Every Pro Bowl roster is too small, invariably snubbing worthy candidates. The latest, announced Wednesday, is no exception.
Despite honoring such deserving first-time stars as New England quarterback Tom Brady, this year’s balloting among players, coaches and fans also will be remembered for relying on reputations at the expense of results.
The St. Louis Rams have not only the best record in the NFC but also the No. 1 defense. Yet they will send only one defensive player–cornerback Aeneas Williams–to the Feb. 9 game in Honolulu.
How New Orleans defensive tackle La’Roi Glover could land a place ahead of Bears newcomer Ted Washington will remain one of the unsolved mysteries of the 2001 season. Maybe voters thought Washington was still in the AFC.
Glover, who led the league in sacks last year with 17, has only 40 tackles and eight sacks this year as the Saints fell out of playoff contention. Washington has 48 tackles despite not always playing on passing downs.
The Saints did send outstanding strong safety Sammy Knight, a deserving first-time Pro Bowler who could have been ignored, as was the Bears’ Mike Brown amid the many good NFC safeties.
The Rams and Bears aren’t the only team with complaints.
While Bears receiver Marty Booker was passed over in favor of bigger names Terrell Owens of San Francisco and Isaac Bruce of St. Louis in the NFC, Booker can join Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward of the AFC on the All-Overlooked Team.
Ward set a Steelers record for receptions (90 so far this season) on a team that leads the league in rushing, proof that Ward’s substantial contributions as a blocker went unheeded.
Three of the four AFC receivers chosen instead of Ward–Denver’s Rod Smith, Jacksonville’s Jimmy Smith and Indianapolis’ Marvin Harrison, all in the elite 100-catch club–will be sitting home watching Ward during the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Steelers running back Jerome Bettis made the team despite missing December with a hamstring injury while San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson, Cincinnati’s Corey Dillon, Seattle’s Shaun Alexander and New England’s Antowain Smith passed him up only to get passed up in voting.
How teams with only one victory get represented also is baffling. Did Detroit defensive end Robert Porcher really have a better year than the Packers’ Vonnie Holliday or the Bears’ Phillip Daniels? Porcher has two more sacks than Daniels and three more than Holliday, but more than 20 fewer tackles than either and 22 fewer wins total. Rams end Grant Wistrom was a second alternate, but the Rams think he also should be ahead of Porcher.
The Rams also believe middle linebacker London Fletcher is better than the Eagles’ Jeremiah Trotter. But Fletcher undoubtedly cost himself votes with his mouth. The mouths of the Giants’ Jessie Armstead and the Redskins’ LaVar Arrington didn’t hurt them at outside linebacker, however, although neither Pro Bowler did any more for their team than Bears outside linebackers Warrick Holdman and Rosevelt Colvin.
Carolina punter Todd Sauerbrun was a joke in Chicago, yet he made the NFC team after leading the league in gross (47.5) and net (39.2) average. The Bears still would prefer Brad Maynard, whose ratio of touchbacks (seven) to punts downed inside the 20 (league-high 36) is the best in the NFC, superior to Sauerbrun’s league-leading 17 touchbacks and 33 downed inside the 20.
The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers led their respective conferences with six players apiece, another sure sign that reputations are important. The Bucs sent four defensive players, although they rank behind St. Louis and Dallas in NFC defense and behind the Bears, Eagles, Packers and Rams in points allowed. One of the Bucs’ defensive players was not Simeon Rice, who leads the team with 11 sacks and has been playing the run as well as anybody on the Bucs, according to coaches.
The Packers and Cowboys didn’t have a single defensive player named. Packers safety Darrin Sharper and the Bears’ Brown lost out to the Eagles’ excellent Brian Dawkins, one of four Philadelphia defenders chosen.
The Eagles are not without complaint, however. They believe offensive left tackle Tra Thomas emerged as a dominating force this season, outplaying left tackles Orlando Pace of St. Louis and Chris Samuels of Washington.
