Scrooged!!

Scrooged!!

The NFL Pro Bowl, the best all-star game in professional sports is filled with controversy year in and year out. Deserving players who should be making the trip to Hawaii are continuously left off list and 2007 is no exception. Highlighting the 2007-2008 NFL Pro Bowl teams are Tom Brady, Brett Farve, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo and LaDainian Tomlinson. Voters across the country did a decent job in selecting the AFC and NFC squads still, players deserving an all-star appearance sadly won’t be going. The NFL needs to implement something similar to what MLB has where teams and coaches have more of a say in who gets to go. Fans still just don’t get it.

Players receiving coal in their stocking instead of first class airfare to Hawaii are as follows.

AFC Snubs

1.    The Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars now have one representative in the Pro Bowl but it took an injury to Willie Parker to get Fred Taylor into the AFC lineup. The sure Hall of Famer Taylor has enjoyed a very productive year ranking fifth in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,202 yards on only 223 carries. Taylor working in a duel running back system averaged 5.4 yards per carry and has posted five 100-yard rushing games in row. Taylor is much deserving of his first Pro Bowl appearance. Look for Taylor to have a huge game in beautiful Hawaii.

2.    Mario Williams DE, Houston Texans – Williams leads the AFC with 14 sacks but is not going to be making the trip. Williams had his hula going on earlier in the year after dismantling Denver but it looks like voters in Houston totally botched it. Get with it Texans fans, Williams should have represented the organization  in Hawaii. Williams has however proven that he was the best player in the 2006 draft and now has 18.5 career sacks with one game to go in his sophomore season.

3.    Leigh Bodden CB, Cleveland Browns – The Cleveland Browns are on the verge of making the playoffs and Leigh Bodden is a major reason why. Bodden has 85 tackles ranking third among defensive backs and ranks fifth in the NFL with six interceptions. Asante Samuel has only 40 tackles with six interceptions and Champ Bailey has 70 tackles but only three interceptions. Quarterbacks try to stay away from Bailey. Samuel does not deserve the call this year – Bodden has balled out in 07 and should be in Hawaii instead of the off season hold-out, Samuel.

NFC Snubs

1.    O.J. Atogwe FS, St. Louis Rams – Atogwe has been the defensive bright spot in St. Louis this season. The former Stanford Cardinal has enjoyed his best season with 70 total tackles, a fumble recovery and seven big interceptions. The late Sean Taylor (Taylor's Football.com player page will remain up for the rest of the football season) is listed as the NFL starter followed by Ken Hamlin of Dallas. Taylor should be an honorary NFC player and mentioned before the game or at half time. Hamlin on the other hand only has 59 tackles and five interceptions.

2.    Michael Boley OLB, Atlanta Falcons/Ernie Sims OLB, Detroit Lions – Boley has been a force in Atlanta with 90 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. Sims has been just as good with 127 tackles, one sack, one interception and three forced fumbles. Starters Julian Peterson and DeMarcus Ware are solid selections but Lance Briggs has not been as productive as he was in 2006 with only 94 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. 

3.    Marques Colston WR, New Orleans Saints – Colston poured it on in the second half of the season and ranks second in the NFC with 90 receptions and 1,108 receiving yards. Colston was the steal of the 2006 draft and now has 2,146 career receiving yards and 17 touchdowns with one game remaining in his second season. Starters Larry Fitzgerald and Owens have posted sick numbers and deserve their spots. Donald Driver and Torry Holt however snuck in behind faithful fans in Green Bay and St. Louis. Driver is Farve’s favorite target and has 1,048 receiving yards but only two touchdowns. Holt has been slowed by a nagging injury and the Rams as a team have been just smashed by the injury bug so the soon to be Hall of Famer has been held in check this year. Holt’s numbers are down – 1,096 yards and seven touchdowns is a down year for Holt.

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