The NBA All-Star Game was played last night. The West beat the East 196-173, the most points ever scored combined in NBA All-Star history. All major sports in the United States have their version of the All-Star game but which one has the best?
In the NBA All-Star Game it was a “layup line.” Neither team played defense. Sure there were dunks and alley-oops but anytime a player would drive into the lane, the other team would let him dunk. Both teams would also try hitting as many three’s as they could. It’s really not a game but entertainment for the fans. The fact of the matter is there are too many points scored and more points doesn’t mean that it will be more exciting. Playing a bit of defense would help the NBA-All Star Game. It is one of the worst All-Star game formats.
The NFL version, the Pro Bowl isn’t much better. They do a fantasy draft picked by Hall Of Fame players for both teams. This year was Jerry Rice vs. Michael Irvin. It isn’t a real football game because the rules are different than an NFL game. According to sportingnews.com, the rules for this year’s game were there are no kickoffs. Teams start with the ball at the 25-yard line. Every quarter there was a two-minute warning and in those two minutes, if the offense didn’t gain a yard, the clock would stop. Every quarter the ball would change hands no matter who had the ball. These new rules still meant it wasn’t a real football game.
Baseball has made it so that the league that wins receives home field advantage for the World Series. The biggest problem with this is managers who are selected to manage the All-Star Game do it like a real baseball game. They look at matchups to change pitchers or batters. Some of the players selected to the game don’t even appear. This makes for an intense game but it’s really an exhibition. This needs to change to allow the team with the best record going into the World Series to receive home field advantage.
The NHL has the most satisfying All-Star Game to watch. They tried a new format this year, which was a 3 on 3 tournament each period, which lasted 20 minutes. Each team was consisted of players from each division. These included the Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan. The Pacific faced the Central with the winner going to the third period. The Pacific knocked off the Central 9-6. In the other semi-final the Atlantic beat the Metropolitan 4-3. In the final the Pacific hung on for 1-0 victory over the Atlantic. This was interesting to watch. They don’t check, but the 3 on 3 made for wide-open ice for passes and shots. This made it difficult for the goalie to stop the puck from going in because of so many odd man rushes but made for an energetic All-Star Game. It’s the most entertaining one to watch.
Which league do you think has the best All-Star Game? What are your ideas to make the All-Star games more exciting?
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