Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pro Bowl 2010

The NFL's All-Star game is today, between the Conference Championship games and the upcoming Super Bowl between the Colts and Saints. The game is in the Super Bowl host city of Miami, and the coaches for the AFC and NFC are from teams that advanced only to the Divisional Round of the playoffs this season, not the runners-up of the respective conferences.

As I noted nearly two months ago, this game was a looming pimple that at some point was going to have to be popped. Now the NFL has almost alienated the few fans who actually enjoy watching the Pro Bowl -- myself being one of them. This game does not do anything to truly help the continuity of the NFL's season. Worst of all, because so many soon-to-be Super Bowl participants and recent playoff participants have dropped out of the game, this Pro Bowl is being marred by a surplus of undeserving backups.

Yes, there are usually a few replacements from the initial roster, but this year there will be no players from the Colts and Saints, participants of Super Bowl XLIV, as well as so many other players who haven't had a chance to enjoy some down time or who don't see Miami as the lure that Honolulu is, and thus they bail.

Heck, NFC offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie was booted from the Pro Bowl squad for missing practice. You can make the argument that players don't care about this game, but it seems they care even less this season. Just take a look at the Pro Bowl Rosters for this year's All-Star event, and you'll see seemingly more replacements than original selections that will actually be on the field Sunday. Check the numbers...

There are a total of 17 additional players who are in Miami as a result of another player withdrawing due to injury. That is in addition to the 15 players who were named to the Pro Bowl to replace the Super Bowl participants who are preparing for a game next week. That is a total of 32 players who weren't originally selected to an All-Star team with an initial roster of more than 40 players!

Rosters for 2010 Pro Bowl, to be played Sunday, in Miami (* denotes starter, # denotes injury replacement, + denotes replacement for Super Bowl player, **dismissed. Players in Super Bowl will not play in Pro Bowl):

AFC Offense

Quarterbacks -- *Peyton Manning, Indianapolis; Tom Brady, New England (injured); # Matt Schaub, Houston; Philip Rivers, San Diego (injured); # Vince Young, Tennessee; + David Garrard, Jacksonville
Running Backs -- *Chris Johnson, Tennessee; *Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville; Ray Rice, Baltimore

Fullback -- *Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore

Wide Receivers -- *Andre Johnson, Houston; *Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis; Brandon Marshall, Denver; Wes Welker, New England (injured); # Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati; + Vincent Jackson, San Diego

Tight Ends -- *Dallas Clark, Indianapolis; Antonio Gates, San Diego; + Heath Miller, Pittsburgh

Centers -- *Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets; Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis; + Kevin Mawae, Tennessee

Guards -- *Alan Faneca, N.Y. Jets; *Logan Mankins, New England; Kris Dielman, San Diego

Tackles -- *Ryan Clady, Denver; Jake Long, Miami (injured); #D'Brickashaw Ferguson, N.Y. Jets; Joe Thomas, Cleveland

AFC Defense

Ends -- *Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis; *Robert Mathis, Indianapolis; Mario Williams, Houston; + Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee; + Shaun Ellis, N.Y. Jets
Interior Linemen -- *Haloti Ngata, Baltimore; *Vince Wilfork, New England; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh

Inside-Middle Linebackers -- *Ray Lewis, Baltimore; DeMeco Ryans, Houston

Outside Linebackers -- *Elvis Dumervil, Denver; *James Harrison, Pittsburgh; Brian Cushing, Houston (injured), # LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh

Cornerbacks -- *Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland; *Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets; Champ Bailey, Denver

Strong Safety -- *Brian Dawkins, Denver; + Yeremiah Bell, Miami

Free Safeties -- *Ed Reed, Baltimore; Jairus Byrd, Buffalo (injured); #Brandon Meriweather; Antoine Bethea, Indianapolis

AFC Specialists

Punter -- Shane Lechler, Oakland
Kick-return Specialist -- Josh Cribbs, Cleveland

Place-kicker -- Nate Kaeding, San Diego

Special-teamer -- Kassim Osgood, San Diego

Long-snapper -- Jon Condo, Oakland

NFC Offense

Quarterbacks -- *Drew Brees, New Orleans; Brett Favre, Minnesota (injured); Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay; + Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia; # Tony Romo, Dallas
Running Backs -- *Adrian Peterson, Minnesota; Steven Jackson, St. Louis (injured); #Frank Gore, San Francisco; DeAngelo Williams, Carolina

Fullback -- *Leonard Weaver, Philadelphia

Wide Receivers -- *Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona (injured); #Steve Smith, N.Y. Giants; *DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia; Miles Austin, Dallas; Sidney Rice, Minnesota, (injured); # Roddy White, Atlanta

Tight Ends -- *Vernon Davis, San Francisco; Jason Witten, Dallas

Centers -- *Andre Gurode, Dallas (injured); # Jonathan Goodwin, New Orleans; Shaun O'Hara, New York Giants; + Ryan Kalil, Carolina

Guards -- *Jahri Evans, New Orleans; *Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota; Leonard Davis, Dallas; + Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants

Tackles -- **Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota; *Jason Peters, Philadelphia; Jonathan Stinchcomb, New Orleans; + David Diehl, N.Y. Giants

NFC Defense

Ends -- *Jared Allen, Minnesota; *Julius Peppers, Carolina; Trent Cole, Philadelphia
Interior Linemen -- *Darnell Dockett, Arizona; *Kevin Williams, Minnesota, (injured); Jay Ratliff, Dallas; # Justin Smith, San Francisco

Inside-Middle Linebackers -- *Patrick Willis, San Francisco (injured); Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans; + London Fletcher, Washington; #Jon Beason, Carolina

Outside Linebackers -- *Lance Briggs, Chicago (injured); #Clay Matthews; *DeMarcus Ware, Dallas; Brian Orakpo, Washington

Cornerbacks -- *Asante Samuel, Philadelphia; *Charles Woodson, Green Bay, (injured); Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona (injured); #Terence Newman, Dallas; # Mike Jenkins, Dallas

Strong Safety -- *Adrian Wilson, Arizona; Roman Harper, New Orleans; +Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia

Free Safeties -- *Darren Sharper, New Orleans; Nick Collins, Green Bay; + Antrel Rolle, Arizona

NFC Specialists

Punter -- Andy Lee, San Francisco
Kick-return Specialists -- DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia; Percy Harvin, Minnesota, (injured); # Johnny Knox, Chicago


Place-kicker -- David Akers, Philadelphia

Special-teamer -- Heath Farwell, Minnesota

Long-snapper -- Jon Dorenbos, Philadelphia

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Loooks like the nunbers do not bear out your view. Viewership way up from last year. Most watched cable program ever, I believe (could be wrong about that). Lots of interest and the natural tie-in to the upcoming Super Bowl in the same city. Who knew?

Anonymous said...

Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

Hit Counter

Everyone's visiting the NO JOSHIN' blog. Tell your friends to take a look!
Hit Counter