If an all-star game includes no all-stars, what is the point?

For a league that has done a masterful job of selling its product, the NFL cannot figure out a way to successfully market the Pro Bowl to advertisers, television audiences and the players themselves. In unprecedented fashion, it has actually made the game even less attractive by moronically deciding to move the Pro Bowl up two weeks, making it a part of the two-week lead-up to the Super Bowl in the game’s host city.

This means no more week-long Hawaiian vacations for the players “honored” to be picked, making them even less “honored” or likely to participate. As a result, the AFC quarterbacks are second, third and fourth alternates for the game, while the NFC’s starting left tackle, Bryant McKinnie of the Minnesota Vikings, was kicked off the team because he did not show up for two days of practice.

The Pro Bowl has always been a stale television event because it is missing the essential elements of football: physicality, competition and aggression. No player wants to get hurt in the Pro Bowl, nor hurt his opponent—and rightfully so. An injury in a meaningless game would be a PR disaster for the league; that is, if the press surrounding the game could get any worse….

Ah, but it can! The league is forcing the Pro Bowl members of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints to attend the game although they will not be playing. The NFL apparently has no problem interfering with the preparation of the two teams for the Super Bowl in order to have them serve as sideline-reporter fodder, but isn’t requiring the same of players from non-Super Bowl teams who opted out of the game due to injury or lack of interest. (One positive of this: Brett Favre will not be at the game, meaning Favre worship talk will be kept to a minimum.)

Anyway, the video below could be the most entertaining thing to come out of this year’s Pro Bowl. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is interviewed by the same kid who asked Barack Obama last year, “Why do people hate you so much?” Unlike his subject, the kid has got moxie:

Notice DeSean Jackson with Philadelphia’s favorite sports agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at the 0:37 mark.