Pro Bowl 2012: 10 Reasons This Year's Pro Bowl Will Be a Disaster

The 2012 NFL Pro Bowl had to go through a lot to reach this point.  It had to maneuver its way through a lockout, a regular season and for most of the players on these squads, anticipation of a grueling postseason.

The matchups in this game are what the fans have been waiting for.  The regular season caused heartaches for most, and the postseason will finish off the hopes of that last 35 percent still left in their Super Bowl chase. 

However, while many fans may be waiting and even expecting a great game, they should not get their hopes high.  This game is one of the most overrated games still left in the NFL. 

In fact, if one game could be taken out of the NFL schedule without much opposition, it would be the Pro Bowl.  Although it may be fun for some to watch scores of 40’s and even 50’s, the play during this game is pretty different from any game during the regular season.

This obviously does not only go for the NFL.  Even in the NBA and other professional leagues, the play and how the game is called differ between the regular season, All-Star games and postseason.  What fans see at each of those levels is completely different from one another. 

Players and coaches see this event as more of a vacation and a reward to the players versus a competitive game for all those watching to enjoy.  

It Is Right Before the Super Bowl

This is obviously not anything new for those who are NFL fans.  With that in mind, why has the league not changed its policy for the Pro Bowl yet?

Having the Super Bowl a week after the Pro Bowl limits which players are actually going to play.  For the most part, a lot of the players who have been voted in are likely playing in the championship, which means they will not be playing in Hawaii. 

Eight players from the San Francisco 49ers alone have been voted into the NFC Pro Bowl roster.  If they make it to the Super Bowl, backups would have to come in and take their spots.  These players are most likely still decent but nothing compared to those who left.

Obviously this is not to say that the backups are “bad” players, but when fans and coaches want to see duos such as Aaron Rodgers to Calvin Johnson or Tom Brady to Brandon Marshall, it is safe to say anything less would be a disappointment. 

Now, having the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl might fit better with the other schedules that the league has to deal with.  There might be no way of fixing the placement of this game in the near future.  However, if the NFL wants this game to start having some more buzz, it would be nice to see the players who were in the Super Bowl participate in the festivities.  

Either Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees Will Not Be There

As it is shaping up, it is most likely that there will be either no Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees. 

Both the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints are poised to make the Super Bowl, and that means no players from one of those teams will be in the Pro Bowl.  This is unfortunate because these two QBs are arguably the best in their position around the league.

Aaron Rodgers has already thrown 45 touchdowns and has some of the league's best numbers regarding quarterback importance.  For example, Rodgers is averaging 68.3 percent accuracy with 4,643 yards and a QBR of 122.5. 

Drew Brees has just broken Dan Marino’s passing record with 5,087 yards at 70.7 percent accuracy.  Along with these unheard of numbers, he has netted 41 touchdowns and is leading his Saints to a Super Bowl run. 

To not see either one of these players in this game makes it tough to accept mainly because the Pro Bowl is supposed to be a game of the collective best from the league. 

As mentioned earlier, who would not want to see Aaron Rodgers throw a 50-yard laser to Calvin Johnson in the end zone?  

Either Tom Brady or Big Ben Will Not Be There

Now, either the Patriots or the Steelers have to make it to the Super Bowl for this to be a problem in the first place.  However, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger are both listed as the No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks on the Pro Bowl depth chart in the AFC. 

Brady has thrown for 4,897 yards with 36 touchdowns and a total QBR of 105.1.  The threat of Brady and Wes Welker has made the lives of defensive coordinators a living nightmare.  He is a legend, and with that status comes expectations that he continues to fulfill. 

Roethlisberger is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the game.  As seen in the game against the San Francisco 49ers, he will continue to play through pain regardless of what is probably the better decision of sitting out. 

He has thrown only 21 touchdowns and 3,856 yards in the air, yet his stats alone do not do him justice.  His defense obviously does much to help this team out, however it takes a specific kind of player to play for a Steelers team.

Both these quarterbacks have won Super Bowls, and both have shown why they are so entertaining to watch.  This is why it is painful to see a Pro Bowl with one of them not in the lineup.  

Unfortunately, tickets are sold mostly by names rather than the play of the collective team.  With that in mind, Big Ben and Tom Brady bring in fans and promote sales wherever they go, and seeing one of them not be able to play due to being in the Super Bowl is disheartening for fans everywhere.  

Philip Rivers?

Next on AFC depth chart behind Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger is Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers.  Although Rivers has shown that he can be a good quarterback, he has yet to show himself this season as a reliable one.  If either Brady or Roethlisberger do not make the trip to Hawaii, look for Rivers to take a much greater role in the offense.

After throwing 19 interceptions to only 24 touchdowns, his numbers do not warrant him much playing time, and fans are most likely not going to be as excited to watch him play. 

