2012 Pro Bowl Afterword

Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning hooked up for one more snap in-game
during the Pro Bowl, a special moment for everyone. Photo credit to TeamLeaks.

I said I would recap the Pro Bowl, and so I will, briefly.

There isn’t really much to tell. The players seemed to put forth some effort, at least in the sense that it wasn’t a drag up until the fourth quarter before the game really got going.

But it still was the Pro Bowl. It has a negative connotation, understandably so. Yesterday was just the second time I’ve ever watched a whole Pro Bowl, and I’ll admit that the first time I watched one I wasn’t really paying that close of attention.

I have a feeling that this is how it is for most. They never really watched the Pro Bowl, just heard from a friend who heard from a friend who heard from a friend who read online that it’s a dumb game (and of course nothing online can be a lie – French model?).

It was actually worth watching for several reasons. It’s a great opportunity to see the league’s best players in a relaxed environment. They wanted to win, but they were relaxed. One defender even pulled up a bit when he could have laid a blind-side hit on Drew Brees. Some may look at that as not trying. I see it as a competitor who knows that this game doesn’t really mean much in the long run and doesn’t want a fellow competitor to get hurt playing in a meaningless game.

We all think that the Pro Bowl can’t exist because it isn’t played in the same atmosphere as a playoff, or even regular season or preseason game. I say that is the very reason that the Pro Bowl can exist. It’s different, it’s special, and I respect it for what it is, even if most people can’t because someone told them they shouldn’t.

Those who watched the Pro Bowl witnessed a very special moment. Jeff Saturday, who was the center for the Packers this year after spending many years with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, was playing for the NFC but came into the AFC huddle and snapped the ball to Manning for one play. I really can’t think of a moment in football that was more special, more touching, than that was.

But now the Pro Bowl is over and we can turn out attention to the Super Bowl. I will begin tomorrow by looking at the NFC representatives, the San Francisco 49ers. Wednesday I will focus on the Baltimore Ravens. My official prediction for Super Bowl XLVII will be published Sunday by noon.

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