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

[intheslot]

One step closer to wwf..

..............just stop

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

I watched ONE MINUTE of the ASG this morning (from the video posted on YouTube) and that was all I could watch. It's at rock bottom now. It can't get any worse than it is. 

 

The ASG is now:

• 3-on-3 floating (no real hockey being played here whatsoever)
• goalies going through the motions, making save attempts similar to how I'd look in goal
• outrageously distracting rink-long video ads on the boards with animations (here's to the future death of the NHL)
• completely dead crowd that didn't give a sh_t about the players or the "game" being played

 

After seeing a minute of this farce, I won't even subject myself to that much in the future.

 

Furthermore, I'd go so far as to say that the event should be cancelled altogether because for many people, this might be their FIRST exposure to an NHL hockey game, and I think they would leave so disappointed that they would never want to watch any more. The NHL is putting out what amounts to false advertising, but rather than show potential customers the "big stuffed teddy bear" at the carnival and then hand them the small teddy when they win, they're showing people the small teddy bear instead and people must be thinking "go F yourself" to Gary Bettman (picture Bettman dressed up in clown pants yelling "STEP RIGHT UP YANKEE DOODLE SPORTS FANS TO SEE THE A-MAZING ASG!!!" with carnival music playing in the background). 

Edited January 26, 2020 by WordsOfWisdom

[brelic]

I used to enjoy the ASG when I was a kid. 

 

I think that is the target audience.

 

I haven't watched any of the all-star weekend in about 30 years. 

 

If the all-star weekend doesn't resonate with you, it's probably just that you're not the intended audience.

[ruxpin]

32 minutes ago, brelic said:

If the all-star weekend doesn't resonate with you, it's probably just that you're not the intended audience

 

Yep.

 

33 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

If the all-star weekend doesn't resonate with you, it's probably just that you're not the intended audience.  actually a hockey fan.

 

Fixed it.  Poe-tay-toe / Pattatta

[brelic]

45 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

Yep.

 

 

Fixed it.  Poe-tay-toe / Pattatta

 

Funny enough, I am not a hockey fan. I'm a Flyers fan. Basically the only hockey I'm willing to sacrifice some time for.

 

 

[radoran]

1 hour ago, brelic said:

Funny enough, I am not a hockey fan. I'm a Flyers fan. Basically the only hockey I'm willing to sacrifice some time for.

 

See, I'm a hockey fan that supports the Flyers because they are from the City I grew up in. Also, too, Broad Street Bullies, Winning Streak, Crazy Ron Hextall, Ilkka Scoreagoala, Legion of Doom, etc.

 

I was 6-7 when the Flyers won the Cups. Don't really remember it beyond "it happened." Was 12 for the Miracle on Ice that cemented my love for the sport - seeing that a team playing as a team could beat a more talented group playing more as individuals. Also, too, showed me the international scope of the game and made me a lifelong Finn fan.

 

The ASG as currently constituted is basically like watching warm ups. They should just get rid of the goalies and have bags of pucks on the ice.

 

As much as I can't stand to watch the NBA these days, their ASG is actually more like the actual game, with maybe a touch less defense. In MLB you have pitchers actually trying to strike guys out and batters actually trying to hit the ball. The NFL Pro Bowl may be the only bigger joke than the NHL ASG for the "four major" sports.

 

The skills competition is meh - but I can see the appeal. And it gives the players some opportunity to show some personality. Not something that I'm interested in, but then likely not the target audience to be sure.

[brelic]

15 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

See, I'm a hockey fan that supports the Flyers because they are from the City I grew up in. Also, too, Broad Street Bullies, Winning Streak, Crazy Ron Hextall, Ilkka Scoreagoala, Legion of Doom, etc.

 

I was 6-7 when the Flyers won the Cups. Don't really remember it beyond "it happened." Was 12 for the Miracle on Ice that cemented my love for the sport - seeing that a team playing as a team could beat a more talented group playing more as individuals. Also, too, showed me the international scope of the game and made me a lifelong Finn fan.

