Some things never change. Especially Pro Bowl rosters. The 2008 team just came out on Tuesday, and plenty of deserving players were left off of the team, which inevitably happens every year. First off, don’t ask me why the rosters come out two weeks before the season is actually over. Second, don’t ask me why they have the voting start so early (it seems like they start it during week two). Anyway, I could talk forever about who shouldn’t have made it and who should have, but I’m just going to mention the ones that really stick out to me.
Everyone is complaining that Philip Rivers should have made it over Brett Favre. Rivers has the highest quarterback rating in the NFL and is tied for the most TDs. Statistically, I agree that Rivers should be in there over Favre, who usually wins the popular vote from the fans. The thing is, I’m one of the guys he won the popular vote with (he is God), and I really don’t care much for Rivers or the Chargers, so as Forrest Gump once said, that’s all I have to say about that. Speaking of quarterbacks, I thought Aaron Rodgers had the stats to make it to the Pro Bowl, but I guess, just like Rivers, when your team is losing, no one really cares. Rodgers’ top receiver, Greg Jennings also should have made it, but you can’t argue against any of the NFC receivers that made it over him (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Roddy White, and Steve Smith). A lot of the time there just isn’t enough room for all of the deserving players.
Speaking of not having enough room for deserving players… wait, I’m gonna save my biggest snub for last.
Steve Slaton, based on his production and numbers, not to mention the fact that along with Andre Johnson is making the Texans offense finally live up to their potential (they just beat the Titans!), should have made the AFC squad. But seriously, there is no way in holy hell that a rookie running back on the Texans is going to make the team. It just isn’t going to happen. Even though he was on my fantasy team and I would have liked to see him in there, I accept that. Add on the fact that the guy who made it over him, Ronnie Brown, only has 827 rushing yards. But you know what? I love the pick. I’ve always supported the idea that stats aren’t everything, and Ronnie Brown proves how valuable a player can be without putting up crazy stats. The Dolphins were the first this year to use the Wildcat offense significantly, which has taken the league by storm, not to mention spurred this team that only won one game last year to a possible division title. That wouldn’t have been possible if not for Brown’s athleticism, who has been more than a running back this year.
Ronnie Brown does it all.
Voting for fullbacks is always tricky. Most of the time they don’t get enough carries for you to even know who they are, and the one guy that actually does get a significant amount of carries is the guy that makes the team. That’s why I would always get so ticked off when Mike Alstott always made the team, because he was really just a big halfback. So I’ve always tried to make it a habit of voting for the best blocker. With that said, Tony Richardson definitely should have made it because of what he’s done for Thomas Jones and the Jets offense this year. But I have a confession to make. I have gone against everything I believe in and didn’t vote for Richardson this year (c’mon, he’s already made four Pro Bowls), and voted for Le’Ron McClain, who before I voted I thought was just a big halfback because he is leading his team in rushing (693 yards and seven TDs). And you know what? I am right. He is just a big halfback. I mean, he plays fullback too, but he shouldn’t have been on the ballot as a fullback. But whatever, I gave in. I voted for him. I’m sorry. I thought Richardson has made one too many Pro Bowls based on reputation, so I’m over it. So far I’ve gone against two things I care deeply about… the popular vote and not voting for a true fullback. Hey, it’s my vote and it’s my right to do so, so if you can get over it, so can I.
On the defensive side, I would just like to know how the hell Derrick Brooks made the team. I mean, I know the answer and all. He made the team based on reputation and his name. Just like John Lynch always did (are we noticing a pattern here?… Alstott, Brooks, and Lynch). It’s a wonder Lynch didn’t make it this year, his first year out of the league. Look, I have nothing but mad respect for these guys, but let’s get real here. Brooks only has 63 tackles this year, which is almost half as much as the Bucs’ leading tackler, Barrett Ruud (snubbed). Plus, those 63 tackles are one less than Ronde Barber, who is also a Hall of Fame caliber player, but plays CORNERBACK. I think a couple of younger guys (well, that’s not saying much) like Karlos Dansby and Chad Greenway would have been a better fit.
