I was reading MMQB and noticed Peter King echoed some of our thoughts about the pro bowl.
. I think this is my pet peeve about the Pro Bowl, the most meaningless game on the planet, other than the Major League Lacrosse all-star game. (So, you ask, if it’s so meaningless, why is this the number two topic in the Ten Things? Good question. But it’ll be my last mention of it all winter, believe me.) The game is played Feb. 9. Why is fan voting closed 60 days before the game (Dec. 11), with three games left in the season, and why is player and coach voting done the same week?
Two perfect examples of how voting early screws the teams that are selected. One – Fred Taylor and Jamal Lewis both deserve to be on the AFC team ahead of Joseph Addai. Taylor, the 18th-leading rusher of alltime, has never made a Pro Bowl and was a sentimental choice this year – and a deserving pick. Taylor has had five straight 100-yard games, and his 147-yard mashing of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, after the voting closed, was one of the most impressive performances of the year. But that game doesn’t count in the Pro Bowl voting, nor will either of his last two.
Lewis’ 33-carry, 163-yard dominating of the Bills in the snow last Sunday was just as good as Taylor’s. Look at the AFC rushing standings right now: Taylor 1,202 yards, Lewis 1,176 and Addai 1,045. Why is Addai in? Because the vote was taken with three weeks to go in the season.
And two: Jonathan Ogden at left tackle is about as smart as picking Steve McNair at quarterback. As of the time of the vote, Ogden had started seven of 13 games for Baltimore. Why doesn’t the league just pencil in Ogden at left tackle the year after he retires? Not only has Ogden been a shell of himself this year, as a player, he also hasn’t shown up for half the games! Joe Thomas of Cleveland has played every snap this year and led a resurgent Cleveland offensive line to prominence. He’s also been responsible for allowing just one sack in 15 games.
I especially like the part about pencilling in Ogden the year after he retires.
I didn’t see a reference to the Bears/Packers game in the thread. The Bears absolutely rolled over the Pack, sweeping them for the season.
W00t!
I think the Pack threw that one. Favre was watching the icicles growing on his extremities and thinking, “If we win this, we’ll probably have to play two games in Green Bay in January instead of just one. Screw that!”
