Tony Gonzalez Tears Through Pro Bowl Record Books as NFC South Shines

It wasn't a bad day's work for the NFC South in the Pro Bowl. You can't get too excited about a game played at half speed, but what the heck. That's the Pro Bowl, a colossal waste of time and easily the most useless of the pro all-star games.

The Falcons had a day, though. Quarterback Matt Ryan was 9 of 13 for 118 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Running back Michael Turner ran eight times for 53 yards and wide receiver Roddy White had five catches for 69 yards.

Brent Grimes, the Falcons cornerback, intercepted a Peyton Manning pass, which had to be a big thrill. Did he get Manning to sign the ball?

Tight end Tony Gonzalez added to his Pro Bowl record for career receptions (42) and moved into first place in Pro Bowl lore in touchdown catches with his sixth.

Jon Beason of the Carolina Panthers ran an interception back for a touchdown, which was a nice treat for a hard-working guy who just went through a 2-14 season.

Donald Penn, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' left tackle, got on stage with the best in the NFL, which was a big thing for Penn. He was not named to the original Pro Bowl starting unit, but got in the game because Chad Clifton of the Packers had a bigger game to get ready for.

Penn helped hold together a Tampa Bay line decimated by injury this season and was deserving of the spotlight and sunshine.

By the way, the NFC won, 55-41. It is a fun game for the fans, but it could not fix the attitude of that noted sourpuss Bill Belichick who said, "It is what it is."