Larry Fitzgerald may not have won the Super Bowl despite his huge performance, but his repeat performance in the Pro Bowl at least gave him something to celebrate.

The NFC took the Pro Bowl behind Fitzgerald’s two-touchdown performance, as well as Drew Brees’ 142 output. Meanwhile, for the AFC, Peyton Manning’s 151 yards and Kerry Collins’ 108 helped lead the AFC. It was the AFC who began the scoring, as Tony Gonzalez scored on a 19 yard pass from Manning, followed by a 9-yard TD from Collins to Owen Daniels.

The first half ended with Larry Fitzgerald scampering for a 46 yard TD from Drew Brees, while John Carney added a FG for the NFC in the first half.

In the Second half, Adrian Peterson led things off with a 10 yard TD run in the 3rd quarter followed by an answer from the AFC’s Le’Ron McClain whose 5-yard punch in made the score 21-14. Unfortunately for the AFC, the scoring would end there.

Larry Fitzgerald’s second TD came in the fourth quarter and John Carney added two late FGs for the NFC to seal the deal.

If you missed out on this year’s Pro Bowl, start planning now for the 2010 event which is sure to be a blast!

The Pro Bowl is this Sunday, but the days leading up to the game will provide plenty of fan fair for NFL fans, players and families. In the warm summer-like air of Hawai’i, there will be much reason for celebration as the best of the NFL come together for Pro Bowl weekend.

Among the events planned are:

• Pro Bowl Football Festival at Kapiolani Park from Noon until 6pm on Thursday, and Friday
• Pro Bowl NFL Charities Celebrity Golf Classic at Waialae Country Club – at Noon on Friday
• Military Challenge at Kapiolani Park 3pm to 6pm on Friday
• Pro Bowl ‘Ohana Day Celebration at Aloha Stadium from 9am to Noon on Saturday
• Pro Bowl Youth Football and Cheerleading Clinics at Kapiolani Park at 3pm on Saturday
• Pro Bowl All-Star Block Party in Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue from 7pm until 10pm on Saturday
• Official Pro Bowl Tailgate Pary at Richardson Field from 8:30 to 11am on Sunday
• Pro Bowl Pregame Ceremonies at Aloha Stadium at 11am on Sunday
• 2009 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on at 11:30am on Sunday.

Many of the fan fair events are free, but some may require admission. There are still Pro Bowl tickets available, for those who want to see the game!

Unlike the NBA and MLB All-Star games, the NFL gets very little publicity and receives very little fanfare (outside of Hawaii, at least). The real honor for the players is to be named to the team, and not playing in the game itself. The two main reasons for the lack of enthusiasm for the NFL’s version of the All-Star game are the location and the timing of the game.

One thing that would make a huge difference in the viewership and enthusiasm surrounding the game would be to rotate it to different cities each year (just like they do in baseball and basketball). This would allow fans in different areas of the country to be a part of the game.

Another thing the NFL could change, is the timing of the game – this one might be harder, though. The mid-season scheduling of the NBA and MLB games give the fans a way to mark the climax of the season. With the NFL, the season is over, and the fans just aren’t as interested.

So, regardless of the cost of Pro Bowl tickets, most fans simply aren’t that into the game and couldn’t get to Honolulu even if they were. Hopefully the NFL will make some changes soon.

So, Christmas is here – and if you’re still looking for a great gift for your favorite football fan, why not send him to the warmth of Hawaii for the pro bowl in February.

With so much great talent on display in addition to finding a warm refuge from the cold winter weather it could be the perfect for gift for anyone who enjoys football. The best part is, Pro Bowl tickets are probably not as expensive as you might think.

Every year the Pro Bowl takes a back seat to the Major League and NBA all star games, but it doesn’t have to. With the absolute best of the best on display in Hawaii, there should be a much broader appeal for the week’s worth of fan festivities that lead up to the Pro Bowl.

