The 2008 Pro Bowl Will Be Without Their Main Attractions Because Certain Players Decided To Be Sore Losers

A star-studded lineup won't be playing in the Pro Bowl this season.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss joined Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and defensive tackle Jamal Williams in deciding on Monday to skip the Feb. 10 game in Honolulu.

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson will replace Brady and Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow will sub for Gates on the AFC's roster. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton will take Williams' spot.

Brady

Moss

Cincinnati's Chad Johnson will replace Moss, who caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in New England's 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday night.

Brady, who was sacked five times by the Giants and pounded throughout the Super Bowl, has been bothered by a tender ankle. There was no official word why Moss wasn't going to play.

I have a guess as to why Brady and Moss aren't going to play....because they are so embarrassed and sore they lost the Super Bowl to the Giants that they are ashamed to show their faces to the public and other players. I don't blame them either in a way. That was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Even still, they shouldn't be sore about losing. After all, they were voted in by the fans and to not give the fans what they want for no reason at all as a professional athlete is pretty sour of them. Its kind of babyish to say that because we lost the Super Bowl, now we don't want to play in the Pro Bowl.

Gates is still bothered by the left big toe he dislocated in San Diego's wild-card playoff win over Tennessee on Jan. 6. He was able to play in a divisional playoff win at Indianapolis and the AFC Championship Game loss at New England.

Williams had been bothered by an ankle injury since December.

They join teammate LaDainian Tomlinson in pulling out of the game in Honolulu. Tomlinson reinjured his sprained left knee in the 21-12 loss to the Patriots.

The withdrawals still leave six Chargers in the game.

In a release, the Browns did not provide a reason for Anderson replacing the Patriots star.

With Anderson and Winslow making the trip, the Browns will have six players in the Pro Bowl, the club's most since sending six in 1994.

Johnson will accompany teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was picked for his first Pro Bowl. It will mark the first time a pair of Bengals receivers reached the Pro Bowl together.

Johnson is coming off a most unhappy season in Cincinnati, where his self-promotion has worn thin on coaches, teammates and fans. He stopped talking to the local media after a columnist suggested the team might be better off without him.

Injury Update: Philip Rivers Has A Partially Torn ACL

Mouthy to a fault, quarterback Philip Rivers made a pronouncement Friday that pleased the San Diego Chargers, despite the coach's sentiments and a report to the contrary:

He's optimistic about playing in the AFC Championship Game.

Rivers returned to the practice field, encouraged his sprained right knee would heal enough for him to go Sunday against the New England Patriots.

However, that was Friday afternoon. Now sources told The San Diego Union-Tribune Rivers had also sustained a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Therefore, Chargers coach Norv Turner took a more cautious approach. He listed Rivers as doubtful and said it would be a game-time decision.

Under NFL rules for reporting injuries, someone listed as doubtful has a 25 percent chance of playing that week. Until Friday, teams were required to merely list whether a player practiced -- Rivers did not work out Wednesday or Thursday.

Rivers handled about one-third of the snaps in practice on Friday. He was hurt last weekend in a 28-24 playoff upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, and backup Billy Volek led the winning touchdown drive.

Already a two-touchdown underdog against the perfect Patriots, the Chargers are awfully banged up. Antonio Gates was put in the doubtful category still with a dislocated toe.

On a positive note, running back LaDainian Tomlinson said he thought his hyperextended left knee would be OK for him to start. If Billy Volek has to start or see major playing time in Sunday's AFC Championship game, than LT is going to have to step up like never before. Remember the LT who set the all-time record for rushing TDs and ran for crazy numbers continuously game after game. Wherever he went this year, he's going to have to return and play just like that against the Patriots if they have any hope of winning.

I'll say this however. The Patriots have not covered the spread in a long time. Other than the games against the Dolphins and Steelers, the rest of the games involving the Patriots have been relatively within reach. Yet, they still continue to be favored by insane amounts of points. I guess that's because the Patriots can go on a tear at anytime and can score almost every time the ball is in Tom Brady's hands.

As for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Same story. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said San Diego's injury problems were of little concern to him.

"We get ready for all 53 players every week," he said. "We don't have any control over that."

A classic Belichick response. Tom Brady, whose best games often come in the biggest settings, was typically more composed, joking about a future in Hollywood. In fact, everything is a joke to him.

For all his experience in pressurized settings, the Patriots quarterback suggested he had more trouble nowadays when it came to keeping his adrenaline in check. Brady was reminded that six years ago, right before playing in his first Super Bowl, he took a nap on the locker room floor. Brady wound up as the game's MVP in a win over the St. Louis Rams.