While we’re talking about linebackers, I was really hoping D’Qwell Jackson of the Browns, who is leading the league in tackles, would make the team. I knew it wasn’t very realistic because the Browns defense isn’t that great and nobody but Browns fans knows who he is still. But I can dream, right? Anyway, when I was watching the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game, I was wondering how those teams always happen to have such a smash mouth personality. Always. It never goes away. And then I wondered why a team like the Browns can never seem to have that side to them, and then pondered if they could ever get it (please hire Bill Cowher). Without further ado, here are the linebackers that made the AFC squad… Ray Lewis (Ravens), James Farrior (Steelers), James Harrison (Steelers), Joey Porter (formerly of the Steelers), and Terrell Suggs (Ravens). And even though I don’t know who the first alternates to the team are, based on stats, I’m pretty sure LaMarr Woodley (Steelers) is one of them. Maybe this is one of the main reasons the Browns and the Bengals can never be successful in this division… they literally get the shit beaten out of them four times a year by guys like these.
I really hate how it seems that defensive ends are completely defined by how many sacks they get and nothing else… but John Abraham has 15.5 and didn’t make the team. Ouch.
Aside from the fact that both the Giants’ kicker and punter made the team and their combined age is 86 years old, which is flat out awesome, I do have one thing to say. Jeff Feagles is 15th in the NFC in punt average, which I wouldn’t really qualify as Pro Bowl numbers, not that I really care all that much about punters. Just goes to show how much winning helps when it comes to the votes. But I really don’t have a problem with this because Feagles is a great guy. We’re talking about the guy who, when Eli Manning was drafted, gave up his jersey #10 to him and switched to #17 (because it would be his 17th year). The following year, Plaxico Burress signed with the team and requested #17, for the day he signed, March 17th. Being the good guy that he is (and probably hoping to not get shot), Feagles gave up the number in exchange an outdoor BBQ addition to his house which Burress paid for, and promptly switched to #18 (because it would be his 18th year). Now that is a team player. Actually, come to think of it, the Giants offense was so dominant this year he probably never really got the chance to punt the ball that far. Plus, Feagles is kind of known (for people that actually know punters) for being a coffin corner punter, which doesn’t help your average. If I had to do it all over again, you’d have my vote Mr. Feagles. I can’t believe I wrote this much about a punter.
And now for the biggest snub of all…
DeAngelo Williams. The rest of the country must not have known that he was the main reason I went from 0-5 in fantasy to the semi-finals. That probably would have changed their vote. But in all seriousness, there just wasn’t enough room for him with guys like Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and Clinton Portis. But my argument is that he still should have made it, even with that company. If the voting wouldn’t have started so early, I bet he would have over a guy like Portis. The stats don’t lie people. Sixteen total touchdowns. That’s leading the league, for the record. He’s fourth in all of the NFL in rushing yards with 1,229, behind the other three guys I just mentioned. But still, he’s done that while only getting an average of sixteen handoffs a game, while the three others all have over twenty. That’s good for a 5.5 yards a carry average. Of the top 38 rushers in the NFL, only two have an average of over five. The other is Brandon Jacobs with 5.1. If you were to multiply that by the amount of carries Turner, who leads the league in carries, has, it would equal 1,826 yards. Not to mention he’s done all this while rookie sensation, Jonathan “The Daily Show” Stewart has been breathing down his neck, stealing his share of TDs and carries from DeAngelo. You could probably argue against all of this if DeAngelo was on a bad team, but come this Sunday, I gaurantee that the Panthers will beat the Giants and secure their spot as the number one seed in the NFC. All in all, I must admit one more thing that I’m going against my beliefs for. Injured players. I hate rooting for players to get hurt, but seriously, I wouldn’t mind if any of the three NFC running backs got a booboo, just so DeAngelo (who is the first alternate) could make the team. At this point, it’s the only way. That’s how much I care about my fantasy team’s savior.
