I've been writing this column for 15 years (yes, really) and I can't believe I'm writing this next line:

I'm kind of looking forward to the Pro Bowl this year.

For years I've railed against it as a paid athlete vacation that doesn't deserve the words we use to describe it. The Pro Bowl has always been a waste of time and a poor conclusion to the season.

But then they started changing it. I was still skeptical, but slowly they've been winning me over. Putting it in the open week before the Super Bowl (instead of after the most important game) was a good move a few years ago. Making it a fantasy football-style draft, instead of just being conference all-stars also helped. But now it's also a laboratory for rule changes, and that's a good thing, too.

Watch the Pro Bowl and you might see a preview of NFL rule changes in the future. The goal posts will be narrower, making short field-goals less of a gimme, and making longer kicks riskier. The clock won't stop after a quarterback sack for most of the game. And there won't be any kickoffs. Teams will get the ball at the 25-yard line.

Might we see those elements in the regular season at some point? Maybe. The league (and its players) don't like the injury potential of kickoffs, and the goal post change could take the "automatic" feeling away from easier kicks. They aren't putting them in there for nothing.

Another change from the regular season is that the clock stops in the last two minutes when the offense doesn't gain any yardage. No taking a knee to end a game. Running into the pile doesn't automatically eat up the clock. This has been an Arena Football League rule forever, and it could add some excitement to the end of NFL contests.

But more than anything, I think I like the attitude of the players and coaches. Nobody is pretending that the game really means anything, but they seem to be having more fun now. The players who don't want to play stay home, and there's a sense that the ones who are there are enjoying being on the field. It's not taken too seriously, but it doesn't feel like they're going through the motions as much. It's a more enjoyable experience.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't love the Pro Bowl. If it went away, it wouldn't impact my enjoyment of football. But I don't hate it anymore. It kind of, almost, serves a purpose. And since there are no other games that weekend (and the Super Bowl is still to come) it takes place at the right time. It's a successful run-up to the most important game instead of an anti-climactic finish to the season. I get to see the fantasy stars of 2014 (minus Seahawks and Patriots) take a victory lap and have a good time doing it.

So I think I'll watch it. I mean, I might actually make sure I'm near a television when it's on. That might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but it's a far cry from my normal attitude toward the Pro Bowl. Maybe yours has changed, too. So enjoy this game and get ready for the real one a week later.

Do you feel any better about the Pro Bowl? Any other changes you'd like to see them make? Share your thoughts below.