The Blitzburgh Report

I’m going to talk a little about respect here. Now don’t groan, I know that whole respect angle in football is a bit overdone, but I think at least two Steelers players have legitimate issues.

Anyone who had the (dis)pleasure of catching last Thursday’s game on the NFL Network probably caught a lot of dumb things said by the Bryant Gumble, Deion Sanders, and Marshall Faulk team. But one in particular probably stuck a nerve as we all tried to come to grips with the Willie Parker injury. Not once, but twice the announcing team mentioned, quite happily, how Fred Taylor would now get to go to the Pro Bowl.

Less than an hour after the league’s leading rusher broke his leg, the talk was all about how it was a great thing for another player. It is like stepping over someone’s dead body. Willie definitely deserved his spot in the Pro Bowl, and Fred Taylor probably did get snubbed. But what’s with all the excitement over a guy sustaining a serious injury?

The other guy not getting a whole lot of respect is Ben Roethlisberger. Now this is nothing new- he hasn’t been given a whole lot of respect ever since his record-setting rookie year. But I know us Steelers fans were all glad to see that Ben finally made a Pro Bowl. Especially considering that he probably could have made one in 2004 and 2005.

But then we get guys like Vic Carucci who say that Derek Anderson should take Ben’s spot:

Speaking of the Browns, their quarterback, Derek Anderson would have been my pick over Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger for the third spot behind Brady and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning. Anderson has done a tremendous job of getting the ball into the hands of Edwards and his other talented receivers.

There is no doubt that Anderson has had a great year, but did he really perform better then Ben? Let’s look at the stats:

Yeah Vic, it sure looks like Anderson got snubbed and should have taken Ben’s spot…

I hope Carucci saw Ben’s performance on Thursday night, though even he might not get the NFL Network. Ben put up three touchdowns, and had the third perfect 158.3 rating of his career, which ties Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history. I just honestly don’t get it. Despite the 2006 season after his accident and injuries, Ben has put up some amazing stats and wins. He holds records, he’s won a Super Bowl, and this is only his fourth season. Why do people continue to doubt him to this day?

The Steelers sent five players to the Pro Bowl, and three of them definitely deserved it. Alan Faneca and Troy Polamalu probably made it more on name alone. But it is Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger, guys having legitimate Pro Bowl type seasons, that are getting questioned. I hate to play the respect angle, but where’s the love for Willie and Ben?

The Steelers will be sending five of its players to the Pro Bowl this season. The two starters are Alan Fancea and James Harrison. Willie Parker, Ben Roethlisberger, and Troy Polamalu are in as reserves.

Big congratulations are in order for both Big Ben and Harrison. Ben could have easily made the Pro Bowl in 2004 or 2005, so it is good to see him finally get in. Hopefully it goes a long way in garnering him some respect, however, some idiots such as Vic Carucci still don’t give it to him. He said he would replace Ben with Derek Anderson. Anderson is of course having a good season, even a Pro Bowl one, but not at the expense of Ben’s spot. Ben is having a better year when you look at the stats, and he even beat the Brown’s twice.

It is also great to see James Harrison make the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter. I think his career game on Monday night against the Ravens really opened a lot of people’s eyes. He is having a great year and has brought a lot of excitement back to the Steelers’ linebacking corp.

Willie Parker also deserves his spot. He has struggled at times this year, but does lead the league in rushing. It is his second Pro Bowl in a row. Not bad for an undrafted free agent who didn’t get a fair shot in college, eh?

But it isn’t all roses. We are always reminded that a lot of the Pro Bowl voting can be a bit of a joke and that a lot of people make it on name alone. We all love Troy, but he missed a ton of games this season because of injuries. I’m not sure he was the most deserving and I am sure he would say that himself. Same with Faneca. He’s a great lineman and still one of the best, but he also hasn’t had his best year. Not to mention he was voted as the starter on the Pro Bowl roster. You don’t really look at the job the line has done this season and think “Pro Bowl”.

But regardless, congrats to all five of the Steelers who made the 2007 Pro Bowl.

The NFL already has voting up for the Pro Bowl. Now some might say that considering the season isn’t even half over yet that it is a little early for the NFL to open up the polls. But honestly aren’t most people just going to vote for their team’s players anyway (that and of course the players who make it on name alone)? So I guess it doesn’t matter if it is done now or nearer to the end of the season.

One thing that does matter, however, is that Larry Foote and Casey Hampton were originally omitted from the ballot. They have since been added, but never underestimate the power of a player or team to take a perceived snub and run with it, even if it was probably just an error. But if it works for motivation, then I am all for it. So go ahead Larry and Casey, show them they made a huge mistake.

Head over to the NFL site to vote for the Pro Bowl.