On Tuesday, the NFL announced the eighty-four men that have been selected to represent their conference in the Pro Bowl game in February.  Being selected as one of the best players in the best football league in the world is truly an honor, and I congratulate those chosen by the league's players, coaches and fans.  One fact about this year's Pro Bowl roster that has many New England fans a little upset is that only one Patriot, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, was chosen for the squad.  (Oddly, Seymour was chosen as a defensive tackle, even though he predominantly plays end.)  I agree with many Patriots fans that two deserving players, namely defensive end Ty Warren and cornerback Asante Samuel, were snubbed from the Pro Bowl.  A compelling case can be made for the inclusion of both players on the roster: 

Asante Samuel

By any statistical measure, Asante Samuel is having a career year at cornerback.  Through 13 games this season, Asante has amassed a career-high 55 solo tackles and has been credited with 11 passes defensed.  The most impressive stat that Samuel has posted this season is his eight interceptions, which currently has him tied with Denver's Champ Bailey for the league lead.

Ty Warren

Like Samuel, Warren is also enjoying a career-best season for the Patriots.  Alternately listed as a defensive end and a defensive tackle (again, this despite primarily playing end), Warren has amassed 48 solo tackles this season along with 6.5 sacks.  While the sacks total is not overwhelming, his 48 tackles are tied for fifth among all NFL defensive linemen.  Most importantly, Warren has come up with several huge tackles this season when the Patriots badly needed a defensive stop.

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You may have noticed that I did not mention the most prominent Patriot of them all, Bridget Moynahan's ex-boyfriend Tom Brady.  While locally there has been a lot of belly-aching regarding Brady's exclusion from the Pro Bowl, I simply don't see a reason for him to be included on this year's roster.  The Pro Bowl isn't a lifetime achievement game, it is intended to honor the top individual performers of a particular season.  It is my opinion that Brady simply isn't among the top quarterbacks this season.

I believe there is a rather simple explanation for the exclusion of certain Patriots players from the Pro Bowl roster.  I don't believe that the snubs are some sort of anti-Patriots statement, nor do I believe that woting procedure is flawed.  The reason that Ty Warren and Asante Samuel didn't make the Pro Bowl roster has more to do with the culture surrounding the New England Patriots.

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Patriots emphasize a team-first approach.  The New England Patriots are a team-first, team-last, and team-only franchise.  Stars are not made in New England.  Players rarely give non-scripted answers to interviewers' questions.  Injured players don't talk to the media at all.  Even assistant coaches are restrained from granting interview requests.  The one and only face of the franchise is Bill Belichick.  With such in-depth interview answers as "He's coming along" and "The injury report comes out on Wednesday", Belichick isn't exactly a media darling. 

The effects of the secretice, team-first approach are evident  whenver one watches the old boob tube (slang for TV for the young'ns).  You can't turn on the TV without seeing Peyton Manning hawking DirectTV or MasterCard.  Beisdes Tom Brady's Visa commercials with the offensive line last year, I can't think of one other Patriots player in a for-profit commercial.  New England players are not in demand for commercials because they simply aren't marketable nationally.  Joe Couch Potato in Denver isn't going to be urged to apply for a MasterCard by seeing Tedy Bruschi's smiling mug on TV.

The sports media also gets caught up in the aura of Belichick.  When the Patriots won Super Bowl 36 with a cast of no-names, nobodys and rejects, it became evident that the Patriots succeeded largely due to the schemes developed by Belichick's staff.  It was assumed that the Patriots won in spite of players like Matt Stevens and Anthony Pleasent, and not because of them.  It was largely ignored in the media that the players on the Patriots had to execute and make plays.  The Super Bowl win was primarily credited to Bill Belichick, and the Belichick mystique was born. 

With the Belichick mystique comes the unfair assumption that any player can succeed in the New England system.  That belief is completely false.  For every David Patten, Bobby Hamilton and Mike Vrabel that has succeeded in New England there has been a Donald Hayes, Steve Martin and Monty Beisel that has been a complete flop.  Crediting the player's success solely to the Patriots' offensive and defensive schemes is erroneous, for the players still must execute and make plays.  This assumption enters the minds of the players, fans and coaches, all of whom are more focused Bill Belichick than any individual player.

Is there a way to fix the dilemma of underappreciated New England players?  In a word, no.  The Patriots have won three of the last five Super Bowls, and any changes to the team's philosophy at this point would be ludicrous.  As a fan, I wouldn't want to sacrifice success for the sake of having a few more stars.  While it's an unfortunate situation for the New England players, many of whom miss out on contract bonuses for Pro Bowl recognition, I'm sure it's a circumstance that many will gladly live with for as long as the team continues to win.