 

I'm a lifelong Flyers fan for a lot of the same reasons. Started watching when I was about 6-7, and ever since. I grew up with the mid-80s squads. Eklund, Poulin, Propp, Sinisalo, Hextall, Tocchet, Kerr, Howe.

 

Mostly, I miss the days of a relevant Flyers squad. The Carter/Richards days. The Lindros days. Those 80s teams. 

 

The past decade has been discouraging to be kind.

 

 

15 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

The ASG as currently constituted is basically like watching warm ups. They should just get rid of the goalies and have bags of pucks on the ice.

 

As much as I can't stand to watch the NBA these days, their ASG is actually more like the actual game, with maybe a touch less defense. In MLB you have pitchers actually trying to strike guys out and batters actually trying to hit the ball. The NFL Pro Bowl may be the only bigger joke than the NHL ASG for the "four major" sports.

 

The skills competition is meh - but I can see the appeal. And it gives the players some opportunity to show some personality. Not something that I'm interested in, but then likely not the target audience to be sure.

 

Yeah, I can see that. I have no opinion either way since I haven't watched any in a few decades. I just figured it was because it wasn't targeted at me - hence my disinterest.

 

 

[CoachX]

ASGs are supposed to be about exactly what the title says, a game comprised of all the stars. Each sport has its two divisions, and they should play each other. Personally, I think it would be better if they played the game in the off season

 

When the NHL started with all the silly formats and gimmicks, they lost the base concept of the game, and I tuned out. I dont see me ever tuning back in. And, when star players started finding reasons to not play in their respective game, that nailed the coffin shut.

 

If they dont want to be there, why should I want to watch?

[radoran]

25 minutes ago, brelic said:

Mostly, I miss the days of a relevant Flyers squad.

 

Amen, brother. Games used to be required watching and I would stake out time to see them.

 

Now, it's pretty much something that's part of a wider range of options.

 

16 minutes ago, CoachX said:

When the NHL started with all the silly formats and gimmicks, they lost the base concept of the game,

 

The ASG hasn't had the "real" game edge to it in, well, a very long time if it ever had it.

 

Last really "memorable" thing I recall from the game was the Owen Nolan "called shot" - and that was 23 years ago...

 

15 minutes ago, CoachX said:

And, when star players started finding reasons to not play in their respective game, that nailed the coffin shut.

 

If they dont want to be there, why should I want to watch?

 

They do that because the time off is more valuable to their actual jobs than taking part in the shenanigans.

 

And I don't blame them at all.

[radoran]

Let me also say that the whole "fan vote" thing did pique my interest a bit - specifically because the fans were fans about it and went about picking odd guys rather than the approved "stars".

 

It's when the NHL then tried to tell the fans that they were stupid and wrong and couldn't have the players they wanted in the game that it soured me even more on the whole thing.

[yave1964]

Was there an All star game? I didn't notice. I pay no attention to that stuff. Same with the Olympics. Now I love the NHL, I love big ten Hockey, I even get to an occasional ECHL game up in Toledo though truth is the biggest dropoff in skill and talent is from the AHL to the ECHL, those boys are just plain slow. 

 

  Anyway all star game, I think the game itself is a bad joke, I used t enjoy the skill competition but it has become something other than what it claims to be and has turned into a circus. I enjoyed Miami of Ohio getting the crsp beat out of them by U of Denver instead where they both played their butts off. 

[RonJeremy]

I havent watched an All Star game in 20 years, if they have to do one ,it should be played outdoors and have the Stanley Cup champs go up against an all star team.

[CoachX]

21 hours ago, radoran said:

Amen, brother. Games used to be required watching and I would stake out time to see them.

