ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins won the fan Pro Bowl voting in nine of 19 positions for the NFC, the result of an aggressive marketing campaign that paid dividends even for the lowest-rated kicker in the league.
Tallies released by the league Thursday show the Redskins on top where serious Pro Bowl consideration is deserved (middle linebacker London Fletcher) and where it's not (kicker Shaun Suisham, who leads the NFL in missed field goals).
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received the most votes overall, followed by New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. But two Redskins were in the top 10: running back Clinton Portis (fourth) and tight end Chris Cooley (10th).
Cooley didn't win his position, though, finishing behind Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys.
Other Redskins who finished first at their position include fullback Mike Sellers, tackle Chris Samuels, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, strong safety Chris Horton, free safety LaRon Landry and special teams player Khary Campbell.
The Redskins' "Vote the Redskins Ticket" campaign was so successful that the league sent an e-mail to the 31 other teams last month pointing out that Washington players were leading in 16 of 19 positions and that it would be a good time to "promote Pro Bowl voting to your fans."
The publicity over an impending Redskins landslide appeared to create enough of a backlash for seven players to lose their leads, but the final results are still dominated by a team that is 7-6 and has lost four of five. The Giants, who have the best record in the conference, won the voting in only four positions.
Fan balloting, which ended Tuesday, counts for one-third of the total Pro Bowl voting. Coaches and players, who have yet to be polled, each count for one-third.
The Pro Bowl teams are announced Dec. 16.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
