Pro Bowl results came out yesterday, and the Steelers will be represented by 3 players. Jameses Harrison and Farrior will accompany Troy Polamalu to Hawaii to wear Steelers helmets with vomit-inducing jerseys in early February.
Ed Bouchette, Steelers writer for the Post Gazette, seemed a little pissed that the team only has 3 representatives. I mean, this IS the league’s best defense, right? And the team in the hunt for the top seed in the tough AFC?
The team with the second-best record in the AFC and with the league’s best defense placed just three players for the Pro Bowl. Free safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison will start, and linebacker James Farrior is a reserve.
If that does not rile up the 11-3 AFC North Division champs, there’s more. The New York Jets placed a league-high seven players on the AFC team, the Tennessee Titans have six and the Baltimore Ravens, who lost to the Steelers twice, have five.
To which I say…who cares how many representatives are on other teams? Who cares that the Steelers only have 3 guys going to Hawaii (likely more once every big name player pulls out with an undisclosed injury)?
Doesn’t this speak more to the Steelers being a team rather than a collection of individuals? Our team isn’t just a handful of stars with no depth. Go down the Steelers depth chart, and a high percentage of those guys have made plays this year.
And they’ve had to, because of injury! Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel have missed games. Aaron Smith is having arguably his best year, but he’s a no-name. Ben’s thrown his share of interceptions, and Willie’s been trying to contribute whenever he can get on the field.
Look, I understand that good teams have good players, and those good players should be rewarded. Hell, I wouldn’t mind seeing every Steeler starting at every position on the AFC Pro Bowl squad. Seriously, Pittsburgh versus the best the NFC has to offer, only we get to wear our regular Steelers unis rather than those awful get-ups they’re supposed to wear. But it ain’t gonna happen.
I’ll take our 11-3 record, AFC North division title and the shot at home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Pro Bowl snubs SHOULD NOT motivate this team.
Because the Pro Bowl IS MEANINGLESS. So chill out for a sec, Ed.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
