FOR USE AS DESIRED

            NFL-61            10/15/01

 

ALL-STAR BALLOTING FOR 2002 PRO BOWL BEGINS ON NFL.COM;

FANS CAN ALSO VOTE AT BLOCKBUSTER STORES NATIONWIDE

 

NFL fans can begin voting for their favorite all-stars on Monday for the 2002 Pro Bowl, the league’s annual All-Star Game.

 

Fans may vote on the NFL’s website, nfl.com, to help select the AFC and NFC All-Star Teams.  Online balloting for the Pro Bowl, to be played in Hawaii on February 9, 10 or 11, will conclude January 7. 

 

This season, fans can also cast their votes at more than 5,200 participating Blockbuster stores nationwide, through interactive voting kiosks available until December 2.  With more than 70 percent of the U.S. population living within 10 minutes of a Blockbuster store, more fans than ever can help send the NFL’s best players to Hawaii.   

 

The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are made up of the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches.  Each group’s vote counts one-third towards determining the 43-man rosters that represent the American Football Conference and National Football Conference in the Pro Bowl.  NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on December 26-27. 

 

The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams.  It was the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995. 

 

The fans’ portion of the voting will be used to break ties in case of deadlocks.

 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING received the most AFC fan votes last year, while Minnesota wide receiver RANDY MOSS was the fans’ top NFC choice and overall leading vote-getter.

 

The squads will be announced at halftime of the AFC and NFC Wild Card games on Saturday, January 12 on ABC-TV.

 

Following is a breakdown of positions and corresponding number of players who will be selected in each conference (43 per conference):