Let me ask you a question.
Do you know who won last year’s All-Star Game?
Pick a sport. ANY sport. Pick from any of the four major sports leagues. You can even throw in the previous Major League Soccer All-Star Game. You know, the one held in Toronto pitting the best of North America’s top soccer league against English Premier League side West Ham United, eschewing the traditional East vs. West format.
Be honest. Don’t go looking to Wikipedia or the official site of your favorite pro sports league for the answer.
Before you do that, let me give you something else to think about.
The National Hockey League will lace ‘em up on Jan. 25 in Montreal for its annual All-Star Game. With the exception of injured Pittsburgh Penguin superstar Sidney Crosby and a few others, the best players from the self-described “coolest game on Earth” will be on hand to thrill the fans with their great skating, shooting and saving ability. You would think a major hockey fan like myself would love seeing these guys do their thing before a national stage, hopefully exposing the game to the uninitiated and thus transforming the “I ain’t watchin’ no damn hockey” types into fans of the puck and stick game.
But I’m not that pumped. While I will likely watch the big doings at the Bell Centre from the comforts of my home, I know what will be on the ice probably won’t be real hockey. Hoping to see Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin get checked hard on a 3-on-2 as he skates in toward the Anaheim Ducks’ Jean-Sebastian Giguere? Good luck. Expecting major intensity between, say, the New Jersey Devils’ Zach Parise and Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames? Not me. Even if my man Henrik Lundqvist, the stellar New York Rangers goaltender, stones Columbus Blue Jackets star Rick Nash on a clean breakaway, I know it won’t be the realest game the NHL will put on this year. Wait for April and the Stanley Cup Playoffs for that. Consider yourself advised. And once you do see a playoff hockey game, you’re welcome.
I can’t recall a lot of ferocity during hockey All-Star games. I vaguely remember the crowd at last year’s game in Atlanta letting out a huge “ooh!” when they saw a check thrown. That was the closest to real hockey that’s been seen at an all-star game in years. Most of the display will be wide open passing, barely any checking and an abnormal score. Because of the lax atmosphere, we may see the Eastern and Western Conference all-star squads registering double-digit goal totals. Not exactly real hockey, no matter how busy the scoreboard gets. Truthfully, I’m anticipating the skills competitions and the Young Stars game, which will be held the night before the feature presentation. You sense a lot more competitive fire in those events. It’s not that I want any of the league’s best players getting hurt before the regular season resumes, but could we have some reality in this game if we’re going to try and sell it to the masses?
By the way, that’s a criticism I have of other all-star games. The NBA’s showcase doesn’t feature any defense and is a glorified dunk and trick contest. Only dyed-in-the-wool basketball fiends love that game. The NFL Pro Bowl? I’m wondering if it should even be played anymore. You can’t have that game in the middle of the season because of the injury risks. Playing it after the Super Bowl, which the NFL has done almost annually, doesn’t make the game special. The league’s champion has already been crowned and plenty of fans, be they hardcore or casual, won’t be too interested in a game that’s basically a preseason contest with special jerseys. I doubt moving the contest to before the Super Bowl, which the NFL will do next season, will add to its appeal, especially since players from the title tilt probably won’t see the field. The best of the all-star games is Major League Baseball’s because it’s the truest to the real game and has much more history. I watched all of the 2008 Midsummer Classic, mostly because of my love for baseball, the New York Yankees and the old Yankee Stadium, now closed for business after 85 years.
So, did you know the score of any All-Star Game played last year? I’m guessing 90 percent of you who read this far didn’t know offhand. I’m also sure most of you didn’t care once the game was over. In addition to not being real, very few All-Star games are memorable. I remember the score of the 2005 MLB All-Star Game only because I correctly predicted the final score (7-5 American League) and was right on who would be the Most Valuable Player (Mark Teixeira, then of the Texas Rangers.).
As nice as it is to reward players for outstanding play in a season (or a half-season), let’s call all-star games what they really are: glorified conventions. A place for today’s players to be seen, feel appreciated and play around a little. It’s also a forum for players of the past to tell anyone who will listen about their glory days. (“Well, back in my day, Sonny…..”) But mostly, it’s a chance for a league to make a lot of money from fanatics willing to shell out more than $300 for an authentic All-Star Game jersey. Perhaps the realest thing happening at an All-Star Game.
