AllStar Game -- Interesting, Boring and/or an annoying interruption of the season?

[ruxpin]

Personally, the AllStar game annoys me.  It's more of a "who cares?" to me than actually disliking it, but I'd just as soon get on with the season.

[CoachX]

3 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Personally, the AllStar game annoys me.  It's more of a "who cares?" to me than actually disliking it, but I'd just as soon get on with the season.

I used to love the All-Star games for NBA, NHL and MLB. It was cool to see what a team would look like if it had all the best players on one roster. Now its just gimmicks and ever changing formats, so i have lost interest. I'll watch it if Im bored and nothing else is on.

 

I have never watched NFL Pro-Bowl

 

I do not watch ANYTHING NBA

 

I'll watch MLB All Star game if it fits my schedule

 

NHL skills competitions are the only ones still somewhat fresh and interesting

[pilldoc]

I HATE the version of the All Star ice capades.... I despise and refuse to watch it. Bring back the version from 20+ years ago.... I do like the skills competition but trash every thing else...

[CoachX]

A lot of this goes back to a discussion being had in another thread about injuries. These players can't afford to get hurt, so they cant play a game at the true level. NBA and MLB are closest since they are non contact sports.

 

Since that is the reality, and making money on these gimmicks is the goal, I just as soon be done with them

[ruxpin]

2 minutes ago, CoachX said:

I used to love the All-Star games for NBA, NHL and MLB. It was cool to see what a team would look like if it had all the best players on one roster. Now its just gimmicks and ever changing formats, so i have lost interest. I'll watch it if Im bored and nothing else is on.

 

I have never watched NFL Pro-Bowl

 

I do not watch ANYTHING NBA

 

I'll watch MLB All Star game if it fits my schedule

 

NHL skills competitions are the only ones still somewhat fresh and interesting

 

I think I'm uniformly with you on this.   Yeah, I, too, have never watched the Super Bowl.  

 

I don't really watch the NBA (I do watch some of the conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament, though not like I used to).  For the most part, though, the NBA all star game is probably most like its sport's regular games.   Run down the court, shoot, score or don't, run the other way.

 

I haven't watched the MLB Allstar game in quite awhile but haven't in some time.  I used to because it, too, is very much like a regular game (actually, I change my statement above.  The MLB allstar game is probably most like its sport's regular games).   The problem is I don't watch the regular games anymore, either. 

 

If I watch something of the NHL allstar weekend, it's probably the skills thing, but like you said, "if nothing else is on."  Sadly, for the NHL allstar game, I can always find better commercials.

 

You know what *I think* it may be for me?   

 

I think it's free agency and player movement.

Back in the day when players didn't move so much, there were players who spent nearly their entire careers in the AL or NL in baseball or the Wales or Campbell conferences in hockey.   The allstar game was first a chance to see the players you didn't often get to see, but also kind of a conference bragging rights thing.   Growing up, the NL won a ridiculous number of seasons in a row (I forget the total).  I know more recently it was the AL with the long streak.    But it was kind of fun to cheer for the conference your team was in.  Ultimately, it meant nothing, but in the moment it gave something to cheer for.   I guess there's still something to that, but now it's such a constant shuffling and I get to see players throughout the league so much more often that the whole thing has become a "who cares?" for me.

 

One of my favorite memories of the allstar game, though was Owen Nolan calling his shot.   It was just kind of fun.

[fan4ever]

It's All-Star weekend????

 

[ruxpin]

10 minutes ago, fan4ever said:

It's All-Star weekend????

 

 

LOL  Exactly.

 

I actually didn't realize until this past weekend when I went to set my fantasy rosters for the week and was like, "what the hell?"

[IllaZilla]

I hate the All Star game. Especially now with all the gimmicks. Either play it as a game or don’t do it at all. Stop with the ever changing formats. Stop with the ever changing jerseys. Stop having the fans vote. Just stop.

[mojo1917]

I like the format 3 vs 3...it does allow the league to showcases it's players speed and skill. I think it's better than a full team of dudes going through the motions of a "real" game.  It's pond hockey and I'm alright with that.  I also think the skills competition night is pretty fun, I watched it, I thought the shooting stars gimmick was cool. I liked seeing Al McInnas hit a 100mph bomb with a wooden stick at 56.

 

 It's nice recognition for the players especially the younger ones.  The Tkacuck boys had a blast, and helped make it fun for the viewer and those in attendance. 

 

That said, I would be fine not having it.I don't clamor for it, I don't look away either. 

[ruxpin]

6 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I like the format 3 vs 3...it does allow the league to showcases it's players speed and skill. I think it's better than a full team of dudes going through the motions of a "real" game.  It's pond hockey and I'm alright with that.  I also think the skills competition night is pretty fun, I watched it, I thought the shooting stars gimmick was cool. I liked seeing Al McInnas hit a 100mph bomb with a wooden stick at 56.

 

 It's nice recognition for the players especially the younger ones.  The Tkacuck boys had a blast, and helped make it fun for the viewer and those in attendance. 

 

That said, I would be fine not having it.I don't clamor for it, I don't look away either. 

 

Sappy loser.  

