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-Digger's Daily-

NFL All Pro game begins in a few moments. Are this years reps really a "All Pro's". Players who will actually participate in on field action are hardly all stars. Not by a long shot.

14 starters will not be playing as Super Bowl players are not allowed to take the field. However, it's mandatory they show up and watch from the sidelines. First, they're penalized by not being allowed to play. Then, financially penalized by NFL if they opt to skip mandatory sideline pacing.

Next, 17 players will miss the contest due to injury. So who's left? David Garrard and Vince Young will be AFC backup QB's. Maybe next year NFL should go after high school QB's. Not many NFL starting QB's had worse stats than Garrard. Yet, here he is ready to suit up and play.

Needless to say I'm not a fan of the new version of this years All Pro game hosted in Super Bowl city Miami vs usual Hawaii format. All Star games in all sports are a tribute to leagues best players honored by fans and peers. Yes, some of the NFL greats will be playing. Unfortunately, at least for me, not enough and barring players from participating is a personal foul of the highest degree. This is exactly why I firmly believe future games should be played after the Super Bowl.

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-Digger's Daily-

Super Bowl XLIV sparks memories of past championship games. As I started searching internet archives for little known Super Bowl stories, as told by players, I came across a very fresh interview given by former Dallas Cowboys star defender Darren Woodson on "ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning."

One of the questions to Woodson touched on the Buffalo Bills experience advantage over the Cowboys. Remember, Buffalo represented the AFC playing four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93.... losing them all. 1990 was an instant classic as the New York Giants held on for a 20-19 victory after the Bills last second field goal attempt sailed wide right. The following three championship games weren't nearly as kind. Buffalo was blown away in all of them as if they were hung over (1991 vs Washington, 37-24; 1992 vs Dallas 52-17; 1993 vs Dallas 30-13). Guess what? Maybe hung over is the perfect phrase. According to Woodson....

“As much as everyone talked about how much experience the Bills had back then, they partied harder than any other team. That’s all we heard about the entire week in L.A., the (Cowboys) first Super Bowl.

“They (Bills players) were out Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Couple guys got into altercations in the clubs, older, veteran guys with the Bills.

“Experience doesn’t mean that much, it’s all about leadership. There’s a reason they (Bills) lost four Super Bowls. They partied harder than any other team.”

I've yet to find any Bills players refuting this story. I'll bet quite a few will in coming days. It did seem odd how easily the Bills lost their final three appearances. Then again, they ran into buzz saws. Washington was very strong but many thought Buffalo should have performed better (especially defensively). They were slow, gave up uncharacteristic big plays and seemed off. Against Dallas, Bills RB Thurman Thomas seemed afraid to play. During one strange moment he claims to have lost (or forgot) his helmet. Nonetheless, Dallas was far better prepared and hungrier for victory.

Buffalo players weren't the only team partying hard Super Bowl week. Atlanta Falcons Eugene Robinson was arrested on the eve before the big game vs Denver for soliciting a prostitute. San Diego players were spotted in nightclubs throughout Miami. Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders had players fail to show up.. and the list goes on....

Was Woodson's statement truth or fairytale? Funny how Buffalo's saga never was reported earlier. Funnier yet is a Dallas Cowboys player from that era claiming another team partied harder than they did! Anyone out there remember "The White House" in Dallas? Or, the multiple incidents from DWI, drugs, prostitutes, fights etc which used to surround the Cowboys during their heyday?

Where was Bills team leadership in the days approaching Super Bowl Sunday? Four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Four consecutive Super Bowl losses. Don't tell me losses were due to partying fools. I'd rather go on believing they were simply outclassed on the gridiron.

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What is up with the lack of publicity for Super Bowl XLIV? Two great teams (Indianapolis vs New Orleans), two great QB's (Manning vs Brees) and, two great coaches leading their conferences best teams. So, what gives?

Ever since the final gun sounded ending the NFC Championship most talk quickly shifted to whether or not Brett Favre will call it a career (again) or, should he come back for another try? Toss in Arizona's QB Warner should I stay or go attitide (expected to retire momentarily).

Ah yes, there has been some Super Bowl chatter. It mostly involves University of Florida QB Tim Tebow. He's filmed a pro-life commercial set to air during the Super Bowl on CBS. CBS has been under heavy, heavy criticism for accepting to run the ad during the game. Tremendous political and activist pressure has been screaming to "kill" the commercial. Abortion supporters have taken issue with Tebow's story. In short, when his mom was pregnant she was advised to end her pregnancy due to complications. She refused. Result: Tim Tebow. Now he wants to tell his story. It's an American dream trying to be sabotaged by activist radicals.

Super Bowl silence... can you hear it?

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Another one bites the dust. Make it two. NBA Commissioner Stern suspended two Washington Wizards players for their roles in a lockerroom gun incident. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton can now duel it out at home without pay. Sometimes it makes one wonder how a select few professional athletes can be so dumb.

The backstory is a bit muted. Rumors claimed both players had guns in the lockerroom when Arenas pulled his out over a gambling debt. Crittenton responded in kind. Two teammates pulling guns on each other. Plus, throw gambling into the mix and it's a wonder how it took Commish Stern so long to hand down an official league punishment. Arenas made his troubles worse by trying to turn this into a joke immediately following the incident by making finger pointing gun motions at teammates during pre-game. Joking it up on Twitter didn't make Stern all that happy either.

Local law enforcement has been all over this episode. Yahoo! Sports and the New York Post, both citing unidentified sources, reported the investigation takes aim at Crittenton too. The Post printed Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling related debt prompting Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then reached for his own gun. D.C. gun laws are strict. Expect this story to resurface in a few weeks.

Arenas & Crittenton might help revive old slang. "Dumb jock" seems to be a virus rapidly spreading to unsuspecting athletes. Is there no cure?