askar, low and bulging wooden staved casks with a hinged lid and two handles, often decorated. Spoon food was served from the cask, and dry food placed on the open lid. Each household member had a personal askur for eating from and was responsible for keeping it clean.

text: Modernity[edit]

text: Móðuharðindin, arguably the greatest natural disaster to have hit Iceland after its settlement, took place in 1783. Ten years earlier, a ban on Danish merchants residing in Iceland had been lifted and five years later the trade monopoly was ended. Some of the Danish merchants became residents, and some Icelanders became merchants themselves.

text: During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), there was a shortage of trade goods as merchant ships were diverted by war. Forced to self-reliance, Icelanders began to emphasize production and consumption of local vegetables raised during the short growing season. In the 19th century, nationalism and schools for women were influential in formalising traditional methods and shaping modern Icelandic cuisine.

text: Danish influence[edit]

text: The first written cookbooks to be published in Icelandic were collections of Danish recipes published in the 18th century. They were intended to introduce the upper-class cuisine from Denmark-Norway to their peers in Iceland. The recipes sometimes had a "commoner version," using less expensive ingredients for farmhands and maids. The cuisine of Denmark influenced Iceland well before that through trade.

text: In addition, Danish merchants who settled in Iceland, after the ban was lifted in 1770, often ran large households characterised by a mixture of Danish and Icelandic customs. Reykjavík, which developed as village by the end of the 18th century, began to grow and became a center of a melting pot of Icelandic and Danish culinary traditions. Fishing villages formed in the 19th century, many located by the trading harbours, which previously had featured little more than a natural harbour and a locked warehouse nearby. The Danish influence was most pronounced in pastry-making, as there were few native traditions in this craft. Ethnic Danish bakers began to operate around the start of the 20th century in both Reykjavík and Akureyri. Some Danish pastry-making traditions have survived longer in Iceland than in Denmark.

text: Vegetables[edit]

text: In the late 17th century, some farmers cultivated the first vegetable gardens, but growing vegetables did not become common until the early 19th century, when the Napoleonic Wars resulted in the merchant ships staying away. Resident Danes, who brought the tradition of vegetable gardens with them, were usually the first to start growing vegetables. Popular early garden vegetables included hardy varieties of cabbage, turnip, rutabaga, and potato. They were generally prepared in Iceland as boiled accompaniments to meats and fish, and sometimes mashed with butter.

text: Girls' schools[edit]

text: In the first half of the 20th century, many home economics schools, intended as secondary education for girls, were instituted around Iceland. Within these schools, during a time of nationalistic fervor, many Icelandic culinary traditions were formalised and written down by the pupils. They were published in large recipe compendia a few years later. Later emphasis on food hygiene and the use of fresh ingredients was a novelty in a country where culinary traditions had been based on preserving food for long term use.

text: The modern economy began to expand, based on commercial export of seafood. The modern generation rejected many traditional foods, embracing the concepts of "freshness" and "purity" associated with ingredients from the sea, especially when marketed abroad. During the urbanisation boom of the late 1940s, many Icelanders formed regional associations in Reykjavík. Together as fraternity, they revived some old culinary and other rural traditions. These associations organised midwinter festivals, where they started serving "Icelandic food," traditional country foods served in a buffet. This was later called Þorramatur.

text: The cooperatives[edit]

text: In the beginning of the 20th century, farmers living near the towns would sell their products to shops and directly to households, often under a subscription contract. (This is similar to the concept of Community Supported Agriculture in some United States cities since the late 20th century.) To deal with the Great Depression in 1930, the Iceland government instituted state monopolies on various imports, including vegetables. They granted the regional farmers' cooperatives, most of them founded around the start of the 20th century, a monopoly on dairy and meat production for the consumer market. This meant that smaller private producers were out of business.

text: The large cooperatives were believed able to implement economies of scale in agricultural production. They invested in production facilities meeting modern standards of food hygiene. These cooperatives still dominate agricultural production in Iceland and are almost unchallenged. They pioneered new cheesemaking techniques based on popular European varieties of gouda, blue cheese, camembert, etc. Cheesemaking (apart from skyr) had been nearly extinct in Iceland since the 18th century. The cooperatives have driven product development, especially in dairy products. For instance, they market whey-based sweet drinks and variations of traditional products. One of these is "Skyr.is", a creamier, sweeter skyr, which has boosted the popularity of this age-old staple.