[mojo1917]

1 minute ago, ruxpin said:

 

Sappy loser.  

guilty 

[CoachX]

the other thing that bugs me, and its particularly specific to the Flyers at the moment, the break can derail momentum. Coming off a couple of key games, and a win against PIT, they now have to shut it down. It will suck goat balls if they come out after the break and lose 4 out of 6

 

Side note, I recognize the benefit of injured players getting to heal, and how that benefits the Flyers also

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

Personally, the AllStar game annoys me.  It's more of a "who cares?" to me than actually disliking it, but I'd just as soon get on with the season.

 

I stopped caring about the all-star game when the players stopped caring about it. As soon as it became the event to skip, I figured I'd do the same. 

 

Plus they've added more gimmicks to it than the WWF now. The NHL seems to realize that it can't sell itself as a regular 60 minute game between East vs West any more and they've stopped trying long ago.

 

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

I stopped caring about the all-star game when the players stopped caring about it. As soon as it became the event to skip, I figured I'd do the same. 

 

Plus they've added more gimmicks to it than the WWF now. The NHL seems to realize that it can't sell itself as a regular 60 minute game between East vs West any more and they've stopped trying long ago.

 

 

Amazingly, people are still willing to watch 4-5 hours of cars driving around an oval.    Go figure.

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, CoachX said:

NBA and MLB are closest since they are non contact sports.

 

MLB shot themselves in the foot when they introduced interleague play.  Part of the intrigue (a massive part of the intrigue) growing up was seeing AL stars going up against NL stars. The two leagues used to be slightly different. It was like two worlds colliding. Also made the World Series epic. Baseball absolutely ruined the best part about their sport. 

 

[ruxpin]

4 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

MLB shot themselves in the foot when they introduced interleague play.  Part of the intrigue (a massive part of the intrigue) growing up was seeing AL stars going up against NL stars. The two leagues used to be slightly different. It was like two worlds colliding. Also made the World Series epic. Baseball absolutely ruined the best part about their sport. 

 

 

Very well said!   Yes, I agree.   Not coincidentally, it's about the time I stopped watching baseball.

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, mojo1917 said:

I liked seeing Al McInnas hit a 100mph bomb with a wooden stick at 56.

 

I know I'm old school on this, but I think the NHL should have treated their hockey sticks the same way MLB treats their baseball bats: keep it wood and don't play around with it. 

(That sounded so wrong.)  

 

Instead, they did what the PGA did and now they've completely changed their game in many ways.

 

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

I know I'm old school on this, but I think the NHL should have treated their hockey sticks the same way MLB treats their baseball bats: keep it wood and don't play around with it. 

(That sounded so wrong.)  

 

Instead, they did what the PGA did and now they've completely changed their game in many ways.

 

 

We agree again.   You must be wrong.

Edited January 25, 2020 by ruxpin

[flyer4ever]

Any platform that gives the little turd Bettman exposure has a downside. It is no longert about the players, it is a corporate schmooz.  He has snubbed the fans once again with his ignorant Olympics comments.

[ruxpin]

36 minutes ago, flyer4ever said:

Any platform that gives the little turd Bettman exposure has a downside. It is no longert about the players, it is a corporate schmooz.  He has snubbed the fans once again with his ignorant Olympics comments.

What did he say? 

[IllaZilla]

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

What did he say? 

Nothing new. Basically ignored the Olympic deadline set by the IIHF and kept repeating that the Olympics are highly disruptive to the NHL...

[ruxpin]

2 minutes ago, IllaZilla said:

Nothing new. Basically ignored the Olympic deadline set by the IIHF and kept repeating that the Olympics are highly disruptive to the NHL...

Oh so no Olympics. 

 

I suspect you won't agree, but this makes me happy. It's probably the only thing I agree with him on.  I hate shutting down the league for the Olympics. Hated it more than the shootout, and that's saying something. 

[IllaZilla]

14 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Oh so no Olympics. 

 

I suspect you won't agree, but this makes me happy. It's probably the only thing I agree with him on.  I hate shutting down the league for the Olympics. Hated it more than the shootout, and that's saying something. 

Actually, no. I agree. I hate that the league shuts down for two weeks for the Olympics. And then proceeds to play five games a week to catch up. 
 

And isn’t the Olympics supposed to be about amateur athletes? So why do they make an exception for hockey?

 

Oh, here’s another gimmick for Bettman. Just make the All Star Game Like the Olympics. Instead of teams from the divisions, just make them from Canada, USA, Russia, and whatever other countries players come from. The Players get to play for their country and Bettman gets to make gobs of cash. Win-win!

Edited January 25, 2020 by IllaZilla

[radoran]

I don't mind the midseason break to allow teams to sort of reset for the stretch run.

 

But I don't care about the game(s) whatsoever.

[radoran]

5 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

As soon as it became the event to skip, I figured I'd do the same. 

When you're talking about guys who played in the Cup Final the year before, I can certainly understand taking the time recuperatively. Perhaps making that a perk of the Finals qualification?

 

I just have no enthusiasm for the game. I like hockey because it's a team sport. And these games are not that sport.