Brady joined Oakland’s Rich Gannon and Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart as AFC quarterbacks. Last year Brady was a fourth-stringer as a rookie sixth-round draft choice. When Drew Bledsoe got hurt, Brady stepped in and played so well he kept the job, proof that performance still counts and sometimes gets recognized.
All three AFC quarterbacks enjoyed Pro Bowl-type years, but one who was ignored also enjoyed a career year–Tennessee’s Steve McNair.
Pro Bowl rosters
NFC
OFFENSE
Wide receivers: David Boston, Arizona; Isaac Bruce, St. Louis; Keyshawn Johnson, Tampa Bay; Terrell Owens, San Francisco.
Tackles: Orlando Pace, St. Louis; Chris Samuels, Washington; James Williams, BEARS.
Guards: Larry Allen, Dallas; Ray Brown, San Francisco; Ron Stone, N.Y. Giants.
Centers: Matt Birk, Minnesota; Olin Kreutz, BEARS.
Tight ends: Bubba Franks, Green Bay; Wesley Walls, Carolina.
Quarterbacks: Brett Favre, Green Bay; Jeff Garcia, San Francisco; Kurt Warner, St. Louis.
Running backs: Marshall Faulk, St. Louis; Ahman Green, Green Bay; Garrison Hearst, San Francisco.
Fullback: Mike Alstott, Tampa Bay.
DEFENSE
Ends: Hugh Douglas, Philadelphia; Robert Porcher, Detroit; Michael Strahan, N.Y. Giants.
Interior linemen: La’Roi Glover, New Orleans; Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay; Bryant Young, San Francisco.
Outside linebackers: Jessie Armstead, N.Y. Giants; LaVar Arrington, Washington; Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay.
Inside linebackers: Jeremiah Trotter, Philadelphia; Brian Urlacher, BEARS.
Cornerbacks: Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay; Troy Vincent, Philadelphia; Aeneas Williams, St. Louis.
Strong safeties: Sammy Knight, New Orleans; John Lynch, Tampa Bay.
Free safety: Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia.
SPECIALISTS
Punter: Todd Sauerbrun, Carolina.
Placekicker: David Akers, Philadelphia.
Kick-return specialist: Steve Smith, Carolina.
Special-teamer: Larry Whigham, BEARS.
AFC
OFFENSE
Wide receivers: Tim Brown, Oakland; Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis; Jimmy Smith, Jacksonville; Rod Smith, Denver.
Tackles: Walter Jones, Seattle; Lincoln Kennedy, Oakland; Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore.
Guards: Ruben Brown, Buffalo; Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh; Will Shields, Kansas City.
Centers: Bruce Matthews, Tennessee; Kevin Mawae, N.Y. Jets.
Tight ends: Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City; Shannon Sharpe, Baltimore.
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, New England; Rich Gannon, Oakland; Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh.
Running backs: Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh; Priest Holmes, Kansas City; Curtis Martin, N.Y. Jets.
Fullback: Larry Centers, Buffalo.
DEFENSE
Ends: John Abraham, N.Y. Jets; Jevon Kearse, Tennessee; Marcellus Wiley, San Diego.
Interior linemen: Sam Adams, Baltimore; Trevor Pryce, Denver; John Randle, Seattle.
Outside linebackers: Jason Gildon, Pittsburgh; Jamir Miller, Cleveland; Junior Seau, San Diego.
Inside linebackers: Ray Lewis, Baltimore; Zach Thomas, Miami.
Cornerbacks: Sam Madison, Miami; Deltha O’Neal, Denver; Charles Woodson, Oakland.
Strong safeties: Rodney Harrison, San Diego; Lawyer Milloy, New England.
Free safety: Rod Woodson, Baltimore.
SPECIALISTS
Punter: Shane Lechler, Oakland.
Placekicker: Jason Elam, Denver.
Kick-return specialist: Jermaine Lewis, Baltimore.
Special-teamer: Ian Gold, Denver.
