Have We Entered the NFL Pro Bowl Era of the Asterisk?

With the NFL's change of scheduling, moving the NFL Pro bowl game to the weekend before the Super Bowl (as opposed to the weekend after the Super Bowl), Super Bowl contenders don't play in the Pro Bowl. This year, ten Pro Bowlers are bound for the Super Bowl. That means, ten replacements are announced.

This past Thursday, wide receiver Austin Miles learned he made the Pro Bowl, just three days before the actual Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The Washington Redskins went from having one Pro Bowl player, DeAngelo Hall, to having three, with the addition of linebackers London Fletcher and Brian Orakpo. By some kind of magic, Brian Orakpo is actually denoted as a starter now, according to the NFL.com website. Green Bay's Clay Matthews would have started at outside linebacker. Outside linebacker Lance Briggs of the Chicago Bears, who was initially voted to the Pro Bowl, won't play due to injury. There are sixteen Pro Bowlers who won't play in the Pro Bowl this year due to injury. All in all, 27 players won't play in the Pro Bowl because of Super Bowl commitments, injury or personal reasons. That opens up a lot of slots for alternates and alternates of alternates to make the Pro Bowl roster, and even start.

I'm a fan of Brian Orakpo. But, considering that a couple weeks ago Brian Orakpo was not a Pro Bowler, it seems strange to know that he is now a starter in the inter-conference game. So, the question I pose, are we starting to add asterisks to Pro Bowl stats? From now on, when someone says they made the Pro Bowl three years in a row, is the meaning sullied? Does it mean less because more people end up being invited? It seems like it must. And, how many different people can claim they were Pro Bowl starters? I know, these things seem trivial to many women, but many men are wondering the exact same questions.

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers combined for ten Pro Bowl players in 2011. It seems like a relatively high number if you look at Pro Bowlers per team. However, that's not a wise move. Inevitably, more Pro Bowlers will be on great teams. So, what is the average number of Pro Bowlers that will be lost due to Super Bowl participation? Is ten normal? Five per team for a Super Bowl contender sounds about right. The matchup for the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints subtracted fourteen Pro Bowlers from the Pro Bowl. That's seven per team. That year, another seventeen did not play due to injury.

Let's say 10-15 players miss the Pro Bowl each year due to playing in the Super Bowl. Every year, there are also a fair number of injured players. Playing the Pro Bowl closer to the other playoff games only increases the chances for players to be injured. After all, AFC/NFC Championship contenders that lose go from having three weeks off before the Pro Bowl to having just one week for preparation. With increases in missing players due to injuries plus 10-15 players still competing in the Super Bowl, the meaning of a Pro Bowl nod is being diluted. So, how do we not view last minute Pro Bowl additions as Pro Bowlers*?
* Players that did not make the Pro Bowl until Super Bowl contenders bowed out.

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