January 31, 2002

The reserves were announced: last Tuesday for the NBA All-star game. Of course sports writers talk more about who was snubbed, rather than who was selected. The fans vote for who they want to see, and the coaches try and fill in the holes, but some deserving players are going to be left out. Is this the process all-star games should use?

posted by corpse to basketball at 11:36 AM - 12 comments

Myself, I think they should use the process. The game is supposed to be about fun, and more times than not, the fans get the vote right. If we change the process to anaylze stats, winning percentages, strenght of team, it will turn into some horrible BCS like formula.

posted by corpse at 11:37 AM on January 31, 2002

I would agree with you that fan voting is a suitable way to approach all star selection. Thread Hijack: On the other hand, I will not agree that the BCS formula is horrible. Its not perfect, but I'll take it over the biased voting of the media and coaches anyday.

posted by howa2396 at 11:46 AM on January 31, 2002

All-Star games should be all about the fans. Tired of sports writers bellyachin' because "X didn't have an all-star year". It's the games the fans want to see. BCS + polls are silly. Should be playoffs.

posted by owillis at 11:48 AM on January 31, 2002

Total thread hijack, since others started it: college football has the most meaningful regular season of any major sport, anywhere (now that MLB has watered down what used to be the best regular season.) Take away the one-game, winner-take-all situation, and you take away the incredible power of games last year like Miami-BC, or UF-Auburn. No other sport has games like that. Duke loses to FSU in basketball? So what. FSU loses to Duke in football? It is a memory imprinted on every Duke football player and fan for the rest of their time as fans. And that can only happen because of the current system.
[Note: clearly, Duke beating FSU is purely hypothetical. ;)]
Oh, and as far as all-star games go- they're all silly anyway. Does anyone actually watch any of them anymore?

posted by tieguy at 11:56 AM on January 31, 2002

Now that you mention it, I can't recall a single instance in which I watched an all star game from start to finish.

posted by howa2396 at 12:00 PM on January 31, 2002

I watch them, not the same way I watch other games though. I enjoy them, and last years was pretty good, with the east winning. I really like watching the rookie game and 3pt shootout as well.

posted by corpse at 12:11 PM on January 31, 2002

Rasheed, Rasheed, Rasheed. Chris Webber over Brand and R-Dub? The Wailing Walla Walla Wallace? How dare they? The Blazers will show all of us by winning the crown this year. I'm taking bets.

posted by djacobs at 02:26 PM on January 31, 2002

All Star games can be fun to watch, just to see all the great players on the ice/court/field at once, but it is as worthless as tits on a bull. Additionally, at least in The Coolest Game on Ice, the players don't play for shit because they don't want to get injured in a meaningless game.

posted by adampsyche at 02:27 PM on January 31, 2002

Ditto for the NFL Pro Bowl. Can you blame 'em? That running back for the Patriots (Robert Edwards?) tanked his whole career because of a stupid exhibition game on all-star weekend. Last year, Tony Dungy got pissed because the AFC was blitzing, and blitzing isn't allowed in the Pro Bowl.

posted by owillis at 04:11 PM on January 31, 2002

I find the NBA All-Star game the most enjoyable, because towards the end, it always starts to get competitive. I think because basketball is an intimate sport (the court being relatively small and the players being extremely visible) and favors individual athleticism, the pride factor is higher for the NBA players. Last year's game was a classic example. The final quarter was extremely intense. When the East won, they celebrated like it was the championship.

posted by jacknose at 05:47 PM on January 31, 2002

Dirk Nowitski is better than 'Sheed any day. Maybe not Webber or R-Dub, but mos def better than that whiny good-for-nada Blazer.

posted by catatonic at 06:32 PM on January 31, 2002

Yeah, I'm happy Nash went too. If Finley hadn't gotten hurt, then the Mavs would have had the triumvirate reprazent!

posted by catatonic at 06:33 PM on January 31, 2002

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