The Pro Bowl is a strange animal among NFL players. Some mock the game's lack of competitive flair and others find ways to skip it altogether. But for those who didn't get in? It can end up being an affront to them personally (that's why we created our own list of noteworthy snubs, which you can find here).
"That's just ridiculous. It's just ridiculous," Saints receiver Brandin Cooks said Wednesday of quarterback Drew Brees, who was not voted in despite leading the league in passing. "What are we looking at? What are we voting on? Like, I don't get it. The guy is leading in so many categories. He's having a great year."
Meanwhile, down in Miami, the Palm Beach Post described a terse Jarvis Landry who circumnavigated a question about the All-Star game.
"You know, we've got a chance to make it to the playoffs this year and I'm focused on one game at a time," Landry told the paper. "And that's all really that matters."
While sentiments like these are entirely understandable -- nearly every player in the NFL was a part of every All-Star team ever created in any sport they played growing up -- it is interesting to see how players on different teams and in different markets handle a snub. For instance, in New England, where every sense of individuality is stripped upon entering the locker room, there seems to be less made of the game.
"Last year it could've went the same way," cornerback Malcolm Butlertold CSN New England. "There were guys that probably felt like they deserved the Pro Bowl over me or another player. Every guy on (this year's) list, I voted for. Everybody works hard. You earn what you work for. It's all good, man. Just gotta keep moving forward."
Added LeGarrette Blount, who has over 1,000 yards and a league-leading 15 touchdowns: "I don't know how the voting and stuff goes, it's always dope to be recognized for what you do. It's always dope to be recognized for all the hard work that you and your offensive line, your fullback put in.
"I went on there and voted a million times for (fullback James Develin) to get in. I feel like he deserves it. Last game he played (43) snaps or something like that. He's durable. He does everything we need him to do. I definitely felt like he was one of the guys that should've been getting in...What he does doesn't get recognized as much."
As Blount noted, the Pro Bowl takes place the week before the Super Bowl anyway. He hopes to have other plans.