"I think I was naive back in the day," Brady said. "I thought it was easy."

Who are you trying to fool, Brady? Of course its easy when you have a line who protects you for so long you could steal Jessica Simpson from Tony Romo, have your way with her, and still be back in time to throw the ball to the best receiving core in football.

I guess when you have the type of season he had (make that the type of career he had) you can laugh and have a good time in the NFL.

The San Diego Chargers Advance In The Playoffs

First, the Chargers lost LT. Then Philip Rivers. And they still beat the defending champion Colts ... on the road. Are you kidding?

Even without LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers, the Chargers made sure the Indianapolis Colts won't repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Honestly, as a big Colts fan, I have to admit the Indianapolis Colts didn't deserve to win this game. They played horrible. They played like the playoff Colts I remember from 2 years ago. On offense, Peyton Manning's passes were tipped and intercepted. At times I didn't know what he was thinking when he overthrew passes or tried to fire them in. Oh, and what a wonderful defense! No, seriously, that defense was great! (That's sarcasm). You know what the worst part is? Almost all the calls and penalties favored the Colts. They had plenty of help and still couldn't win.

OR PERHAPS the Colts should have won this game? I don't know, but look at it this way. They technically should have won, but they didn't deserve to win. The main reason why the Colts lost the game was because of 3 red zone possession turnovers...2 of which were freaky, tipped passes that just happened to land in the defender's arms. Those 2 bizarre interceptions (I swear the ball just happened to land in the defender's arms) should have been at the bare minimum 2 field goals instead. So instead of the Colts losing 28-24...they could have won 29-28! By 1 single point the Colts would have won if those bizarre, tipped interceptions never happened. Oh well, that's football.

I still have more. Injuries plagued this team all game and the Chargers just seemed to have done everything right. Even the Chargers' punter played well, pinning the Colts back on their final drive. However, injuries also plagued both teams. Injuries took a toll on both teams in Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game.

San Diego lost LaDainian Tomlinson for much of the day with a bruised left knee. The Chargers also watched Phillip Rivers head to the locker room after hurting his right knee on a short pass that Darren Sproles turned into a 56-yard touchdown on the last play of the third quarter.

Indianapolis lost safety Bob Sanders, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, briefly with a shoulder injury, while running back Joseph Addai sat out a portion of the second half after being shaken up on a 10-yard run.

Rivers jumped to throw the ball to Sproles and landed awkwardly. He was helped onto a training table on the sideline before going to the locker room for evaluation. By the time he jogged back out of the tunnel onto the Chargers sideline, he already had been replaced by Billy Volek.

Tomlinson was injured during a second-quarter run and remained on the sideline through the end of the third quarter, even though the Chargers said his return was probable. Sanders injured his shoulder tackling Turner with 6:14 remaining in the third, but returned the next time the Colts defense took the field.

Tomlinson limped off after being tackled on an 8-yard run that helped set up a second-quarter touchdown. The NFL rushing champion fumbled on the play, but San Diego recovered and Rivers threw a 14-yard TD pass to Vincent Jackson on the next play.

Tight end Antonio Gates, whose status was uncertain because of a dislocated big left toe, played sparingly in the first half. His first reception, a 23-yard catch, came on the same drive Tomlinson was hurt.

Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo also was taken to the locker room for attention after being blocked in the ribs on a first-quarter passing play. He returned after only missing a few plays.

But as LT and Philip Rivers watched, Michael Turner and Billy Volek helped the Chargers reach the AFC title game in New England.

With Billy Volek at quarterback and Michael Turner as the main runner, San Diego went 78 yards on eight plays, with Volek sneaking in from the 1 with 4:50 remaining for the lead. The Chargers' big-play defense then held on downs at its 7, and stopped Indy again in the final moments to preserve their eighth straight win.

The Chargers persevered 28-24 and its a sad day in the NFL, except for Chargers fans. Oh yea, and this may have been Tony Dungy's last game. I hope not.

The Chargers didn't come close against the Patriots in Week 2, falling 38-14. That was the beginning of a slide to 5-5 for San Diego. Perhaps this is a sign of the inevitable. That is, the New England Patriots were meant to win the Super Bowl this year.

And Philip Rivers needs anger management help with the way he was screaming at the Colts fans. Even the commentators said he needs to give that up. Seriously, though. Things like that is what gets you penalized or hated by millions of fans. I can't stand that guy's attitude and his constant angry face. Even when he's smiling he looks angry. He hasn't even accomplished anything yet, except for almost making me hate Tom Brady less. Still, despite that mad face he could be the nicest guy in the world. Anyway, I'm probably just sour the Colts lost.

