All-Snooze Fest

At some point in time, all-star games turned from celebrating the accomplishments of athletes in the particular year, to a popularity contest. Reputation matters more than what has been done in the current year of play.

When did all the commissioners of the professional sports leagues come together and determine that the all-star games of their respective sports would all turn to crap? And was there ever a time when all-star games actually worked?

There are flaws in all the systems.

NBA: fan voting has too much influence. NFL: no one wants to play in it. MLB: again, fan voting messes with starting lineups. NHL: fan voting, but I am not going to pretend that I know what I am talking about in regards to hockey.

As we approach the Pro Bowl for the NFL and the NBA's all-star game I try to remember when I really cared about an all-star game. For me, I care more about the preceding events than the actual exhibition games.

David Stern has gone wrong with the NBA in that the fan voting system doesn't work, especially with worldwide voting. Tracy "First Round" McGrady almost got the starting nod for the Western Conference this year, due largely to Chinese fans voting him in because of his allegiance to Yao Ming's Rockets.

But fans aren't the only ones to blame on this one, coaches are guilty too. The reserves are determined by them, and are the coaches are being influenced by reputation more than looking at players' success for the year. I grew up a Lakers fan and I am all for seeing more purple & gold laced sneakers on the hardwood. However, I have to disagree with the selection of Pau Gasol this year. That was purely a reputation call by the coaches.

Chris Kaman is having a solid year and should have been selected. Gasol's reputation coupled with the name of the team on the front of Kaman's jersey didn't allow Caveman to be on this year's squad.

Look, I understand that this happens; there are only a certain amount of roster spots and for the most part coaches and fans get it right. And I don't want to go into a rant about every sport and have a post that takes you 20 minutes to read, but on a quick note about MLB...

Why have a requirement that every team needs a representative? If a team doesn't have a player deserving of an all-star nod than why have them there. Most of the time that particular player given the sympathy bid doesn't even get into the game.

And the fan voting totally messes with this one in that Red Sox and Yankees players are always voted to start due to their huge following (also see: Yankees and Red Sox nations need a life... I kid, but not really).

I don't have the solution nor do I believe that anyone does, each sport is different and the leagues want to sell tickets, jerseys, and TV rights. It gives us something to discuss allowing more attention to be paid to the all-star selections and games.

As a beginning point to a fix, give the votes for the starting rosters to the players in the leagues. Who knows the players better than those that are actually competing against them? Next, give the rights to the reserves voting to the coaches.

Where do the fans come in? This is the fun part: allow us fans to vote for a lineup that plays for a quarter, period or couple innings together. Create our own dream team to play together based on the rosters created by the players & coaches of the leagues, and ensure that the coaches stick with the lineup the whole predetermined time. Finding the most common lineup selected by fans would be tricky for a human, but plug it into a computer system and let it do the work. Hell, the BCS determines the college championship game, it can determine the most wanted lineup to play together.

Cry, cry all we want, we'll still tune in.

Oh, and Allen Iverson for all-star game MVP honors.

Tonight's post was created while listening to Dam Funk's "Toeachizown" album. Go get it.