Renewing a thread:

Many years ago, when I had a modicum of athletic ability, I competed (unsuccessfully) in several professional ten-pin bowling tournaments, thus becoming acquainted with several of the pros. The other day, I saw a headline "Pro Bowler Dies In Surgery." I wondered if it was one of the guys I had bowled with in the past but the story was about a football player, not a ten-pin bowler.

The deceased was actually a former "Pro Bowl-er", someone who competed in football's Pro Bowl, but (minus the dash) there is the obvious confusion with the other sport. Am I alone in this perplexity?

You are not alone. I also thought it meant a professional bowler - until I got to the end of your post. However, on the other hand, I am not much of a football fan, so maybe others would disagree with me.