Grab some tickets for your fan and have a Merry Christmas!

For the first time in history, two brothers will be starting quarterbacks at the Pro Bowl. Eli and Payton Manning will take snaps in Honolulu in February. The starters for the AFC are as follows:

Quarterbacks: Starter – Peyton Manning, Colts; Brett Favre, Jets; Jay Cutler, Broncos.
Running Backs: Starter -Thomas Jones, Jets; Chris Johnson, Titans; Ronnie Brown, Dolphins.
Fullback: Starter -Le’Ron McClain, Ravens.
Wide Receivers: Starter -Andre Johnson, Texans and Brandon Marshall Broncos; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Wes Welker, Patriots.
Tight Ends: Starter -Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs; Antonio Gates, Chargers.
Offensive Linemen: Starters -Alan Faneca, Kevin Mawae, Jets and Kris Dielman, Joe Thomas, Browns and Jason Peters Chargers; Brian Waters, Chiefs; Nick Mangold, Bills; Michael Roos, Titans
Defensive Ends: Starter -Mario Williams, Texans and Dwight Freeney, Colts; Robert Mathis, Colts.
Defensive Tackles: Starter -Albert Haynesworth, Titans and Kris Jenkins, Jets; Shaun Rogers, Browns.
Linebackers: Starter – James Harrison, Ray Lewis Steelers and Joey Porter, Dolphins; Terrell Suggs, Ravens, James Farrior, Steelers.
Cornerbacks: Starter – Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders and Courtland Finnegan, Titans; Darrelle Revis, Jets.
Safeties: Starter -Ed Reed, Ravens and Troy Polamalu, Steelers; Chris Hope, Titans.

Grab some Pro Bowl tickets today and see the best at their best!

The teams were announced today for the 2009 Pro Bowl to be held this February in Hawaii. The starters for the NFC are as follows:
Quarterbacks: Starter – Kirk Warner (Arizona) Backups – Drew Brees (New Orleans), Eli Manning (NY Giants).
Running Backs: Starter – Adrian Peterson (Minnesota) Backups – Michael Turner (Atlanta), and Clinton Portis (Washington).
Fullback: Mike Sellers (Washington).
Wide Receivers: Starters – Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona), Anquan Boldin (Arizona) Backups: Steve Smith (Carolina), and Roddy White (Atlanta).
Tight Ends: Starter – Jason Whitten (Dallas) Backup – Chris Cooley (Washington).
Offensive Linemen: Starters – Jordan Gross (Carolina), Walter Jones (Seattle), Steve Hutchinson (Minnesota) Chris Snee (New York Giants), Andre Gurode (Dallas) Backups – Chris Samuels (Washington), Leonard Davis (Dallas), Shaun O’Hara (New York Giants).

This looks like a strong offense. I thought it was interesting to note the dominance of Arizona in the passing game, as well as the numerous Washington Redskins players (considering their struggles this year).

The Defense also looks solid for the NFC. Here is the defensive roster:

Defensive Ends: Starters – Julius Peppers (Carolina), Justin Tuck (New York Giants) Backups – Jared Allen (Minnesota).
Defensive Tackles: Starters – Kevin Williams (Minnesota), Jay Ratcliff (Dallas) Backup – Pat Williams (Minnesota).
Linebackers: DeMarcus Ware (Dallas) Lance Briggs (Chicago) Patrick Willis (San Francisco) Backups – Derrick Brooks (Tampa), Jon Beason (Carolina).
Cornerbacks: Starters – Charles Woodson (Green Bay) Antoine Winfield (Minnesota) Backup – Asante Samuel (Philadelphia).
Safeties: Starters – Nick Collins (Green Bay), Adrian Wilson (Arizona) Backup – Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia).

As always, the Pro Bowl promises to be a great matchup and who wouldn’t want to escape to Hawaii during February? Grab some Pro Bowl tickets today and see the best at their best!