Time for some good news about our boys in Purple for a change.
The Vikings lead all NFL teams this year by getting eight--yes eight--players named to this year's NFC Pro Bowl roster. The next closest were the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles with six nods.
First, there are the usual suspects: Adrian Peterson and Steve Hutchinson got the starting nod at running back and guard respectively, which shouldn't shock too many people. Kevin Williams and Jared Allen will once again start along the defensive line. Even Señor Schism himself, Brett Favre, made the team for the eleventh time. He'll back up starter Drew Brees at QB.
Then there are a couple pleasant surprises. Wide receiver Sidney Rice made his first Pro Bowl, a very worthy selection in my slightly biased opinion. Heath Farwell was the NFC selection for Special Teamer. Besides last night's debacle, Farwell has been the main reason for the vastly improved special teams unit this year.
Finally, there was a slightly puzzling inclusion for the Vikings. Bryant McKinnie will start at left tackle, proving once again that offensive linemen still get in mostly based on reputation over performance. Also, they should probably hold off until after the entire season until voting for the Pro Bowl. As ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook (a.k.a. TMQ) always says, it shouldn't be the three-quarters of a season all-stars!
Of course, we're hoping that all eight of our guys will need to find replacements, because if all goes well the Vikings will be busy during the Pro Bowl this season. For the first time, the Pro Bowl will be held at the site of the Super Bowl the week before the big game in an effort to gain back some viewers (other than super-duper football diehards and degenerate gamblers).
You can find the full breakdown of both the AFC and NFC rosters here.