MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 10: Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after sacking Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks (not pictured) in the third quarter during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at TCFBank Stadium on January 10, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Pro Bowl is some of the worst NFL action out there. Even in the preseason, there are guys actually playing hard as they try to avoid camp cutdowns.

But the Pro Bowl is something else entirely. These are by and large veteran players, or at least players with contracts already, just trying not to get hurt. Sure, every once in a while you get Sean Taylor just trucking a punter, but those moments are too few and far between. And understandably so, because it’s a dangerous sport.

Minnesota’s Everson Griffen, though, took a different approach to last night’s game:

“I just came in trying to make a lot of plays,” Griffen said. “I really wanted the MVP. I really wanted to win the game, but it didn’t happen. I’m just blessed to be out here with some of the best players in the league and compete. It’s all about competing and playing the next down, and that’s what I did.”

Griffen finished with three sacks and eight tackles, which would be an impressive accomplishment if everyone else had been trying.

“I feel like it was (different),” said Griffen, who also played in last year’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii. “I feel like we stepped it up compared to last year.”

[…]

“We don’t want this to go away,” Griffen said. “We want it to stay. Players feel we honor the Pro Bowl because it’s the best of the best, and we like to be the best of the best.”

Griffen sounds like every guy who has ever tried to take a charge in a pickup basketball game.

Considering everyone else seemed to have way more fun watching NFL players compete in a skills challenge (especially dodgeball!), Griffen might be speaking more for himself than for his fellow players, or the viewing audience.

Just do more dodgeball.

[ESPN]

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.