Is Roethlisberger's Arm Really Hurt Or Is He Ducking The Pro Bowl?

Big Ben Roethlisberger was the first alternate for the AFC Pro Bowl team. This year the game is down in Miami the week before the Super Bowl. When Tom Brady pulled out, the opportunity to represent the Steelers was given to Roethlisberger. Big Ben turned it down.

Roethlisberger said he could not play due to an injury to his right shoulder. That is his throwing arm for those of you left-right challenged. Now I do remember Mike Tomlin saying something about Ben hurting his shoulder, but it didn't sound serious. Now it appears serious enough for Ben to miss the Pro Bowl.

It is not like Big Ben doesn't have a history of exaggerating injuries. Remember his claim to playing the Super Bowl with a broken bone? That was only one out of several times Ben claims to have had a more serious injury then we were led to believe. Lets not even get into missing the Raven's game this year with the concussion.

For the record I don't blame Ben for missing the first Baltimore game or the Pro Bowl. If he is in fact hurting and injured, lets not risk it. As much as I would like to see him take his place among the best in the league, it isn't worth it.

But is Ben just playing up the injury because he does not want to play in the Pro Bowl? He would not be the first player to do so.  Not that it really matters, but I would have liked to have seen him practice some hand offs in the game.

Anyway, I hope he is just using it as an excuse not to play. I hope our 100 million dollar man doesn't really have something wrong with his throwing arm!