This post was written by Mile High Sports Radio intern Logan Massaro (pictured above, right), who attended Sunday’s Pro Bowl as a fan.

As a huge fan of all-star games and sports in general, I have always enjoyed the Pro Bowl; especially with the rise of Fantasy Football. This is because it is like having two of the ultimate football teams. With everyone becoming more aware of the star players around the league, the Pro Bowl seems to be making a comeback. I was lucky enough to be at attendance at the 2017 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

With this already being a unique Pro Bowl due to its new location, Orlando (instead of Hawaii), I was very excited to be able to attend. Other attractions like Disney World and Universal Studios made sure it was a perfect weekend getaway to have loads fun with the family. So I packed my bags, invited some friends and headed to Orlando for the experience of a lifetime for any NFL junkie.

To our surprise, Orlando’s “winter” was much colder than expected; the average temperatures were 40 to 50 degrees, with a slight breeze at night when we were there. It did not feel much warmer than the cold Colorado air we thought we were escaping, but that would not stop us from having a great time.

One of hot attractions the NFL added to the Pro Bowl this year was the “skills competition.” This event was reintroduced into the Pro Bowl after ten years of dormancy. From new events like a “drone football drop” from 125 feet in the air (won by Odell Beckham Jr.), to a “power relay” showcasing the athleticism of some of the NFL’s top stars (including hometown hero Von Miller), the skills competition was truly a hit with the fans.

When walking in to Camping World Stadium, home to college football’s Citrus Bowl, the party began immediately. Family and friends met and parked their cars to tailgate. While some were enjoying the sunshine and a beer, younger kids were busy playing pickup football games.

Perhaps the most interesting of all was seeing the different jerseys being worn as the game began to creep closer. Although a vast majority of the jerseys worn belonged to the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, the Denver Broncos were not too far behind. There was a hefty amount of Peyton Manning and Von Miller jerseys worn around the stadium. After talking to a few Broncos fans, I found that they came from Washington D.C. all the way to the heart of Broncos Country in Denver, Colo. I was very impressed by how well Broncos fans traveled.

The players from the Denver Broncos that made the Pro Bowl were headlined by Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller and offensive captain Demaryius Thomas. Other Broncos present included the “No Fly Zone” secondary of Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib and Darian Stewart, and last but not least, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

There was a surprise visit from Trevor Siemian, who was invited to the Pro Bowl, but was forced to decline due to shoulder surgery in early January. All of the Broncos’ defensive players were in the starting cast at the beginning of the game, with Thomas and Sanders being sprinkled in frequently on offense.

All of the Broncos were having fairly quiet nights until early in the third quarter, when Thomas made an outstanding one-handed catch, which I (and many others) thought was the best catch of the game.

The night was rounded off when linebacker Lorenzo Alexander intercepted a fourth-quarter pass by Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. Alexander then lateraled the ball to Talib, who was then chased down by Cousins, who hit the ball out of Talib’s hands in a wacky ending to the NFC’s comeback attempt. The game’s final score was 20-13, making the Broncos and the rest of the AFC players the champions.

With the reintroduction of the skills challenge, the increased of level of defensive play, and the great host city of Orlando and all it has to offer, I would say the Pro Bowl was a great success and is on the track of becoming one of the NFL’s “hottest” events of the year.

Featured Image Credit: Logan Massaro, Pictured: David Johnson (L), Jake Meier (C), Logan Massaro (R)