The Falacy of the Pro Bowl

I was reading Gregg Easterbrook's Tuesday Morning Quarterback article on ESPN's Page 2 today and something he wrote got me thinking:

"This weekend was distinctive in two other ways. First, the games were yet another argument the Pro Bowl voting should wait at least until the regular season is complete, not close around Armistice Day. The NFC Pro Bowl roster includes 16 players from teams that did not reach the playoffs, and only two Philadelphia Eagles. Yet the Eagles were the NFC's hottest team down the stretch and on Sunday played tremendous defense. The AFC roster has 20 players from teams that did not reach the postseason, and only two San Diego Chargers. Yet the Chargers were the AFC's hottest team down the stretch and on Saturday played tremendous defense. Both Pro Bowl rosters are dominated by gentlemen from clubs everyone was talking about at midseason (the Cowboys, the Jets) rather than those that performed well over the long haul. Please change the Pro Bowl voting so that full-season performance rather than early-season hype is what's rewarded!"

He's absolutely right! Pro Bowl voting is completely back-asswards. It makes Zero sense to vote for the best players of the year before the season is over.

I also believe that the fan vote counts for way too much in the voting formula. It's important to the league to put the most popular players in the Pro Bowl, but that means the Pro Bowl teams are loaded with players from bigger markets. Meanwhile it's practically a miracle to see a Brown or a Bill.

D'Qwell Jackson led the NFL in tackles with 154 but failed to make the Pro Bowl.

Washington and Dallas deserve nine Pro Bowlers even though they're stuck watching the playoffs from home? While playoff teams Atlanta and Philly are each only sending two?

Players like Mike Sellers and Chris Cooley get to go to the Pro Bowl but league-leading tackler D'Qwell Jackson and solid players like Brodrick Bunkley and Quentin Mikell from a playoff team don't? A travesty. The only thing I remember about Mike Sellers is a stuff and a stripped ball on consecutive plays against Cincinnatti. Washington lost that game.

It would be nice to see the Pro Bowl deadline held out until the end of the season, that way you can reward a player's entire campaign, as opposed to a few solid early-season games and preseason hype.