 

Now, it's pretty much something that's part of a wider range of options

I would go to great lengths, including changing schedules and skipping events, to see a game. When I couldn't watch, I would listen if possible. If that didn't work, there was always somebody talking about the game. When I moved to NM, access changed and was limited to Center Ice on DTV. I watched every game for years. You never knew what might happen on any given shift. If a goal wasn't scored a fight might occur. If the team was losing badly, physical play would be elevated. PRIDE was evident at all times.This is what made the Flyers known for wildly entertaining and somewhat infamous (insert Hextall) incidents (insert Montreal game). This style of play also is/was responsible for soo many fans outside of the Philadelphia area. I've heard many tell me they are fans because they saw a game here or there, and the physicality of the team drew them in

 

Now, I can take it or leave it. I often have better things to do. I FF through recordings and I don't buy center ice. The players aren't the same type, they don't have the same pride, and the franchise has moved on to a different approach. Maybe when they find a way to start making the playoffs, and contending, the fire will return for me.

 

I won't hold my breath

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 1/28/2020 at 12:30 PM, brelic said:

 

 

 

On 1/28/2020 at 1:07 PM, radoran said:

Let me also say that the whole "fan vote" thing did pique my interest a bit - specifically because the fans were fans about it and went about picking odd guys rather than the approved "stars".

 

I think fans should be able to make ONE selection for the game per team, otherwise the game has no credibility.  If it's just a popularity contest, then I'm not watching the best players. 

 

I've watched the fan voting system fall apart in every league it gets tried in. Players in New York, LA, etc. get voted in and players on Canadian based teams are generally excluded. No thanks.

 

[ruxpin]

32 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

 

 

I think fans should be able to make ONE selection for the game per team, otherwise the game has no credibility.  If it's just a popularity contest, then I'm not watching the best players. 

 

I've watched the fan voting system fall apart in every league it gets tried in. Players in New York, LA, etc. get voted in and players on Canadian based teams are generally excluded. No thanks.

 

 

Eh, I don't agree so long as it's a hybrid.  One player from each team is guaranteed.  The rest voted in.

 

The problem with it, for me, was when they started allowing voting online or at Burger King or whatever.   WAY back in the day, they gave out ballots AT the game.  You actually had to go to a game to cast an actual vote.   You went to multiple games, multiple votes.

 

Now, anyone with an internet browser gets to vote.  Not "now," but during the most recent iteration of fan voting, anyway.   You'd figure that would be good, but that's when larger metropolitan areas could start flooding the votes and smaller areas like, well, Canada, couldn't bring enough volume.  

 

I mean, if each team has roughly 20,000 seats (give or take), no team has a real advantage if you  limit it to those who attend.  Teams/fandoms that can't fill the seats would be at a disadvantage, but I guess we'd just have to go without seeing Huberdeau in the Allstar game (Barkov would probably be the one required Panther--or Bob if he learns how to play goal again).

 

I prefer some representation of the fans.   Currently there is none--and not just for the AllStar game.   The league has completely forotten and neglected it's actual hockey fan fanbase in favor of people who got tickets as a gift or stopped on the station while flipping from NCIS to Shark Tank.

Edited January 30, 2020 by ruxpin

[radoran]

12 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

Now, anyone with an internet browser gets to vote

 

It's and international game. Some places don't have Burger Kings. Some people never get to go to an NHL game.

 

I understand the concept of why they expanded the ability to vote.

 

I don't understand the reasoning behind rejecting the votes of the fans.

 

If the entire country of Latvia wants to vote for Girgensons, great. He gets to go to the game. Assuming that the entire population of Chicago didn't vote for "their guy.'"

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, radoran said:

 

It's and international game. Some places don't have Burger Kings. Some people never get to go to an NHL game.

 

If I'm king (or commish), then they don't get to vote.  Period.  Without blinking.

 

Because...

 

2 minutes ago, radoran said:

I understand the concept of why they expanded the ability to vote.

 

I don't understand the reasoning behind rejecting the votes of the fans.

 

It predictably was hacked by people who took advantage of the fact they didn't  have jobs and could vote 300 times per hour.  Unless the people in places without Burger King also didn't have jobs (maybe because there's no Burger King!) and cast 300 times per hour, they weren't represented at all anyway.