As a fan, I would much rather see Brady and Roethlisberger take most of the snaps versus one of them and Rivers.  The bright side, though, is that Chargers fans will most likely be able to see more of their quarterback play against a lax defense.  

Reputation over Performance

Whenever there is a voting of players, this tends to be an issue.  Even in the NCAA when teams are selected for events such as March Madness or postseason tournaments, the issue of reputation over performance comes into play.

Just as the rosters for the NFC and AFC were being posted, there was certain to be another 100 writers out there writing about who was snubbed or who was well-deserving.  There is no right or wrong answer because sometimes reputation does warrant some tilt in that player's favor.

However, if the point of the Pro Bowl is to see the best of the best, than players who are let in for reputation are hurting the mission of this game. 

Lets start with Troy Polamalu.  He is one of game's best, and his highlight reel can probably last an entire full-length movie.  However, this year he has only one interception and no forced fumbles. 

Although Polamalu can accomplish some amazing feats of athleticism on the field, his stats do not necessarily warrant him a spot on the roster.  Other players who seemed to make the roster on reputation more so than performance include Dwight Freeney, Antonio Gates, Philip Rivers, B.J. Raji and Greg Jennings. 

This is not to say that these players are not talented, because they are.  Yet, some of those decisions seemed questionable and leaned more towards favoritism as opposed to output.  

Fullback Roster Positions Are a Waste

In today’s game, the position of fullback has become lost.  Although there are a select few who can play that position full-time, most are just part-time players. 

Each side (AFC/NFC) has a designated fullback spot which really just cuts out great running backs who could not make it due to the plethora of backs in the league.  Having a fullback is meant mainly for running plays between the tackles, and as most fans know, the Pro Bowl is more air attack than between the tackles. 

Although the NFC has a fan favorite in John Kuhn and the AFC has a talented player in Vonta Leach, they both have not put up significant numbers this season.

This season, John Kuhn has only 28 attempts, 73 yards and four touchdowns.  Needless to say, making the Pro Bowl on those numbers is an embarrassment. 

Vonta Leach has even worse numbers at 11 attempts, 34 yards and zero touchdowns.  That’s right a player who has had zero touchdowns is in the Pro Bowl. 

The NFL should really change it so that a quality back such as Marshawn Lynch is able to play in this game versus an underachieving fullback due to technicality of position.  

No Marshawn Lynch

This might have been one of the bigger snubs in the league. 

Although there will always be those who should have had a spot, there really is no person more deserving of a roster position than Lynch. 

He has 266 attempts for 1,118 yards rushing along with 12 touchdowns.  He played for a team with virtually no quarterback or offense in the air, which meant there were constantly eight men in the box at all times.

On a side note, he was also the only back in the league to score a rushing touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.  Although that is a testament to the 49ers defense, it is also a testament to the skill and determination of Marshawn Lynch. 

Not having Lynch on the field is difficult to see but one that will probably happen at least once more.  

Lack of Motivation

Money is an important motivator to many professional athletes.  In today’s society, sports have become one of the highest-grossing industries in entertainment.  That being said, players are starting to have salaries in the seven and eight-digit range essentially dwarfing the $40,000 check for the winner of the Pro Bowl. 

If the money does not motivate them, what will? The atmosphere is almost like a vacation, and it seems unlikely that these players are going to play like they did earlier in their playoff games. 

The players are there to have a good time and enjoy themselves.  A win or loss will not necessarily be the end for them.  

Pro Bowl Rules

Just as a quick overview, some of the Pro Bowl rule changes from the regular and postseason include no blitzing, legality of intentional grounding, only the 4-3 can be run by the defense. 

Obviously, this is mainly a preventative measure so that no player is in a position to get injured.  However, one side of the ball clearly gains the benefits the most—the offense.  Like many other professional leagues with Pro Bowl-type events, the offense sells tickets, and that is what the fans want to see.

Now, do not get me wrong, the chance that Aaron Rodgers will be on live TV throwing touchdowns to Calvin Johnson is incredible.  However, with the combination of lack of motivation and defenses being soft, it could become a joke for the players.  

Player Selection Process

As the voting is currently structured, players, coaches, peers and fans garner one-third of the voting power. 

The idea of fans being able to vote in the players they like is a comforting feeling.  It allows fans to believe that they have a good amount of power over what they watch.  This definitely generates good relationships with the fans.

However, some of the fans do not know too much about who would make a good game.  Although the rule of the fans having a say should stay in, the percentage of how much power the fan vote has should be reevaluated. 

Some of these players, although very talented, were helped by their appeal to the fans.  If coaches and players had a stronger say in who plays and who does not, it would help in developing a more competitive game.