A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
It’s that time of year again ladies and gentlemen.
Of course the Super Bowl is next week, so this is Pro Bowl week!
The NFL’s annual all-star game is being played on Sunday in Hawaii, and it features all the stars of today’s game, minus those who are in the Super Bowl and preparing for their game next week.
I don’t care about the Pro Bowl. You don’t care about the Pro Bowl.
Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about the Pro Bowl.
The media attention for the NFL’s biggest game of the year has hit a torrid pace. With still over a week to go, everyone is fervently discussing the quarterback matchup, the x factors, and the Super Bowl betting line.
But before the big game takes place, there is the important matter of playing the Pro Bowl. For the first time in 30 years, it will not take place in tropical Honolulu, Hawaii. Instead, the NFL’s All-Star game hits the mainland and serves as a preface for the Super Bowl.
While the 11 selections from the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will not be taking part (including Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Darren Sharper, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark,) the game will still be filled with talented and entertaining starts that look to put on an exciting show.
So, who actually wants to play in the 2010 Pro Bowl?
I was actually contacted yesterday by the NFL office to fill in as a QB for the AFC squad, where none of the QBs originally named to the team are actually going to participate. Since I played QB my freshman year of hig school, the NFL apparently figured that I’d be better than alternatives like Derek Anderson or JaMarcus Russell.
Don’t scoff…if David Garrard (yes, he of the 15:10 TD:INT ratio) is playing in the Pro Bowl, we weren’t that far off from a second appearance for Derek Anderson. And really, that’s all you need to know: Derek Anderson was once a Pro Bowler.
Moving along…
Congratulations are in order for the two players who clearly the best players on the Cleveland Browns roster, and have been so for three years running.
Joshua Cribbs, quite possible the most complete and dominant special teams player in the history of the NFL, and Joe Thomas, the Browns’ left tackle for the next decade, have both been named to the Pro Bowl, according to numerous reports.
I’m not sure that I have ever watched the Pro Bowl.
Oh sure, I’ve had it on in the background while doing other things, or aimlessly stumbled upon it while meandering through the channels. But like many NFL fans, I have always found the Pro Bowl to be pretty anti-climactic. There is nothing riding on the game, it is a week after the Super Bowl, and I’m not a gambler. I realize it is supposed to be the best of the best playing against eachother — but we all know that these players have too much on the line in such a physical sport to truly be going all out in a game that is essentially meaningless.
Still, the Pro Bowl is a “big” event. And I’m sure plenty of money will be wagered by people who want to manufacture some sort of rooting interest. Thus, as we always do for every NFL game, we get you up to speed with the TV schedule and point spread for the game:
2009 Pro Bowl
- February 8, 2009
- TV Schedule: 4:30 ET on NBC
- Announcers: Not sure — I will try to find out
- Location: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Point Spread: TBA
- Over-Under: TBA
Also of note is that this will be the last Pro Bowl, at least in the near term, that will be played in Hawaii and staged after the Super Bowl. Beginning in 2010 the game will be played the week before the Super Bowl in the Super Bowl host city. No word what will take place in 2011 and beyond.
Anyway, the only other pertinent information for this year’s Pro Bowl are the rosters. Here they are:
NFC Starters:
QB: Kurt Warner
RB: Adrian Peterson
FB: Mike Sellers
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin
TE: Jason Witten
T: Jordan Gross, Walter Jones
G: Steve Hutchinson, Chris Snee
C: Andre Gurode
DE: Julius Peppers, Justin Tuck
DT: Kevin Williams, Jay Ratliff
OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Lance Briggs
ILB: Patrick Willis
CB: Charles Woodson, Antoine Winfield
FS: Nick Collins
SS: Adrian Wilson
P: Jeff Feagles
K: John Carney
KR: Clifton Smith
ST: Sean Morey
Reserves:
QB: Drew Brees, Eli Manning
RB: Michael Turner, Clinton Portis
WR: Steve Smith, Roddy White
TE: Chris Cooley
T: Chris Samuels, Flozell Adams, Jammal Brown
G: Leonard Davis, Davin Joseph
C: Shaun O’Hara
DE: Jared Allen
DT: Pat Williams
OLB: Derrick Brooks, Julian Peterson
ILB: Jon Beason
CB: Asante Samuel, Ronde Barber, Al Harris
FS: Brian Dawkins
Starters
QB: Peyton Manning
RB: Thomas Jones
FB: Le’Ron McClain
WR: Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall
TE: Tony Gonzalez
T: Joe Thomas, Jason Peters
G: Alan Faneca, Kris Dielman
C: Kevin Mawae
DE: Mario Williams, Dwight Freeney
DT: Albert Haynesworth, Kris Jenkins
OLB: James Harrison, Joey Porter
ILB: Ray Lewis
CB: Nnamdi Asomugha, Cortland Finnegan
FS: Ed Reed
SS: Troy Polamalu
P: Shane Lechler
K: Stephen Gostowski
KR: Leon Washington
ST: Brendon Ayanbadejo
Reserves
QB: Brett Favre, Jay Cutler, Kerry Collins
RB: Chris Johnson, Ronnie Brown
WR: Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker
TE: Antonio Gates
T: Michael Roos, Jake Long
G: Brian Waters
C: Nick Mangold, Casey Wiegmann
DE: Robert Mathis
DT: Shuan Rogers
OLB: Terrell Suggs
ILB: James Farrior
CB: Darrelle Revins
SS: Chris Hope
Pro Bowl rosters courtesy of NFL.com. Feel free to hop on over there as it gets closer to game time to see who is in or out due to injury.
