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I've made many comments regarding the NFL's seemingly intentional progression toward the business model of the WWE - off-the-field dramatics, inept officiating, players the size of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Their most recent push to increase the "fun" in the NFL is having their annual All Star game, the Pro Bowl, not played conference on conference, but rather, having a pool of players drafted by coaches Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders.
The WWE did this back in the early 2000s at some point, dividing wrestlers between their Monday Night Raw brand and its Smackdown! brand.
And just like the WWE, those selecting the teams will also participate. Or so he says.
Ladies and Gentlemen I am officially announcing "I WILL SUIT UP IN HAWAII" Please let @JerryRice know that a real captain leads by example!
— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) January 13, 2014
Considering the Pro Bowl has about as much credibility as a third-world soccer match, it shouldn't matter, but the fact Sanders, 46 years old, said Monday he will participate as a player on his squad.
And we've reached a new low.
Whether this is a feeble attempt to publicize a typically underrated - as in, ratings underneath TV Land's re-runs of The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire - or some kind of Apollo Creed Refusal to Accept One's Age moment. Most guys just play softball. Deion wishes to joke about humiliating himself in front of 10s and 10s of people both on TV and in person.
The more I write about this, the more I want it to happen - IF Deion is required to cover Calvin Johnson under current NFL rules. He can participate in only passing plays, because even in his prime he wouldn't tackle.
That said, maybe it'd be more intriguing if Rice played. He was a complete player, at least. Is he the Hulk Hogan to Sanders' CM Punk? Another argument for another time.
Maybe we just all-in and let Sanders take the field, only to be throttled over the head with a chair by Patrick Peterson for taking his No. 21.
Wait...wha...what's that?!? It's Rod Woodson's music!
