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Aaron Rodgers failed to get voted into the Pro Bowl this year, and while at this point he couldn’t have gone anyways (what with his first appearance in the Super Bowl and all), I contend that there are some good things about this “snub.”
It Helped Him Focus on Games and Winning
Last year at the beginning of the season Rodgers was asked what he wanted for the upcoming football year and he said he wanted to go to the Pro Bowl. He didn’t say: I want to win games for my team or I want the Packers to go all the way. Instead, he was focused on himself and his numbers.
You can’t blame the guy. We’ve all been focused on his numbers. He followed a legend and the natural tendency is to compare. The first year Rodgers started we heard about comparisons to Favre in almost every game. Each new announcing pair would weigh in, and we’d hear comparisons to his height, hand size, throwing motion, ability to read a defense, and lord knows what else.
The thing about stats, though, is that they don’t mean much. Big Ben had awful numbers in the game against the Jets, but he found a way to lead his team to victory. Wins are the most important stat.
More on why “the snub” was a good thing after the jump >>
Now for your NFC Pro Bowl roster, plus a link to Sportaphile’s post discussing the top six Pro Bowl snubs.
Quarterbacks
Brett Favre – Starter
Matt Hasselbeck – Reserve
Tony Romo – Reserve
Running Backs
Adrian Peterson – Starter
Marion Barber – Reserve
Brian Westbrook – Reserve
Fullbacks
Tony Richardson – Starter
Wide Receivers
Larry Fitzgerald – Starter
Terrell Owens – Starter
Donald Driver – Reserve
Torry Holt – Reserve
Tight Ends
Jason Witten – Starter
Chris Cooley – Reserve
Offensive Linemen
Flozell Adams – Starting Tackle
Walter Jones – Starting Tackle
Leonard Davis – Starting Guard
Steve Hutchinson – Starting Guard
Andre Gurode – Starting Center
Chris Samuels – Reserve
Shawn Andrews – Reserve
Matt Birk – Reserve
Defensive Linemen
Aaron Kampman – Starting Defensive End
Patrick Kerney – Starting Defensive End
Kevin Williams – Starting Defensive Tackle
Pat Williams – Starting Defensive Tackle
Osi Umenyiora – Reserve
Tommie Harris – Reserve
Linebackers
Julian Peterson – Starter
DeMarcus Ware – Starter
Lofa Tatupu – Starter
Lance Briggs – Reserve
Patrick Willis – Reserve
Secondary
Al Harris – Starting Cornerback
Marcus Trufant – Starting Cornerback
Sean Taylor – Starting Free Safety
Darren Sharper – Starting Strong Safety
Terence Newman – Reserve
Ken Hamlin – Reserve
Special Teams
Andy Lee – Punter
Nick Folk – Placekicker
Devin Hester – Kick Returner
Brendon Ayanbadejo – Special Teamer
The addition of Sean Taylor was a nice touch. Well done.