text: Fishing[edit]

text: Fishing on an industrial scale with trawlers started before World War I. Fresh fish became a cheap commodity in Iceland and a staple in the cuisine of fishing villages around the country. Until around 1990, studies showed that Icelanders were consuming much more fish per capita than any other European nation. Since then, however, steeply rising fish prices have caused a decline in consumption.

text: Types of food[edit]

text: Fish[edit]

text: Icelanders consume fish caught in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Fresh fish can be had all the year round. Icelanders eat mostly haddock, plaice, halibut, herring, and shrimp.

text: Hákarl[edit]

text: Hákarl (meaning 'shark' in Icelandic) is putrescent shark meat, which has been preserved. It is part of the þorramatur, the traditional seasonal Icelandic foods. It is often accompanied by brennivín, a local schnapps.

text: Meat[edit]

text: Traditionally, domestic sheep, the most common farm animal in Iceland, was the primary source of meat. Sheep were also used for their milk and wool, and were worth more alive than dead. When a sheep was slaughtered (usually the young rams and infertile ewes), most or all of the carcass was used for making food, which was carefully preserved and consumed. Traditionally lambs are slaughtered in the autumn, when they are more than three months old and have reached a weight of almost 20 kg. After Christianisation, horses were eaten only as a last resort. After the middle of the 18th century, attitudes changed. Horse meat, usually salted and served boiled or in bjúgu, a form of smoked sausage, has been common in Iceland since the 19th century.

text: Icelandic beef is usually of top quality with good marbling due to the cold climate. Icelandic cattle are grass-fed and raised without growth hormones and drugs. However, the lack of tradition for eating beef has resulted in sales of lower quality meat, forcing buyers to be careful.

text: Game[edit]

text: Small game in Iceland consists mostly of seabirds (puffin, cormorant and great black-backed gull) and waterfowl (mallard, greylag goose and pink-footed goose). The meat of some seabirds contains fish oil. It is placed in a bowl of milk overnight to extract the oil before cooking. Ptarmigan is also found in Iceland, but hunting of them has been banned because of dramatically declining stocks since the late 20th century. Ptarmigan, served with a creamy sauce and jam, has been a traditional Christmas main course in many Icelandic households.

text: Seal hunting, especially the more common harbor seal, was common everywhere farmers had access to seal breeding grounds. Seal was considered an important commodity. Whereas mutton was almost never eaten fresh, seal meat was usually eaten immediately, washed in seawater, or conserved for a short time in brine. Seal meat is not commonly eaten anymore and is rarely found in stores.

text: Systematic whaling was not possible in Iceland until the late 19th century, due to the lack of ocean-going ships. Small whales were hunted close to the shore with the small rowboats used for fishing. Beached whales were also eaten. The Icelandic word for beached whale, hvalreki, is still used to mean a stroke of good luck. When Iceland started commercial whaling (mostly minke whales) in the early 20th century, whale meat became popular as a low-priced red meat. It can be prepared in much the same manner as the more expensive beef. When Iceland withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 1992, commercial whaling stopped. Some whale meat was still sold in specialised stores, coming from small whales that had beached or been accidentally caught in nets. In 2002 Iceland rejoined the IWC, and commercial whaling recommenced in 2006. Whale meat is commonly available again, although the price has gone up due to the cost of whaling.

text: Reindeer were introduced in Iceland in the late 18th century and live wild on the moorlands in the eastern farthing. A small number are killed by hunters each autumn. Their meat is sold in stores and prepared in restaurants most of the year. Reindeer meat is considered a special delicacy and is usually very expensive.

text: Limits on meat imports[edit]

text: Importing raw meat to Iceland is strictly regulated and dependent on specific licenses issued to importers. The government has feared contamination. Due to Iceland's isolation, most of the stocks of domestic animals raised in Iceland have no resistance to some diseases common in neighboring countries. For this reason, tourists are banned from bringing in even cured ham or sausage with them; these are confiscated by customs officers.

text: Dairy products[edit]

text: Dairy products are very important to Icelanders. The average Icelander consumes about 100 gallons of dairy products in one year.

