NFC sweeps season with Pro Bowl win

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 2/14/2008

 HONOLULU, HAWAII — One of the best ways to honor the top players of today along with the best players of all time is the way the NFL, before the Pro Bowl kickoff, introduces stars of both teams and then has them line up on the field at the 50-yard line and shake hands with the 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class inductees.

 This year, that class included Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman.

 For the 58th time, the NFL’s best players have lined up across from each other in this annual classic. And for the 29th time, the AFC vs. NFC All-Star Game has been played in Honolulu.

 On the heels of the highest rated Super Bowl in history, the National Football Conference All-Stars made it a clean sweep by beating the AFC stars 42-30 before a sellout crowd of 50,444.

 Vikings star Adrian Peterson ran for 129 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the NFC and become only the second rookie ever to grab MVP honors. Joining Marshall Faulk, Peterson scored on runs of 17 and six yards to help lead the NFC comeback from a 24-7 first-half hole.

 After Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hit Larry Fitzgerald with a six-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7, the AFC built an impressive 24-7 first-half lead. However, the NFC rallied to score 35 of the next 41 points and dominate the AFC Stars, who did not have the trifecta of record-setters for TD passes (Tom Brady), TD receptions (Randy Moss), and rushing (LaDainian Tomlinson).

 The Cowboys had 12 All-Stars in the game; the Vikings had seven. Peterson joined Ahmad Rashad (1978) and Randy Moss (1999) as Vikings to earn the MVP award. Peterson won a 2008 CTS Cadillac. The NFC stars each earned $40,000 per man in winning, while the AFC stars received $20,000 each.

 Fitzgerald & Barber

join Vikings

Minnesota-born athletes were represented in the 2008 Pro Bowl by Larry Fitzgerald, playing in his second Pro Bowl. Born in Minneapolis, the former Vikings ball boy now plays with the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzgerald led the NFC in receptions with 100.

 Dallas Cowboys star Marion Barber, the former U of M star, was also born and raised in Minneapolis. He teamed with Peterson, Matt Birk, Chad Hutchinson, Kevin and Pat Williams, Tony Richardson and Darren Sharper.

 Fitz notes & quotes

 New stadiums go a long way toward increasing the value of NFL franchises. The following is the list of some top-valued NFL franchises as of 2007:

 Playoff qualifiers: 1. Dallas Cowboys, $1,500 million; 2. Washington Redskins, $1,467; 3. New England Patriots, $1,199; 8. Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, $974; 12. Tampa Bay, $963.

 The Minnesota Vikings are last (32nd) in the league in franchise value at $782 million. The league franchise value average is $957 million.

 The 1983 NFL Draft was one of the strongest in history. Six players from that draft —  John Elway, Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, Darrell Green, Gary Zimmerman and Bruce Mathews — were all selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Vikings that year, with the 19th pick of the first round, drafted defensive back Joey Browner.

 Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and biweekly he commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). He welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-record er.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.