Own up: Y'all have been online stuffing the ballot box for the Dolphins, haven't you?

C'mon, I have evidence!

Four Dolphins -- running back Ronnie Brown, rookie kicker Dan Carpenter, rookie left tackle Jake Long and outside linebacker Joey Porter -- are leading their positions in AFC fan voting for the Pro Bowl, which ends Tuesday. (Players and coaches vote Dec. 11-12, and teams are announced Dec. 16.)

Of the four Dolphins, only Porter, leading the AFC in sacks, should make the all-star team, although I give Long a fighting chance because A) he is a starter having a solid season for a winning team, and B) overall No. 1 draft picks enjoy a presumption of excellence, especially at a position not easily quantified by statistics.

Brown has no real shot and might owe his vote status to being Mr. Wildcat. Still, he is seventh in the AFC in rushing and is not even on a 1,000-yard pace.

Carpenter? Great season for a rookie. In fact, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. But too small on the numbers (16 field goals/77 points to the leader's 27/107).

The Dolphin not mentioned who should make the Pro Bowl but probably won't? Quarterback Chad Pennington. He has tough AFC competition from Brett Favre, Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers, Matt Cassel and (by habit) Peyton Manning, but Pennington is second in passer rating at 92.8, will pass for about 3,500 yards, has a low interception rate and -- as important as anything -- has taken a 1-15 team to playoff contention.

So stuff those ballots. And, this time, don't leave Chad hanging.

• Burress' judgment: Giants are the best team in football. Alas, receiver Plaxico Burress has made them No. 1 with a bullet. Burress finds himself charged with illegal weapons possession and suspended by the team for the rest of the season after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh in a nightclub last weekend.

Dear Plax: If you feel the need to pack heat with a loaded Glock for protection while socializing, find another nightclub! Better yet, hire a bodyguard who may carry a gun legally and also has the expertise to not accidentally fire it.

The gun culture among athletes is macho bullbleep. It is derivative of thug mentality; it is showin' off. It is about

a stunning lack of common sense that makes sympathy for Burress a tough sell.

• Diuretic suspensions mess: There seems cause for the NFL to at least delay the suspensions of the five Vikings and Saints accused of using a diuretic banned as a steroids masking agent.

The banned substance in the StarCaps weight-loss pills, bumetanide, is not listed as an ingredient, and the NFLPA claims the league failed to warn players that the product contained a prohibited substance. A hearing on the suit is set for Friday.

The decision is especially vital to Minnesota, which fights to maintain its division lead and a playoff spot and is in jeopardy of losing its ''Williams Wall'' -- suspended defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.

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