text: Fruits and vegetables[edit]

text: Vegetable production and consumption is steadily growing, with production going from around 8,000 tonnes in 1977 to almost 30,000 tonnes in 2007.[3] The cold climate reduces the need for farmers to use pesticides. Vegetables such as rutabaga, cabbage and turnips are usually started in greenhouses in the early spring, and tomatoes and cucumbers are entirely produced indoors. Iceland relies on imports for almost any type of sweet fruit except sweet berries. Since the early 20th century, it has again been possible to grow barley for human consumption in a few places, for the first time since the Middle Ages.[citation needed]

text: Bread and pastry[edit]

text: Modern Icelandic bakeries offer a wide variety of breads and pastry. The first professional bakers in Iceland were Danish and this is still reflected in the professional traditions of Icelandic bakers. Long-time local favorites include snúður, a type of cinnamon roll, usually topped with glaze or melted chocolate, and skúffukaka, a single-layer chocolate cake baked in a roasting pan, covered with chocolate glaze and sprinkled with ground coconut.

text: A variety of layer cake called randalín, randabrauð or simply lagkaka has been popular in Iceland since the 19th century. These come in many varieties that all have in common five layers of 1⁄2-inch-thick (13 mm) cake alternated with layers of fruit preserve, jam or icing. One version called vínarterta, popular in the late 19th century, with layers of prunes, became a part of the culinary tradition of Icelandic immigrants in the U.S. and Canada.[4]

text: Traditional breads, still popular in Iceland, include rúgbrauð, a dense, dark and moist rye bread, traditionally baked in pots or special boxes used for baking in holes dug near hot springs, and flatkaka, a soft brown rye flatbread. A common way of serving hangikjöt is in thin slices on flatkaka. Other breads include skonsur which are soft breads, and Westfjord Wheatcakes (Vestfirskar hveitikökur).

text: Traditional pastries include kleina, a small fried dough bun where the dough is flattened and cut into small trapezoids with a special cutting wheel (kleinujárn), a slit cut in the middle and then one end pulled through the slit to form a "knot". This is then deep-fried in oil.[5] Laufabrauð (lit. "leafbread"), a very thin wafer, with patterns cut into it with a sharp knife and ridged cutting wheels and fried crisp in oil, is a traditional Christmas food, sometimes served with hangikjöt.

text: Feasts[edit]

text: Christmas dishes[edit]

text: In Iceland the Christmas dinner is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Traditional main courses are hangikjöt (smoked lamb), hamborgarhryggur (salted pork rib) and various types of game, especially ptarmigan stew, puffin (sometimes lightly smoked) and roast greylag goose where these are available. These are usually accompanied by a béchamel or mushroom sauce, boiled potatoes and peas, pickled beetroot or red cabbage and jam. A traditional dessert is rice pudding with raisins, topped with ground cinnamon and sugar called jólagrautur ("Yule pudding").

text: On December 23 (mass of Saint Thorlak) there is a tradition (originally from the Westfjords) to serve fermented skate with melted tallow and boiled potatoes. Boiling the Christmas hangikjöt the day after serving the skate is said to dispel the strong smell which otherwise tends to linger around the house for days.

text: In the weeks before Christmas many households bake a variety of cookies to keep in store for friends and family throughout the holidays. These include piparkökur, a type of ginger biscuits often decorated with colored glaze. Laufabrauð is also fried some days before Christmas and decorating it is for many an occasion for holding a family gathering.

text: Þorramatur[edit]

text: The concept of Þorramatur was invented by a restaurant in Reykjavík in 1958 when they started advertising a platter with a selection of traditional country food linking it to the tradition of Þorrablót popular since the late 19th century. The idea became very popular and for older generations the taste of the food will have brought back fond memories of growing up or spending summers in the countryside before World War II and the urbanisation boom. In recent years, however, þorramatur has come to represent the supposed strangeness and peculiarity of traditional Icelandic food, and its very mention will send shivers down the spine of many modern Icelanders, overlooking the fact that many commonplace foods are also traditional though not generally thought of as part of the þorramatur category.

text: Birthdays, weddings, baptisms and confirmations[edit]

text: These are the various occasions for inviting the extended family to a lunch or "afternoon tea" called kaffi in Icelandic, as filter coffee is usually served[6] rather than tea. Traditional dishes include the kransakaka of Danish origin and various types of brauðterta, similar to the Swedish smörgåstårta with filling of e.g. shrimp, smoked salmon or hangikjöt and liberal amounts of mayonnaise between layers of white bread. Also popular for large family gatherings are various types of sponge cake, topped with fresh or canned fruit, whipped cream, marzipan and meringue. This tradition is satirised in an often-quoted passage from Halldór Laxness's novel, Under the Glacier, where the character Hnallþóra insists on serving multiple sorts of sumptuous cake for the bishop's emissary at all meals. Her name has become a byword for this type of cake.