The text came at 10:03 p.m.

It was from my buddy Matt, and was right to the point: "Wait, Vince Young is a Pro Bowler???"

He sure is Matt. He sure is.

You may remember Young, the Pro Bowler, as a guy who didn't start any of his team's first six games of the season, or throw a pass in any their first four. Not because of a nagging injury, suspension or any kind of drug/PED/sex tape scandal. Nope, VY's team and coaches just thought that Kerry Collins- Kerry freakin' Collins- gave them a better chance to win football games than he did. It took six straight losses to prove otherwise.

And while Vince Young was playing in the Pro Bowl Sunday night, you know who wasn't? Just about everybody else.

The NFL's Offensive (Peyton Manning) and Defensive (Charles Woodson) MVP's didn't play. Neither did the game's most dynamic passer (Drew Brees), feel good story (Kurt Warner) and most polarizing player (the immortal Brett Favre). Tom Brady stayed at home with Giselle. So did Larry Fitzgerald with his volumizing shampoo. Same with Philip Rivers, Patrick Willis and Steven Jackson. Hell, Brian Cushing is a rookie, and even he didn't show up. Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne and Darren Sharper were in the building, but like roughly 70,000 paying customers, they were simply bored spectators.

Look at that list again. No Manning, Favre or Brees. No Brady, Rivers or Freeney. Now ask yourself this question: Is it time we stop this charade, and end the NFL's Pro Bowl?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some grumpy columnist guy looking for an easy angle, and an easier day's work. I like the concept of All-Star Games, I do.

In the NBA it works because of the sheer athleticism and excitement of the players. Where else are we going to see LeBron James throw an alley-oop to Dwyane Wade? Or see Shaq in those goofy top hats he wears to every NBA dunk contest?

In Major League Baseball it works because, well, what else is going on in mid-July? Sure the idea of giving World Series home field advantage to the winner makes Skip Bayless' head explode every summer, and quite honestly mine too. But is there a real reason to take the game itself away? There's the Home Run Derby, the history, and like basketball, matchup's that make this game intriguing. Remember John Kruk against Randy Johnson in 1993? How about Pedro Martinez striking out the side against the Balco All-Stars (Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and I think Stone Cold Steve Austin) at Fenway Park in 1999?

Even the NHL All-Star game works for their niche audience. Regardless of whether it's broadcast on the Oxygen Network from somewhere in the Yukon Territory.

But the Pro Bowl? It just doesn't work.

Remember, this is football, a game, that as my old coach used to say, "Is not a contact sport. It's a collision sport." A game where oversized men are paid to throw their bodies at each other, while running, blocking and tackling at uncomfortable speeds.

I only played at the high school level, and can tell you that from the first practice of summer camp until weeks after the season ends, a day doesn't go by where something on your body hurts somewhere. Over the course of my highly unimpressive four year career, I had nagging injuries to my back, ribs and hand, and played through them all. I had a major knee surgery. And to this day, I still have little pains here and there from my playing days. I'm not telling you this to brag or sound like a tough guy. Those are just the realities of football.

And again, I only played in high school. Imagine coming off a 16 games in 17 week grind, with all the bumps, bruises, tears, broken bones and cracked ribs that come with it? Would you want to play in a meaningless exhibition game?

More so, there's no way to change the event to make it more accommodating to the players. Play it after the Super Bowl and nobody cares. Play it before, and the guys in that year's Super Bowl are spectators. Not to mention you'll probably miss the guys from the previous week's conference championship games too. Play it in the middle of the season, and, well, Bill Belichick might have a heart attack. I take that back. He'd definitely have one.

Plus, with the way the sport is, if a guy needs off-season surgery, he's going to get it the second his season is done. There's always the risk of an injury happening in the game. And for those guys who didn't play in the playoffs, do they really want to step back on the field three weeks after their last game, just as their bodies are finally starting to heal up?

At least in years past (and for the next two years), the game was played in Hawaii. There was a little motivation for players to show up. Hell, ask any retired superstar about his Pro Bowl experiences, and he'll never mention the game itself. But he'll bring up the free trip to the islands every time.

Now I know this year is just a one year trial period in Miami, but I promise you, Miami is no Hawaii. A lot of these players have summer homes in Florida, so really, is it that exotic a locale? If we take this game out of Hawaii for good and put it at the spot of the Super Bowl, would anyone make the trip to play if it weren't in Miami, San Diego or possibly New Orleans? Remember, in the past decade Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and Fargo (Ok, maybe I made that last one up), hosted Super Bowl's. Who's showing up early to play in a Pro Bowl there? Who's showing up at all?

Again, the idea of seeing all the stars on one field is nice in principle, but it just doesn't work. As good as they are, people don't show up to this game, or watch on TV to see Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson or Miles Austin. They just don't.

So my proposal for the future of the Pro Bowl is simple: We can still name "Pro Bowlers." Just don't play the game. It's an honor to be put on the team, but with all the negatives that come with it, it usually just isn't worth actually playing in it.

The NFL runs itself better than any other professional league, but they need to take a mulligan and end this game. Don't play it in Miami, Hawaii or Amarillo. Don't play it before or after the Super Bowl. Don't play it all.

Few players care enough to play, and even fewer fans care enough to watch.

And here's the saddest truth of all. If Vince Young couldn't have made this game, I think I might have gotten a call to play next.

(Love the article? Hate it? Let Aaron know by commenting below or e-mailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Also, to get his thoughts on all things sports, be sure to follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres and Facebook, facebook.com/aarontorressports)

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