Pro Bowl voting gone wild: Brady leads top snubs Dec. 19, 2006 By Pete Prisco / CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer Let's quit calling them the Pro Bowl teams, and instead call them what they are: The Popularity Teams. Should safety John Lynch go to Hawaii ahead of the :beer: Jets' Kerry Rhodes :beer: ? Ah, no. (AP) After scanning the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters, it's quite evident, once again, that something has to be done to fix the way these teams are selected. Too many deserving players are being left off.If a player has been selected to the game in the past, there will be a lot of sentiment for him to go back. Reputation means more than production.The tale of two Johns best exemplifies what I mean. The first John is Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson, the second is Denver Broncos safety John Lynch. ~ ~ ~ Then there's Lynch. He has no business being on the AFC team, especially ahead of Kerry Rhodes of the New York Jets. Ask scouts or personnel directors who they would take and most would take Rhodes. Rhodes has 71 tackles, four sacks and four interceptions; Lynch has 48 tackles, no sacks and no interceptions. Yet Rhodes isn't even on the team. Why? Lynch is popular -- this will be his eighth Pro Bowl -- and Rhodes isn't as he waits for his first. So once again we've been reminded that the Pro Bowl teams are a big, giant joke. The Pro Bowl rosters really aren't the best players in the NFL, and that's a shame. > http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9880714
Also, how does Merrimen get in when half the year he was playing while on steroids? How is that fair to the guys who are not juicing?
~~amy lee~~ deserved a ~~~pro~bowl nod if~~~~ you ask ~~me~.\ but it really is no suprise. You dont here Rhodes mentioned on ESPN like you hear Lynch. People pay attention to names, not talent.
Players shouldn't be allowed to vote. It should be sportswriters and coaches. It still wouldn't be perfect because there will always be bias, but at least it will be better. Fans shouldn't get to vote either. Most people just vote for players off their team, regardless of how well they've actually played.
" vinsjets;394019]~~amy lee~~ deserved a ~~~pro~bowl nod if~~~~ you ask ~~me~.\ " i AGREE ! ! . . . :beer:
Here's what I hate about the Merriman scandle (if I may go a bit off topic). He got suspended for doing steroids for 4 weeks. Then he came back and played amazingly like he did before his suspension. Is 4 weeks enough time for your arms to go from jacked up to spaghetti because you haven't been juicing? Give me a break. He's still out there with steroided up muscles.
I stopped trying to argue the Pro Bowl rosters about a year ago. It just gives me too big a headache.
I totally thought Rhodes would get in. It is a shame. I also would have liked to see Coles on the list too. He deserves it as well.
Lynch Made the Pro Bowl in week one, once he actually stepped on the field it probably did not matter what his performance was. Tony Romo Made the team and only played like 7 games. By the time they play the game half of them will opt out and football will be the last thing on my mind!
It's completely ridiculous that an NFL player can basically get away with ANYTHING. Do you think a baseball player who was caught for using steroids would be embraced like this and voted onto the All-Star team? Mark McGwire hasn't even been found guilty and is already out of the Hall of Fame, yet somehow Merriman gets away with it like nothing ever happened. An NFL player could probably kill someone and then be welcomed back the next week with open arms.
I can honestly care less about this supposed "lack of respect" I'm content to have a team full of no-names to those who do not follow us closely, the more we get snubbed the more the team will continue to come together. It's tough to keep that us against the world mentality when everyone and their mother is busy lining up to kiss your feet. Undoubtedly Mangini will seize on these types of moments and events to bring his team closer. It's what Belichick would do.
