Here's A Funny Joke..."The Pro Bowl"...!

Is there anything more degrading to a player than to be shuffled into an All-Star game at the last minute because whoever was better (or more well liked) was unable to play? Its like picking teams on the playground and then one of the best players hear's his mom calling him home leaving his team to pick from the undesirables that didn't make the first cut! This seems to be the situation that has developed the last couple of weeks concerning the NFL's attempt to field and showcase the best of the best.

The fact is...they are not going to have the best players on the field at all! So far 33 players have dropped out from the game or are unable to participate due to playing in the Super Bowl. (I hope I don't get sued for using the term "super bowl"...I guess I shouldn't say "who dat" either...) By the way, not only is the game being played before the super bo...uh I mean, big game, but its also being played in Miami as opposed to its usual home in Hawaii. I'm not sure I understand the logic here, or there...or anywhere for that matter! Why is the NFL playing any games in Europe? Why can a professional football player not spike the ball when he scores a TD. Where's the fun in that? Do you think they'll flag em for excessive celebration at the Pro Bowl? Hmm..anyways, here are the major players who wont be attending this weekends NFC vs. AFC showdown:

Peyton Manning...not only will he not participate, but he along with the other six Indianapolis Colts players selected to the Pro Bowl will be leaving the game at halftime to fly back to Indiana. The only reason any of them will be there is because the league will not pay the players their bonus checks if they do not show up to the game. (BTW, there is actually an incentive to compete in this game. The winners get a bigger check than the losers: $45,000 for a W and $22,500 for a L.) I'm sure Manning has his mind focused on other things, but for the few who watch the Pro Bowl wouldn't they like to see the best QB in the league play the game?

Others missing the game: Drew Brees...the second best QB in the league along with six of his teammates from who dat nation who wont be playing. Plus: Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, and Dwight Freeney. Pretty big names to not be in the NFL All-Star game. Also only 1 of the 6 chosen QB's is still going to play! The top three original QB's in the AFC were Manning, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers...NONE of them will be playing this weekend. They have been replaced by Matt Schaub, Vince Young, and David Garrard. The B-team! In the NFC only Aaron Rodgers is an original pick as Brees and Favre have been replaced by Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb (don't throw up man, I know this is a big game!).

So it seems this years NFL "All-Star" game is more like just a game full of the guys that were left standing by the fence in the school yard. Hardly the group that should be there, yet some made it in by accident and they should have been there all along! (Frank Gore ((cough cough))) Without a doubt this is the biggest disaster in Pro Bowl history, the first time since 1980 the game will not be in Hawaii, and most of the best players either refused to play due to "injury" (HA) or are in the Super Bowl. So to me this year will be a bust; while I may tune in just to see how the replacements fair, or to see if Chad Ochocinco busts a Billy "white shoes" Johnson on us...and gets flagged for it. Now that I may wanna see!