Link Redskins Successfully Make Mockery of Pro Bowl
I'm not privy to the thinking behind the Redskins' elaborate campaign urging fans to Vote the Redskins Ticket. As I've repeatedly mentioned, the thing ranges from thousands of yard signs to extensive Web videos to pins and bumper stickers to radio ads to an enslaved blogger to thick media packets to, presumably, an illegal slush fund, hidden recording devices and some plumbers.
In my mind, I've imagined that some front-office types thought about the system and realized it was ripe for fan exploitation. Because, unlike an NBA All-Star ballot--where every player is a superstar--the NFL ballot has obscure nooks and crannies at little-known positions.
"If one team attempted to brainwash its fans into constantly voting for, say, Madison Hedgecock," these brave front-office execs said to one another, "the system could easily be gamed, and a band of no-gooders could probably elect most of the Detroit Lions' offensive line. Maybe if we make a mockery of the system by electing 438 Redskins starters this year, the NFL will introduce more objective criteria, such absurdities will be impossible in the future, and the meritocracy will be preserved."
Either than, or Mr. Snyder just decided that if Jerry Jones could have a bigger HD screen, he wanted more Pro Bowlers.
Well, ESPN.com (via The Redskins Blog) has some preliminary voting tallies, and the numbers look great if your idea of great is a preseason intrasquad Skins scrimmage. Let's take a look at some of the leading fan vote-getters in the NFC.
Running Back: Clinton Portis (with 51 percent more votes than second-place Adrian Peterson)
Wide Receiver: Santana Moss
Fullback: Mike Sellers (with 143 percent more votes than second-place Hedgecock)
Tight end: Chris Cooley (with 12 percent more votes than second-place Jason Witten)
Center: Casey Rabach
Guards: Pete Kendall and Randy Thomas (both with more than 25 percent more votes than anyone else)
Offensive Tackle: Chris Samuels (with 93 percent more votes than anyone else)
So yeah, while the local fanbase worries itself sick over the team's starting offensive line, the fan vote would indicate that four of the five starters are Pro Bowlers. In fact, eight of the NFC's 11 starters would come from this 6-4 squad. That makes sense. (And sure, fan voting is only one element of the very grave selection process.)
On defense, Washington has the top two tackles (both with at least 21 percent more votes than anyone else), the second-rated defensive end, three of the top four outside linebackers, the top inside linebacker, the top two cornerbacks (including No. 1 Shawn Springs, who has played in fewer than half of his team's games), the top free safety, and the top strong safety. That would be Chris Horton, who has an astounding 206 percent more votes than any other NFC strong safety.
So the defense one-ups the offense by landing nine of 11 would-be starters. So the NFC would have 17 Redskins starters. At least there's no defending Super Bowl champ with one loss in that conference, because then this would seem really, really stupid.
Oh, I forgot about special teams. Leading kicker? Duh. Shaun Suisham, with 139 percent more votes than anyone else. Leading kick returner? Duh. Rock Cartwright. Leading specialist? Duh. Khary Campbell. Leading punter? Duh, Ryan Plackemeier, of course. That would be the friendly chap who's played exactly four games for the NFL's worst punting team.
There's a zero percent chance that some front-office types aren't doing Champagne shots out of Hog Troughs today, but when the part-time kicker for the league's worst punting team leads the NFC Pro Bowl voting, well, democracy sheds a silent tear.
****************
Fact of the matter is, Pro Bowl voting is a joke. It should be players and coaches, and maybe 20% fan voting. It will be a shame if Charles Woodson (or Collins for that matter) don't make the Pro Bowl this year. Woodson was already shafted once.