Good things come to those who wait. Provided they work while they are waiting. LB London Fletcher was doubly honored over the weekend, earning not only his first Pro Bowl berth but finalist status for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Fletcher has never played in a Pro Bowl and was voted a first alternate this season. But when the New Orleans Saints won their way to the Super Bowl, it made MLB Jonathan Vilma ineligible to play in the Pro Bowl, which is Sunday (one week before the Super Bowl, instead of the customary week after). Fletcher's charitable work with his foundation made him one of three finalists for the Man of the Year Award and he's deserving of that as well. Here's a link to a column I wrote earlier this year on Fletcher and his community service ...

http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Fletcher_Leads_the_Redskins_69905.jsp

In a conference call with reporters, Fletcher said the Vikings-Saints game was the most "gut-wrenching" he had ever watched and actually turned off the TV with the score tied at 28-28. "Somebody will call me one way or the other," he said. When no one called, he turned the TV back on and watched the overtime. "When they kicked that field goal, I did a little sprint around the house," Fletcher said. After 12 seasons, he has finally received what he worked so hard to earn. Asked if the Pro Bowl nod validated his career, he said: "I don't think it necessarily validates my career. My peers have watched my career and seen what kind of player I have been. I wouldn't say I needed this to validate my career. But it was something I coveted."