saw this : Pro Bowl voting process needs changing Adam Schein / Special to FOXSports.com Posted: 1 hour ago Let me get this out of the way right now. I don't watch the Pro Bowl. I wouldn't watch the Pro Bowl if you paid me.But it is an honor to be selected. And every year, (watch it happen again around Super Bowl time), media types and fans will reference Pro Bowl appearances when breaking down whether or not a player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Thus, the process should have some teeth. And imagine this concept ? the best players should get to go to Hawaii. As Tiki Barber might say, this isn't rocket science. I would scrap the entire process. Fans shouldn't vote, as they often see things through team colored glasses. Players shouldn't vote. They often vote for guys they were teammates with in college, or share the division with or share an agent with. Or they just vote for players who went to the Pro Bowl last year (and this is from talking to players).I'd like to see media types, analysts and writers, comprise a committee and vote. I don't care about the game, but the process should have some merit. Now for the part you are really looking for: who got robbed in 2006. Plus, guys who made the team and didn't deserve it. 1. London Fletcher: What does he have to do to get recognized? He is third in the NFL in tackles, his eighth straight year of 100 or more tackles. Fletcher has dominated games for the Bills this season and is seemingly in the middle of every big play, just look at the enormous victory against the Jets. When pressed on the issue last week, Fletcher theorized that he gets overlooked because he went to school at John Carroll and the Bills play in a small market. It is a horrendous mistake that Fletcher isn't in the Pro Bowl :beer: 2. Kerry Rhodes: The Jets safety has been the king of the game-changing play for Eric Mangini's hard-charging defense. Rhodes has four picks, four sacks and has forced three fumbles. John Lynch is a great player and a great guy, but Rhodes deserves the no. 3. Asante Samuel: The Patriots cornerback has eight picks this season, good for second in the NFL. I thought he was more worthy than Chris McAlister. 4. Pat Williams: I have no idea how anyone could deem Kris Jenkins as an all-star this year. With the way Minnesota has stopped the run, Williams deserved to be headed to Hawaii with teammate Kevin Williams. "Big Pat" is the main reason you cannot move the ball north-south on the Vikings. 5. Bart Scott: I was thrilled to see Adalius Thomas get the honor. But his partner in crime has also had a great year and both deserved to go. And how exactly does Terrell Suggs make it as a linebacker when he is a defensive end? Scott has 93 tackles and 9.5 sacks. Thomas has 75 tackles and 10.5 sacks. I cannot believe Scott isn't a Pro Bowler. 6. John Henderson: The big guy up front has anchored the Jaguars defense all season. Richard Seymour in the Pro Bowl is a joke. I love Seymour, but his playing time has been severely reduced while he's been bit with the injury bug and been relatively ineffective. Plus, Seymour is an end, not a tackle. 7. Antonio Pierce: I had him on my ballot as opposed to Lofa Tatupu. Pierce has 117 tackles; Tatupu has 104. 8. Keith Bulluck: The unquestioned team leader for the 7-7 Titans is fourth in the NFL in tackles. And Bulluck has had his stamp on enormous wins this year -- the touchdown in Philadelphia, the goal-line tackle with minutes to go against the Colts, the pick of Peyton Manning and the clutch sack against the Jags last week. 9. Kellen Winslow: It's truly splitting hairs, but I said on my FOXSports.com video report last week that I thought the Browns tight end deserved it. Winslow has more catches than Tony Gonzalez and would've been my choice. 10. Roy Williams: When a receiver has five 100-yard receiving games, that's domination. Williams also has 1,127 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Williams was one of five NFC receivers clearly having better seasons than Terrell Owens. Good stuff With all that said, I was thrilled to see some selections develop. Adrian Wilson and Aaron Schobel are unsung stars and it was great to see their names on the list. I was glad San Diego center Nick Hardwick made it. Reggie Wayne is a first-timer and he deserved the honor. This won't be the last time Eagles guard Shaun Andrews goes to Hawaii. Packers Donald Driver and Aaron Kampman faced competition at their positions but were on my list and more than worthy. And I was glad the Saints defense got some love with Will Smith. It was also good to see Michael Vick not get in on name alone. Adam Schein hosts the Afternoon Blitz on Sirius NFL Radio with Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller from 3-7 ET. He also hosts the Sirius NFL Tailgate Show every NFL Sunday from 9-noon ET. Schein is the NFL insider for Sports Net New York. Email him at aschein@siriusradio.com > http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6290830
