12 Ravens Honored With Pro Bowl Possibilities

A week ago, we posted a story announcing that seven players on the Baltimore Ravens were the leading vote-getters at their respective positions for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. The starting lineups for the conference teams was just announced and while seven Ravens did make the Pro Bowl as starters, it is not the seven that was listed by the NFL when their official press release was posted on this site just last week.

According to the NFL, Michael Oher received the most votes at tackle, yet is only a 4th alternate for the AFC. Brendon Ayanbadejo supposedly was the leading vote-getter as the AFC's Special Teams specialist but now is listed as the 2nd alternate. At the same time, both Ray Rice and Marshal Yanda were not listed as receiving the most votes at their positions, but have been announced as starters. See the full story at BaltimoreRavens.com.

I understand that there are two guards and multiple running backs so both Rice and Yanda could have received the second most votes at their respective positions and yet be announced as starters. However, despite receiving the most fan votes at their position, the voting combines the fans, players and coaches each only count as one-third of the total necessary to be named as starters, as explained in a story on PressBox Online. This explains how both Oher and Ayanbadejo could "win" the fan voting yet still nt be named starters.

Congratulations to Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Rice and Yanda for their starting honors and also to Oher, Ayanbadejo, Joe Flacco, Ben Grubbs and Bernard Pollard for being named as alternates. Hopefully, all these players will have to pass on the honor as they instead could be practicing for Super Bowl 46 instead.