(You don't think they'll be mad that I said that do you?)

For an institution that is the marketing envy of not just the sports business world, but the business world in general, the NFL sure has managed to screw thing up.

It's bad enough that the game isn't real football. Without going into detail, the offense basically can't attempt to trick the defense and the defense can't .........well...... play defense. No zone, no blitz..... Occasionally they do allow tackling.

But if you are going to parade your league All-Stars out there for the public to see, how can so many of the league's All-Stars not play?

There are so many screwed up aspects to this game that I can't begin to count them.

• How do you have an AFC squad where David Garrard is in the game, but Peyton Manning and Tom Brady aren't?
• Brett Favre had the best year of his Hall of Fame career and people were talking about him being a league MVP along with Chris Johnson (if it weren't for Peyton Manning) isn't playing for the NFC? Sure he got the crap kicked out of him last week, but he's not hurt, he'd be playing if his team won and they were in the Super Bowl.
• Nate Kaeding can't play because he is injured? Since when his being embarrassed because you are statistically the best kicker in NFL history but can't make a playoff field goal an injury?
• I could go on with many of these but you get the point......

The NFL has 88 players participating in the Pro Bowl (44 players on both the AFC and NFC rosters), but 34% of the Pro Bowl players had to be replaced because they are either injured, embarrassed, or playing in the Super Bowl?

The following players will not play in the Pro Bowl due to "injury." Besides Wes Welker, who wouldn't be playing had their team advanced to the Super Bowl?

Philip Rivers, Chargers; Tom Brady, Patriots; Wes Welker, Patriots; Jake Long, Dolphins; Brian Cushing, Texans; Jairus Byrd, Bills; Nate Kaeding, Chargers; Brett Favre, Vikings; Steven Jackson, Rams; Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Sidney Rice, Vikings; Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Kevin Williams, Vikings; Lance Briggs, Bears; Charles Woodson, Packers; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cardinals.

These Super Bowl participants who won't be playing in the Pro Bowl:

Peyton Manning, Colts; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Dallas Clark, Colts; Jeff Saturday, Colts; Dwight Freeney, Colts; Robert Mathis, Colts; Antoine Bethea, Colts; Drew Brees, Saints; Jonathan Stinchcomb, Saints; Jahri Evans, Saints; Jonathan Goodwin, Saints;Jonathan Vilma, Saints; Darren Sharper, Saints; Roman Harper, Saints.

So the NFL is going to have 66% of its first team All-Stars and 34% of its All-Star back-ups play a fake game that no one cares about.

Let's face it, football is a contact TEAM sport and doesn't lend itself to INDIVIDUALS playing a competitive TEAM game. It's a waste of everyone's time. At least with pre-season football the team members are working to play together as a team using real game plays and dealing with real game situations.

Even though they moved the game to where all the people are, I'd still be shocked if it were sold out. If they insist on parading guys out there why don't they just have some sort of skills competition?

Either way, they should just give the tickets away to those being fleeced paying for Super Bowl tickets. I'm curious to find how many of you will be altering your family schedule to watch the game. Let me know. - David Ross

David, a paraplegic since a 1986 car accident, has been providing volunteer sports coverage for his local community paper in Mission, KS for over 20 years.

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