Why the NFL Pro Bowl is a Joke
Okay, let's get this out of the way.
The Pro Bowl is a joke.
The NFL Pro Bowl is the toy inside the box of Crackerjacks. A rusted bowling trophy selling for 75 cents at a garage sale. It's an invisible game. Nobody freakin' cares. Even football fans don't care about the Pro Bowl.
But for whatever reason, getting picked to the Pro Bowl is a big deal. Making many Pro Bowl teams often gets cited as a precondition for induction into the NFL Hall of Fame. So, to the players, this is a major accomplishment. It's also an interesting debate in sports conversation as to which players are more deserving over others.
The trouble is -- THE TIMING.*
This year's Pro Bowl selections were announced on Wednesday. But wait -- aren't there THREE MORE GAMES LEFT TO PLAY?
Right now, half of the playoff spots are up for grabs. We have no idea as to which teams and players are going to shine in crunch time, when things matter the most. So why in the hell is the NFL picking its best players right now? Wouldn't it make sense to wait until the season IS OVER and then decide?
3/17 games unplayed and uncounted in the Pro Bowl decision means 17.6 percent of the season isn't factored into the equation. Not only that, but these games matter MORE than the others. It's like playing a football game and then declaring a winner with 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter.
Stupid.
The Pro Bowl is already a meaningless game with no appeal. It might help the game and add to the credibility of the "honor" if the full season were considered.
This makes no sense at all.
*In very close decisions (most positions are close), the MOST IMPORTANT GAMES of the season should matter. What if Kyler Murray (Cardinals), who missed 3 games already (3 games!), crashes and burns and Arizona finishes 2 games back of the Rams, and Matt Stafford puts up big numbers in the last 3 games and wins the NFC West? Bzzt! Doesn't matter. Murray was already selected. Lamar Jackson of the Ravens was picked as one of the AFC QBs, who also missed considerable playing time and has played HORRIBLY the past month. Does this make ANY sense at all? Rhetorical question, of course.
