Justin Lovell, Sports Editor
Every year when the calendar turns from December to January and so on, sports fans rejoice. The Super Bowl is just around the corner, the NBA and NHL are in full swing and MLB spring training is getting ready to start. However, it also means that three of the four major sports are about to have their all-star games as well. A few weeks ago, the Pro Bowl was played and was met with lack luster support by fans. We here at the office agree that all-star games remain important but which one is best?
To me, it’s no question the NBA All-Star Game. The Pro Bowl has never been good, I am not a big fan of hockey and MLB’s All-Star Game is ludicrous because it determines home field advantage for the World Series. What happens if the AL wins the all-star game and a 100 win NL team faces an 85 win AL team in the World Series that season? Does that AL team really deserve home field? I don’t think so in the least bit, that’s why to me the NBA’s remains the best.
The NBA has the best All-Star Game; it doesn’t mean anything but the players all play hard because of pride. The first half is all about being fancy and having fun. It is truly amazing to watch, as players throw half court alley-oops and thunderous dunks. Then come the second half, players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant want to win it for the bragging rights and it becomes a fierce game to view. This game takes place Sunday, February 17 to wrap up of the weekend but beforehand on Friday, the 15 and Saturday the 16, the league has some of the best and most exciting challenges and skill games around. The rising stars game, the three point contest and of course the dunk contest can be just as good as the all-star games sometimes, and really shows how athletic and diverse the league is.
Overall I think most all-star games are okay but to me the question of which is best isn’t even close, that honor rests with the NBA still.
Bobby Lemaire, Staff Writer
In all of the major American sports, each league takes a break in the middle of the season to have an all-star game to show the best that the league has to offer. While the MLB’s game actually matters, determining which league will have home field advantage in the World Series, I think that the National Hockey League has the most entertaining and overall best all-star game. The NHL All-Star game emphasizes the skillful part of hockey. Hitting in the game is frowned upon, which takes away the interest of some fans; it is the only time that the fans get to see the true skill that the players have handling the puck. The game is usually a very high scoring affair. It is a time where you just get to see beautiful moves that you don’t get to see in the regular games. The entire weekend of the NHL all-star weekend is fun. It starts with the all-star draft where two captains pick their teams just like the old days on the playground. Then, the next day, they have the super skills competition where you get to see who the fastest skater is and who has the hardest shot. With all of the festivities going on, each of the day’s events are entertaining to watch, making it the best all-star game out of the major sports.
Anthony Beers, Staff Writer
When it comes to all-star games, as a fan I typically have zero interest. The Pro Bowl for the NFL and the NBA All-Star Games are, in my opinion, not even a close representation of what either game is actually about. In both games no defense is played, in fact in the Pro Bowl good defense is frowned upon and defenses are only allowed to have four pass-rushers on any given down. The real problem with the games is that naturally no one is really motivated. Nobody wants to get hurt at an All-Star Game, it’s absolutely devastating. New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro injured himself at the NHL Skills Competition years ago. His career has never been the same since, with one injury after another. No one wants to get hurt, and no one is really motivated to win a meaningless game, how good could it actually be?
So naturally if I had to pick my favorite all-star game, I would go with the MLB All-Star Game, just because it bears some actual meaning and the players are motivated to win. Not only that, injuries are less likely to happen seeing as it’s baseball, not football or hockey. It’s a more entertaining game because usually it’s the only thing going on in the sports world in the middle of July, and it’s a nice summer tradition. The MLB All-Star Game is definitely better considering the teams want to win to get home field advantage for the World Series, but I still wouldn’t say I’m a fan of it. If all-star games were eliminated completely I really wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. When it comes to the NFL Pro Bowl, I say just send the players that deserve it on a vacation to Hawaii and call it a day. The only thing I actually really enjoy when it comes to all-star breaks, are the skills competitions, particularly in basketball. I get more entertainment out of watching the three point contest and the slam dunk contest than I do the actual game.
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