Why is it that the biggest sport in the United States has the most lackluster All-Star game?

The NFL’s Pro Bowl is today, and I have two words to describe how I feel about that.

Who cares?

And trust me, I’m not the only one.

“The Pro Bowl, to be honest, I never watch it,” Napa High head football coach Troy Mott said. “I haven’t watched it since I was a kid. I find it to be kind of boring, guys just going through the motions. There’s no doubt that these guys are playing to not get hurt out there. It shows in the brand of football. It’s definitely watered down. You can’t blame them, who wants to get hurt in an exhibition game? I don’t find it that appealing to watch and frankly could do without it.”

I went to my very first All-Star event last summer when I was fortunate to cover baseball’s Mid-summer Classic at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. It was one of the most amazing events I’ve been to. To be in the presence of the season’s greatest baseball players was an honor and a privilege.

And it was a fun game because they went all out. Ichiro Suzuki’s inside-the-park homer was the first I’ve ever seen and will forever be a fond memory.

I’ve yet to partake in an NBA All-Star weekend, but it’s on my to-do list — especially if they have it in Las Vegas again.

But with the NFL, the Pro Bowl is anti-climactic. It comes at the end of the season and the players don’t even seem to care about it. If it was anywhere other than Hawaii, more players would probably drop out.

Even though it’s in the Aloha State, some of the NFL’s best find something better to do.

San Diego’s Antonio Gates and Jamal Williams are skipping it and they’re not the only ones.

New England’s Randy Moss and Tom Brady announced the day after the New York Giants humiliated the Patriots in the Super Bowl that they were going to pass on the season-ending event due to ankle injuries.

I was bummed about Brady’s absence because his replacement, Cleveland’s Derek Anderson, is boring to watch. But perhaps Eli’s big brother Peyton will call the shots and “Big Ben” Roethlisberger will get some throws.

Oh, and did anyone notice that besides 49ers rookie linebacker Patrick Willis, the Bay Area’s only other representatives are Oakland punter Shane Lechler and San Francisco punter Andy Lee? It’s a sign of hard times in the Raider and Niner nations when the Bay’s best players only play when the offense can’t get a first down.

The entertaining “Ocho Cinco,” also known as Chad Johnson, will be replacing Moss, making up for the Brady-less game. Now it will be a contest between Johnson and T.O. as to who has the biggest mouth — not that I plan on watching it.

I’ll be wine tasting.

However, some fans will tune in at least for a bit.

“I’m one of the few people who will watch it,” Vintage head football coach Billy Smith said. “I like watching All-Pros. I usually watch it for a quarter or two, then move on. It’s hard to watch. They’re trying not to get hurt. The defense is kind of watered down. It’s a show for the fans. It doesn’t have the strategy of a game and the rules are different.”

The Super Bowl, however, is a different story — it’s darn near a national holiday.

Smith stayed home with his son so they could concentrate on watching the Super Bowl. Mott tunes in every year for the big game. He went to a party this year and came away a Texas Hold ’Em winner.

“With the Super Bowl, every single thing is on the line, guys are playing hurt, there’s two weeks to prepare for the game,” Mott explained. “You watch high-quality football. The next week you watch an exhibition game and it’s just not the same.”

Smith says the Super Bowl is to the Pro Bowl as college’s BCS championship game is to the bowl games that follow.

It’s like no one cares once the big one is done.

I understand that part of baseball and basketball’s All-Star draw is that their events are in the middle of their respective seasons. I also understand that’s pretty much impossible for football because of the level of contact involved.

But rather than hold a week’s worth of practice and press conferences followed by a drab game, how about just a banquet honoring the league’s best?

Give them a ribbon and a steak dinner and move on to baseball season.

You can even put that on TV.

Oh yeah, but it makes lots of people money. That’s why they have it.

Just in case you have leftover beer and chips from your Super Bowl party and want to watch the Pro Bowl, it starts at 1:30 p.m. and will be aired on Fox.

E-mail Sports Writer Erin Lawley at elawley@napanews.com or call 256-2212.