Chad Clifton is a name Bucs fans wont forget; he was the Packer who got taken out by Warren Sapp in a memorable game back in 2002. Clifton is news again for Bucs fansllllas he is the Green Bay Packer Tackle pro bowler who can no longer play in the Pro Bowl because he is going to the SuperBowl.
In his place, Josh Freeman’s blind side protector Donald Penn will go to Hawaii. Both men will be credited with Pro Bowl status for 2010.
Penn was a hold out for most of the 2010 offseason but the Bucs and Penn agreed to terms at the dawn of training camp. Many feel Penn had his best year as a Buc, and he was outspoken about the Bucs players getting left off the Pro Bowl list despite a 10-6 season.
Perhaps the networks will show Tampa Bay more love next year with more nationally televised games which offers more exposure for players so they can get noticed more which turns into more Pro Bowl votes.
To be honest, Pro Bowl is more of a popularity contest, and don’t think for a moment your fan vote has any effect on the outcome. Only 1/3 of the votes are determined by fans, which means 0% of the fan vote has an impact. It sounds good to say Fans have a 1/3 vote, but We’ll do the math later and see how it turns out.
It’s often been said, a star player in the NFL always gets snubbed a year or two at the beginning of their career when they deserve to go, and usually get voted in a few times too many at the end of their career when they DIDN’T deserve to go. Its just the way it works out.
And it doesn’t matter if you are voted in as a starter, or an alternate and get called in last minute, your still going down in the Books as a Pro Bowl player!
FAN VOTE? WHATEVA!
Ok think your fan vote counts? Lets take the safety position in the AFC. Coaches and players are going to vote in Troy Polamalu. Some computer wiz in Palm Harbor comes up with an algorithm that allows him to get 2,398,937,209 to the third power votes for Corey Lynch. Thats 2.3 billion Lynch votes, and 300 Troy Polamalu votes. Polamalu wins because fan votes only count for 1/3 of the process.
In the closest of scenarios, Say Quarterback in the NFC, Coaches and Players may be split between Michael Vick, Drew Brees, and Matt Ryan. Lets say 400 votes go to Brees, 350 votes go to Vick, and 200 go to Ryan. Meanwhile some loser in Wisconsin who lives in him moms basement at the age of 33 votes all day long for months at a time for Aaron Rodgers.
Vick, Brees, and Ryan account for 66% of the vote, Rodgers has 2 million votes, but only gets 1/3 of the say in the matter. No Rodgers for you! I don’t think he minds about this time do you?
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