Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Turns out there won’t be a Silver and Blackout in Hawaii after all. With the Baltimore Ravens and Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach headed to the Super Bowl a roster spot on the AFC squad has opened. Naturally Oakland’s own Marcel Reece was the AFC alternate at fullback so it became academic that he got the nod for a trip to Honolulu. He’ll be the lone member of the Raiders involved with the NFL’s exhibition which is hard to believe given the season Sebastian Janikowski put together. But that is for another day.

For Reece the Pro Bowl trip is validation. As an undrafted free agent that actually played wide receiver in college, his transformation into a legit fullback capable of contributing in a multitude of ways has been nothing short of amazing.

Despite Greg Knapp’s inability to properly utilize all of Oakland’s offensive talent, Reece had a career year that saw him breakout as a tailback when both Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson were injured. In addition Reece caught 52 passes good for second best on the Raiders.

Congrats to Reece for the honor! It is well deserved and should be the first of many more trips to Hawaii …unless the Raiders are in the Super Bowl one day (hey, we can wish).

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It only seems fitting that insult has been added to an already painful season of Raiders football. Last week Sebastian Janikowski received the fan’s nod for the AFC Pro Bowl roster. This week Jano got an official snub from the league as the players and coaches put Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson on a plane to Hawaii after the season has ended.

Janikowski has been snubbed once again received a Pro Bowl snub. The fans wanted to see the greatest kicking show on Earth but their voice only counts for a third of the vote.

Never mind that Seabass is on the verge of completing yet another historic season. On the year Janikowski has just three misses in 34 attempts with not one of those miscues coming from within 49 yards.

That pretty much means the Raiders are almost guaranteed three points every time they cross midfield. In fact Janikowski has also been Oakland’s entire offense for two weeks running now. Not exactly something to brag about but it proves how consistent and clutch he’s been all year long.

Making matters worse is that no Raiders were named to the AFC squad. Both Janikowski and Marcel Reece are listed as alternates so there is a chance someone will rep the Silver and Black in Hawaii.

Jan 27, 2012; Ko Olina, HI, USA; Hawiian hostesses Aureana Tseu (left) and U

The most pointless football game on the planet will continue to be played one week before the most important football game on the planet. Despite flirting with the idea of abandoning the Pro Bowl after last season’s embarrassing game of two-hand touch the NFL, no doubt under pressure from the NFLPA, has decided to keep the tradition alive.

So go ahead and make your pre-Super Bowl plans now. The most boring game of football kicksoff at 4pm Pacific on January 27th, 2013, which means we’ll be sound asleep by 4:30 that same afternoon as the Pro Bowl puts us into our one-week hibernation ahead of the Super Bowl.

That means Richard Seymour can still plan on making his annual trip to Hawaii as he’s reached that point in his Hall of Fame career where he’s inked in no matter what type of season he’s had. The same can pretty much be said for Shane Lechler. Sebastian Janikowski finally got his props last year but that came as the result of one of the greatest seasons an NFL kicker has ever put together. Hopefully Seabass in on that Seymour level now too.

Of course the man that would be starting for the AFC, no questions asked, is Darren McFadden…wait for it…if he can remain healthy, of course. Run DMC has yet to put together a full season but when (if?) he does he’ll certainly earn his first trip to Hawaii. We’re still waiting for Tyvon Branch to get some Pro Bowl love too.

So for all of you that were on suicide watch due to the threat of no longer being able to watch yawn inducing scrimmage football…

GAME ON!!!