thesack12 wrote:CrimsonCrew wrote:Have I mentioned that I hate the new pro bowl format, which basically kicks the SB team players off the squad, sticks new guys in their spot, and then those guys are considered "pro bowlers" for all intents and purposes? It's absurd. Couple years ago, something like eight QBs from one of the conferences were "pro bowlers."
This rant brought to you by Russell Wilson in the pro bowl after an entirely lackluster season in which he rushed back from injury, probably hurt his team, and struggled for a large chunk of the year on a team that didn't sniff the playoffs. Meanwhile, because he is in the super bowl, Matt Stafford is not a pro bowler this year.
And how in the world did Cousins and Wilson make it over Dak Prescott???
I personally haven't give the pro bowl any attention for at least 10 years.
That being said, after reading your post and seeing you mention they had a new format I decided to go check the box score. I see there were SEVEN interceptions yet there was still 76 points scored. That sure seems like a terrible excuse for a football product being produced out there.
So I think i'll continue to move forward pretending like the pro bowl doesn't exist.
Oh, I couldn't possibly care less about the actual pro bowl. But being named to the pro bowl is significant. It can dramatically affect HOF voting, for instance, general perceptions, and possibly even bonuses and things like that. I will confess that I'm not entirely certain of this, but so far as I'm aware, there is no way to differentiate the first team pro bowl guys from these third, fourth, or fifth alternates. So this year, when Wilson was at best mediocre and at worst pretty awful post-injury, and went on to average 4.5 YPA for 77 yards and two INTs in the pro bowl (again, not that that matters even a little, but it's a pretty pathetic stat line), he's still viewed the same way as Rodgers or Brady were in terms of being named to post-season honors simply because those two guys opted out.
Furthermore, Stafford isn't a pro bowl QB this year, solely because he led his team to the SB (presumably he would have been the first alternate). When his legacy is viewed, people may be like, "Hmmmm, he didn't even make the pro bowl the year he went to the SB. Maybe his team was carrying him." The pro bowl is always fairly subjective, but having so many guys named to it due to injuries, opt-outs, and SB replacements really weakens the pool of players and the significance of making a pro bowl.