I've been one of those people that has poked fun at the Pro Bowl.  I don't like it, nor have I ever liked it, and would much rather see it replaced with a Skills Competition between stars ala the NHL model. That way, there would be little to no risk for injury, and maybe the players could actually give close to 100%.

All of that said, last night's game drew a 7.7 rating (12.5 million viewers) nationally, and did a staggering 15.7 share in Indianapolis.  The Pro Bowl is sort of like CSI and Nickelback - we all know that the show/music sucks, yet people are still watching/listening.  Heck, I was watching... and I'm actually glad I was.

Here are two very cool photos from last night that should remind Colts' fans of a great era of football:

Manning from Saturday, one last time.

Wayne and Manning take their usual spot on the same bench together.

Coming off an 11-win season, and with a franchise quarterback under center, fans in this town appear to have a lot to look forward to.  However, it is a bit bittersweet to look at these pictures and realize that everyone may have taken the Manning-Saturday and Manning-Wayne connections for granted.