FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-003

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (January 14, 2026) – This issue of Fun with Maps takes a look back at the beginning of the Pro Bowl; the NFL’s version of Baseball’s Classic All-Star game.

FOOTBALL ALL-STARS

The first NFL Pro Bowl was held on January 14, 1951 at the LA Coliseum.  The  American/Eastern Conference beat the National/Western Conference by a point – 28-27.

Players were selected by votes from the conference coaches and the LA newspaper sports editors. 

The National team was led by the LA Rams’ Joe Stydahar, and Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns coached the victorious American team.  Coincidentally, the result had been the same three weeks earlier when the two coaches and their respective teams had faced each other in the NFL Championship game.

This year’s Pro Bowl is part of the Super Bowl Week festivities and will take place on Tuesday February 3rd in San Francisco.  It is now a flag football game among the all-stars. It is being promoted as a preview for flag football becoming an Olympic sport when LA hosts the games in 2028.

This pictorial map of California is by Ruth White from 1938.  

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.