 

So now those people in places that don't have Burger Kings  and who never get to a game STILL can't vote.  The only difference  is that now no one gets to vote.  Even the people actually still forking out way too much money to actually go to a boring-### game.

 

Why?

 

Because the allstar game isn't the only place where this league has forgotten its fans.   So at least half of the people still forking out money to go to the games wouldn't care about a ballot anyway.   

 

So no one votes.   It was better when someone voted.  IMO, it was better with "at the game" ballots.   At least fans somewhere got a say.

 

If anyone is taking my vote, my vote is cancel the damn thing.  It's embarrassing at this point.

[radoran]

5 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

It predictably was hacked by people who took advantage of the fact they didn't  have jobs and could vote 300 times per hour. 

 

It's really not hard to make it hard for people to vote 300 times an hour.

 

This doesn't have to be a Fox News poll.

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, radoran said:

It's really not hard to make it hard for people to vote 300 times an hour.

 

We're still talking about the NHL, right?   There's lots of things that shouldn't be hard to do yet are seemingly impossible for these clowns.

[radoran]

7 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

We're still talking about the NHL, right?   There's lots of things that shouldn't be hard to do yet are seemingly impossible for these clowns.

 

That doesn't excuse them for failing.

 

I would reference you to current events but I digress...

[CoachX]

21 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

 

If I'm king (or commish), then they don't get to vote.  Period.

You mean your not?

 

Who knew?

[ruxpin]

1 minute ago, CoachX said:

You mean your not?

 

Who knew?

 

I'm a legend in my own mind.

 

Actually, I started out mopping the floor just like everyone else. But now... now I'm washing lettuce. Soon I'll be on fries; then the grill. In a year or two, I'll make assistant manager, and that's when the big bucks start rolling in.

[WordsOfWisdom]

2 hours ago, ruxpin said:

Eh, I don't agree so long as it's a hybrid.  One player from each team is guaranteed.  The rest voted in.

 

After re-reading that, my comment was unclear:

 

One player per team where team = East or West, not one player per NHL franchise.

 

On a team with 20 players, I want 19 in on merit alone. The fans get 1.

 

 

 

In addition to the above, I don't want all 31 teams represented. I want the 19 best and the 1 fan vote, regardless of team.  If 10 of them play for Toronto, then Toronto sends 10 players to the AL East all-star team. 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by WordsOfWisdom

[WordsOfWisdom]

2 hours ago, radoran said:

I don't understand the reasoning behind rejecting the votes of the fans.

 

For the same reason we don't award player trophies by fan voting.

 

We want merit, not popularity, to determine the outcome.

 

Your place in the ASG is like your place in Harvard: it's determined by your stats (GPA in the case of Harvard). Imagine if schools let students in based on who was most popular. 

 

The player awards is probably a bad example since it's done by voting, but it's voting by analysts rather than fans (or it's supposed to be). We all know personal bias plays a role here (ie: fandom). Technically, the most fair way to assign trophies would be to derive a formula and look only at stats. The player with the best numbers wins. (No easy task of course, but absolutely fair.)

Edited January 30, 2020 by WordsOfWisdom

[radoran]

7 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

We want merit, not popularity, to determine the outcome.

 

Which is fine - but then why give the fans the vote in the first place?

 

Let's face it - Zigmus Girgensons and John Scott are not the "mot popular" players in the league. So it's not "popularity" driving the voting.

 

And you're talking about one player on the roster. If Austria can get their #### together and elect Michael Raffl, what's the real harm in that?

 

I think season awards are an entirely different discussion. The league has never made the fans a part of those discussions. The league did give the fans a vote and allowed them to vote for whoever they wanted.

 

Do a better job of policing the vote. Don't allow fans to vote "300 times a day". Make them register. Give them more hoops to jump through. Limit the players you can have them vote for a la MLB.

 

This isn't a terribly hard process. It's just one that the NHL screwed up.