Aloha for Seattle's Magnificent Seven

I'm a slow learner.

I'm psyched for the Pro Bowl again.

I never expect anything more than a fun scrimmage, and sometimes the game fails to meet even that modest expectation.

But I love to see Seahawks in the mix.

Incredibly, although Seattle fielded the league's best defense, free safety Earl Thomas was the only Seahawk defender to make the NFC squad. The Pro Bowl is usually a passing derby, so Thomas will have lots of opportunities to make plays.


Leon Washington returns to Hawaii as the conference's most feared returner.

Marshawn Lynch will back up Adrian Peterson at tailback. Most Pro Bowls feature very few handoffs, but Lynch ran relatively hard last year. AP must be bone-tired after logging 2,000+ yards, and Lynch's foot may not have healed, so we'll likely see even less running than normally.

If he does take a handoff, Lynch will run behind some familiar blockers, including left tackle Russell Okung and center Max Unger. Human sledgehammer Michael Robinson returns as the NFC's fullback. (I'd still love to see a trick play where the former Notre Dame quarterback gets to throw a pass.)

Okung, Unger and Robinson will spend a lot of time providing pass protection for the NFC's quarterbacks, including late addition Russell Wilson, an injury replacement for Russell Griffin III and "Still Cryin'" Matt Ryan.

Wilson is probably our best bet for a good game.

The Seahawks quarterback is a relentless competitor who can inspire his teammates to exceed their potential, but the utter meaninglessless of the Pro Bowl constitutes the ultimate test of an athlete's competitive spirit and motivational ability.

As John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune noted, Wilson may be financially motivated to win today. For most of his multimillion dollar teammates and opponents, the difference between the losing the Pro Bowl ($40,000 payout) and winning it ($65,000) is chump change. But for Wilson--a mere semimillionaire, perhaps the lowest-paid Pro Bowler--$25,000 is real money.

The Seattle quarterback is likely to get plenty of playing time. Last year, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers hazed Cam Newton by forcing the rookie to play the entire second half. The AFC defense mercilessly exploited his inexperience, and the Panther laid an egg, completing just one-third of his passes and throwing 3 interceptions. It became pretty clear that Newton did not deserve to be there.

I expect Wilson to fare better. He will likely rise to the occasion, embracing the Pro Bowl as an opportunity to show that he belongs with the best in the game.

It should be fun.

I hope it's fun.