the nfl's annual pro bowl has come and gone ... thankfully ... originally conceived as football's version of an all-star game ... a gathering of the best players from across each conference ... as selected by their peers ... used to be played in honolulu the week after the super bowl ... this year the game was moved to the week before the super bowl ... and to miami ... not sure just how much "pro" this one was but yes it was played in a "bowl" ... my question is "if the so-called all-stars play a football game and nobody cares, did the game really get played?"

pictured above is a screenprint of part of today's nfl pro bowl page ... the headline says "star power" ... surely this must be referring to all the "star power" that was selected to play but did not play in this "all star" game ... at least 15 players withdrew due to injury ... 14 were eliminated because they play for the super bowl bound colts or saints ... no peyton manning (indianapolis) ... no tom brady (Injury) ... no drew brees (new orleans) ... no phillip rivers (injury) ... no brett favre (old age) ... and on and on ... who woulda believed the afc's "all-star" quarterbacks would be matt schaub (9-7 houston) <> david garrard (7-9 jacksonville) <> vince young (8-8 tennessee) ... next the nfl should change the name of this game ... i recommend "the mediocre bowl" ... no, wait ... don't rename it, abolish it ... gather the real all-stars at the super bowl, recognize them at halftime, give them a plaque and be done with it

headline bar in above pic includes this ... "colt's manning, saints' brees see pro bowl from sidelines" ... i rest my case