Patriots Pro Bowlers

The New England Patriots have had 8 deserving players named to the roster for the 2008 version of the Pro Bowl.  Those players are, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Assante Samuel, Mike Vrabel, Vince Wilfork, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins and Matt Light.  While all of those players are deserving there is one name in particular that should be there and isn't. Why isn't Wes Welker on the Pro Bowl team?  He has 96 catches and is probably the best slot receiver in the game of football.  The reason, the Pro Bowl is a numbers game.  That works on a couple levels.  First people are elected to the team based on their stats.  Second, there are only so many spots available on the team and there just wasn't enough room to fit Welker.  This is unfortunate yes, but let's look deeper into the reason why that is the case.
It seems kind of obvious but the AFC as a whole is significantly stronger than the NFC.  For that reason the players elected to the team are a little more spread out amongst teams from the AFC.  That is the explanation for the 12-2 Cowboys have 11 Pro Bowlers in comparison the Patriots 8 despite the Patriots having a better record and beating the Cowboys.  Pro Bowl roster spots are not determined by wins, though they do have an influence, the spots are determined by votes.  If your conference is stronger you have more competition.  The Cowboys play in a weaker conference so there are less good players which in turn means more Pro Bowl spots.
Though it is not the end of the world for players not making the Bowl, it is certainly appreciated.  If you have a problem with Welker not being on the team, there is still hope.  He can be added by the AFC coach, or if an injury takes place.  As a member of the Patriots, a true team, where players are not jockeying for individual attention I am quite sure that many fans feel he has been snubbed more than he does.  
For the rest of the Pro Bowlers from the Patriots, they have a nice little vacation to look forward to after the Super Bowl.