Five Patriots who will not play in the 2014 Pro Bowl

Venerable old gunslinger Tom Brady was named to his 10th Pro Bowl on Tuesday

Time was, the National Football league's annual All Star game, the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, was played the week after the Super Bowl.  In Hawaii.

Recently, however, the game has been used as a "loser's only" exhibition to fill up the week-long void between Conference Championship weekend and the Super Bowl hype week, featuring players from the respective conferences squaring off against each other in what amounts to a three-hour long pillow fight - but at least it was in Hawaii...

...but not this season.  The Pro Bowl is no longer the best players from each conference playing for conference pride, rather, the players that have been deemed the best of the best by a vote from the fans, media and head coaches from each NFL team are now tossed into one big gaggle of humanity and "drafted" by selected historical figures to form two teams.

Gronkowski makes his 3rd team...

This school yard mentality coupled with the timing of the spectacle has rendered the contest the least viewed All Star game on the planet, which diminishes the accomplishments of the selected players to the point that, while still an honor to be recognized by the football community, the game itself is a side show that many players excuse themselves from.

Logistically, the game is limited to the players from the thirty teams who are not playing in the Super Bowl, as there is no way in hell that the coaches from the two best teams in football are going to send their best players to possibly be beaten and injured in a game that means absolutely nothing, a week before the biggest game of their lives.

Especially when the game isn't even in Hawaii, where the players could at least validate participating in the exhibition game as an excuse to take their families on a tropical vacation.

But hopefully, none of this even matters to the New England Patriots.

The 2014 Pro Bowl and all of it's weird intricacies and odd structure is scheduled to be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona this year, exactly one week before the Super Bowl is scheduled, and there is a very good chance that the five players selected to participate from the Patriots will instead be back in Foxborough preparing for yet another shot at the world championship:

...former pitcher Gostkoski earns his third as well...

Tom Brady - Not like he would play in the game anyway, regardless of venue, as he has played in just three of the exhibitions in nine opportunities - mostly because of the aforementioned limitation on players who will instead be playing in the Super Bowl, but skipped last year's game with an "injury".  This is Brady's 10th selection in 14 seasons as a starter under center - not bad for a guy that was washed up a few months ago...

Stephen Gostkowski - With only two kickers being selected, it is curious to find that both of them have solid ties to the Patriots.  Indianapolis Colts' kicker Adam Vinatieri, who won two Super Bowls on last second kicks for the Patriots is the other selection.  Apparently, Bill Belichick can draft good players...

Human missile Slater is so good his selection is a given

Matthew Slater - One of the true good guys in the league and a hell of a special teams player.  Slater gains his fourth Pro Bowl selection on the merits of special teams play alone, meaning that he is the best in the business as what he does, just as his father, former Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Jackie Slater, was for many seasons.  Slater is one apple that didn't fall far from the tree.

Darrelle Revis - Did Revis even play this season?  Just as it is with offensive linemen, the only time you hear a cornerback's name during the course of a game is if he screws up.  Revis didn't screw up very often and, in fact, made opposing receivers disappear at the same time.  If Revis isn't the best cover corner in the league, he's damned close...

Illusionist Revis earns his sixth selection

Rob Gronkowski - Gronk probably would have made the team on entertainment value alone, as his off field antics would have dominated tabloid headlines for the entire week leading up to the game, much more so that one would hear or see leading up to the Super Bowl.  Gronkowski is the best tight end in the business, and it's not even close...

So, an old Gunslinger, a former baseball pitcher turned kicker, a human missile, an illusionist and the reincarnation of Max McGee have been honored with selection to the Pro Bowl from New England - great storylines all.  Too bad for the football world that none of them will be playing in it, since they will be preparing for the Super Bowl a week later...

...so snubs be damned.  A case could be made for at least a dozen other Patriots to make the team, but it matters only if they had an incentive base in their contract that rewarded them for being selected, but it goes without saying that each and every one of them would much rather have that world championship ring on their finger.