IT'S hard to imagine Michael Jordan or Grant Hill calling a few days before the NBA All-Star game to say they won't be able to make it. Elway, Favre should
pay for this audibleYou don't see Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Piazza getting a note from their doctor excusing them from the Major-League All-Star Game.
Even in the recent NHL All-Star affair, there on the ice were grizzly veterans Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, competing with players who weren't old enough to remember when the two made their professional debuts.
So if you're a little upset that Super Bowl quarterbacks Brett Favre of Green Bay and John Elway of Denver called from the mainland yesterday to say they're sitting this one out, you have a right.
Granted, neither quarterback probably gave Hawaii much thought in the week preceding the Super Bowl. But at that point, you should have a pretty good idea if your body can handle the rigors of 15 Pro Bowl minutes.
Either you're in or you're out. Don't wait until 72 hours before kickoff to let organizers know you'll be a no-show. It puts Pro Bowl officials in an awkward position, and it's not fair to the fans who paid good money to see the superstars play.
There's little doubt that Elway and Favre are facing off-season surgeries. This is a physical game. The demands take their toll on every man who plays it.
BUT you can't convince me that Elway or Favre are hurting any more than Denver running back and Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis. Here is a man who left the Super Bowl in the second quarter with an intense headache, only to return in the second half to score the winning touchdown.
Like Elway, he went back to Denver for the parade. But unlike his Bronco teammate, he was at yesterday's AFC practice, excited about competing in his second Pro Bowl. That's the way it should be.
After a long, grueling season in which he gained 2,053 yards, the last thing Detroit running back Barry Sanders wanted to do was get popped by a defensive lineman. He has said as much. But he's here after his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl selection.
It would be fitting for the NFL to reward the players who make an appearance by fining the ones who don't. Several years ago, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was fined $10,000 for leaving the game in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
But at least he showed up.
Surely the NFL can devise a deadline for players to bow out without facing a penalty. Once the regular season is done, the players selected to the Pro Bowl have to declare whether they are physically able to make the trip.
Obviously, exceptions can be made for players injured in the playoffs or those facing personal problems. But barring those legitimate excuses, a player will be fined for not honoring his selection to the game.
AND really, is an early RSVP too much to ask?
It's not like these guys are being told to shuffle off to Buffalo or pack their bags for lovely Green Bay. This is Hawaii we're talking about. A picturesque place only the fortunate few are allowed to visit or call home.
The people here are struggling through a difficult economic period, but still made this game a sellout for the 18th time in 19 years. They have backed government leaders, who shelled out a pretty penny to keep the game -- which nobody wanted two decades ago -- here in Hawaii for four more years.
They deserve something for that. And it's not last-second cancellations by marquee players. The players need to be held accountable, not only for the fans, but for the 28 first-time players competing in Sunday's game.
Because the bottom line is this: If being selected to the Pro Bowl doesn't mean enough for a player like Favre or Elway to make an appearance, there's no reason Hawaii should fight so hard for the contract the next time around.
Paul Arnett has been covering sports
for the Star-Bulletin since 1990.
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