Injury Update: Antonio Gates Will Play Against The Colts

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was on the field Sunday before San Diego's playoff game against Indianapolis and will play, according to head coach Norv Turner.

However, Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal, who is recovering from a broken leg, is inactive for the game.

"It's pretty sore," Gates told the San Diego Tribune on Friday. "It felt good Tuesday, but it doesn't feel as good today [Friday]. It's a tricky situation, it really it is."

Gates dislocated his left big toe late in the second quarter of Sunday's 17-6 wild-card win against Tennessee and didn't return. He has been undergoing intensive therapy on the injury in the hope of being available to help San Diego in its difficult away game in Indianapolis.

Brandon Manumaleuna was slated to take Gates' starting spot if he wasn't able to play.

"Right now, keeping pressure off of it is the best thing for it," Gates said. "It's just imperative that I keep the swelling out and I keep pressure off of it."

Gates was San Diego's leading receiver for the fourth straight season, with 75 catches for 984 yards and nine touchdowns.

Even with Antonio Gates playing, I don't think he'll be as big a factor this game as everyone is making him out to be, especially if he plays hurt. The Colts should roll in this one.

However, the interesting thing to note is that yesterday both the home-team favorites won. Will that happen again today? My guess is yea, but there is more speculation about the Giants upsetting the Cowboys than the Chargers upsetting the Colts.

My Analysis For This Weekend's NFL Divisional Playoff Games

Seattle At Green Bay (4:30 p.m.) - Brett Favre has learned to relax and trust his teammates, particularly a receiving corps that excels after the catch. The Packers running game has also improved with the addition of Grant. However, Seattle has been to the Super Bowl before with this same team and has five players named to the All-Pro team. Let's look at some statistics:

TEAM OFFENSE	TM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SEA	349.0
	GNB	371.0
Yards Passing	SEA	247.8
	GNB	270.9
Yards Rushing	SEA	101.2
	GNB	99.8
TEAM DEFENSE	TM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SEA	321.8
	GNB	313.3
Pass Yds Allowed	SEA	219.1
	GNB	210.4
Rush Yds Allowed	SEA	102.8
	GNB	102.

Gameday Matchup

	W	L	T	PF	PA	DIV	CON
SEA	10	6	0	24.6	18	5-1-0	8-4-0
GNB	13	3	0	27.2	18	4-2-0	9-3-0

As you can see, the Packers are better in just about every statistical category. Yes, I know they are in an easy division, but a win is a win. This is Favre's year and I see no reason the Packers should lose unless some odd, freaky stuff happens.

Jacksonville At New England (8:00 p.m.) - Just in case anyone hasn't heard, the Patriots haven't lost a game this season. However, I wonder if now that the Patriots have completed their undefeated season, will the NFL and the refs continue to favor them? Will Randy Moss continue to push off receivers to catch touchdown passes and the refs won't call it?

I don't even need to examine statistics for this game. However, the Jaguars were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. They have an insanely good running game, which is very important when playing the Patriots, who have trouble stopping the run. If the Jags can run the ball well, control the clock, and keep Tom Brady off the field, then they have a very good chance of winning. Even with that said, the Patriots always find a way to turn up the gears and come away with a victory. Therefore, I just can not go against the Patriots, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Jags pull an upset. Don't forget, David Garrard can also randomly take off running too when they need crucial yards, as proven last week.

San Diego At Indianapolis (1:00 p.m) - First, some injury updates. While Pro Bowler Antonio Gates rehabbed his dislocated left big toe, All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal returned to practice for the San Diego Chargers exactly one month after breaking his lower left leg. Gates dislocated his left big toe late in the second quarter of Sunday's 17-6 wild-card win against Tennessee and didn't return. He wasn't available to the media after practice.

"We're getting Antonio ready to play," coach Norv Turner said. "He's making progress, he's going through all his treatments and all those things. We'll see where he's at later in the week. He's making good progress. I have hope that he'll be able to play."

After hearing much speculation, however, Gates is doubtful for Sunday's game.

Meanwhile, Tony Dungy said Marvin Harrison was supposed to play in the final game of the season, but in the last second decided it would be better if he didn't. Now, Harrison has participated in practices all week and is most likely to play on Sunday, which is bad news for the Chargers.

