The NBA has an all-star game. You might not know that, because nobody really talks about it much. Everybody knows about the slam dunk contest, though. Same with baseball. They have an all-star game as well, but you really only hear about it when people are complaining. But the Home Run Derby? That's interesting stuff.

Now that the NFL is serving up another Pro Bowl, it's time to recognize that their other games are the ones worth watching.

Yes, there's something resembling a game on Sunday. It's actually gotten better over the past few years, but it will never approach an actual game. It's not even on the level of a preseason game, since those guys in August are trying their hardest to earn a roster spot. But at least they're acknowledging it's not real, and allowing it to be more fun.

Still, if it's just for fun and nobody takes it seriously, why not really shake things up? That's why I'll likely skip the Pro Bowl and watch the Skills Showdown instead. The competitions are just silly games, but they don't pretend to be anything else.

Dodgeball, relay races and weird skill games that seem like something you'd find at the fair: What's not to like? Everyone is having fun and it's a loose atmosphere. And with just 10 players on each team, you won't have substitutions every five minutes. In the Pro Bowl, everyone jogs out onto the field for an appearance, like a rotating curtain call for the 2019 season. But the Skills Challenge is the same core group. Almost like a "team." Imagine that.

And here's something else: The guys are actually trying out there. I mean, they're having fun but they don't want to be bested by their fellow players. It's just a collection of bizarre drills, but I think they put in more effort there than they will in the pretend game.

Over the course of several years, I've gone from hating the Pro Bowl, to tolerating it, to almost enjoying it. But this year, there's really no need for simulated football. Somehow, the playoffs produced the absolute best matchup possible for the Super Bowl. Kansas City and San Francisco were the strongest teams overall (no offense to Baltimore), and you could make a case for either one having an edge. The game looks like it could be a classic, and I'm interested to see how it turns out. I don't need a meaningless game this weekend. I'll wait an extra week for the real one.

But in the meantime, watching the league's best players try their hand at some athletic contests sounds fun. And, like the Pro Bowl, it's televised. You're already used to watching football players on weeknights. So you can catch the Skills Showdown Thursday night and save your weekend for whatever else you'd like to do.

You might feel differently, of course. If you like watching the Pro Bowl, have at it. I just think that the Skills Showdown supplies the levity and fun without going through the motions of what looks like a football game. I say watch that instead, and get ready for the (hopefully) entertaining Super Bowl.

How do you feel about the Pro Bowl? Have you seen the Skills Showdown? Will you watch either, neither, or both? Share your thoughts below.