At first, I liked the Chargers chances of winning just because the Colts are known as a team to choke at odd times. However, I no longer have that feeling. Why? Because if it took the Chargers 3 quarters to get their offense going against the Titans, then how do they expect to keep up with the Colts' offense? Also, the Colts' defense is better (Bob Sanders defensive player of the year) than the Titans.

Yes, I know the Chargers beat the Colts in the regular season and Peyton Manning threw a career high 6 interceptions that game, but I truly believe Manning and Dungy are the types of people who would look over the tapes of that game and make sure that doesn't happen again. Peyton Manning is too smart of a quarterback to let that happen again and I have full faith in him. Therefore, the Colts should win over the Chargers this Sunday.

New York Giants At Dallas (4:30 p.m.) - First, some injury updates. The good news for the Cowboys was that Terry Glenn went through his most rigorous practice since coming back from two knee operations. Glenn saw limited action in the season finale against Washington, but didn't catch a pass. On Wednesday, he went through an entire team workout for the first time since training camp.

However, Terrell Owens still wasn't able to practice Wednesday because of a high ankle sprain, continuing the drama of whether the Dallas Cowboys will have their newest All-Pro receiver for the playoff game Sunday against the New York Giants. Coach Wade Phillips didn't even see Owens on Wednesday, but knew he was doing all he could to get healthy. And if T.O. says he's ready to go at game time, Phillips will let him play.

If Terrell Owens plays, the Giants are going to lose. Its that simple. Terrell Owens creates such a distraction out there and is Tony Romo's favorite target. If not Owens, Romo has Glenn, Witten, and Crayton out there to throw too. The Cowboys have too much offense for the Giants to handle. Oh yea, and they have two decent running backs handy that they could switch in and out so they both can rest. Yes, I know the Cowboys have been slacking off lately, but they didn't care about that last game of the season.

If Terrell Owens doesn't play, the Giants have a very good chance of winning and things will be radically different. If you remove Terrell Owens, you are removing the second best receiver in football and the other receivers become covered because the defenders won't have to worry about what Terrell Owens is doing. The Giants are playing on the road, where they are 8-1, and they have been playing better than the Cowboys as of late in this season. Though things are starting to shift in the Giants favor, I believe Terrell Owens will play and the Cowboys will earn this win. However, if Terrell Owens doesn't play, it wouldn't surprise me if the Giants pulled off an upset.

And the issue with Jessica Simpson is not a distraction. Actually, its such a joke that the joke is becoming a distraction. Tony Romo is a professional football player and professional football players don't blame their private lives off the field for blowing the game on the field. If anything, the thought of Jessica Simpson should push Tony Romo to do better. Think of the reward she'll give him if he wins...

The AFC Pro Bowl Team Unleashed

AFC Offense
Pos.	Name	Team
WR	Randy Moss*	New England
WR	Reggie Wayne*	Indianapolis
WR	Braylon Edwards	Cleveland
WR	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	Cincinnati
OT	Matt Light*	New England
OT	Jason Peters*	Buffalo
OT	Jonathan Ogden	Baltimore
OG	Alan Faneca*	Pittsburgh
OG	Logan Mankins*	New England
OG	Kris Dielman	San Diego
C	Jeff Saturday*	Indianapolis
C	Dan Koppen	New England
TE	Antonio Gates*	San Diego
TE	Tony Gonzalez	Kansas City
QB	Tom Brady*	New England
QB	Peyton Manning	Indianapolis
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh
RB	LaDainian Tomlinson*	San Diego
RB	Joseph Addai	Indianapolis
RB	Willie Parker	Pittsburgh
FB	Lorenzo Neal*	San Diego

AFC Defense
Pos.	Name	Team
DE	Jared Allen*	Kansas City
DE	Kyle Vanden Bosch*	Tennessee
DE	Jason Taylor	Miami
DT	Albert Haynesworth*	Tennessee
DT	Vince Wilfork*	New England
DT	Jamal Williams	San Diego
OLB	James Harrison*	Pittsburgh
OLB	Mike Vrabel*	New England
OLB	Shawne Merriman	San Diego
ILB	DeMeco Ryans*	Houston
ILB	Ray Lewis	Baltimore
CB	Champ Bailey*	Denver
CB	Asante Samuel*	New England
CB	Antonio Cromartie	San Diego
FS	Ed Reed*	Baltimore
SS	Bob Sanders*	Indianapolis
SS	Troy Polamalu	Pittsburgh

AFC Special Teams
Pos.	Name	Team
Punter	Shane Lechler	Oakland
Kicker	Rob Bironas	Tennessee
Kick returner	Josh Cribbs	Cleveland
Special Teamer	Kassim Osgood	San Diego

* = Starter