All-Star games aren't "must-see" but they are still fun
Comments (...)So, it wasn't exactly must-see TV on Sunday, but considering the options, tuning into the NFL Pro Bowl and the NHL All-Star game wasn't the worst way to while away the hours.
The NHL All-Star game was on at 3 p.m. locally on both the NBC Sports Network and WGN radio and ran until about 6 p.m., when ESPN TV and WSCR broadcasted the Pro Bowl.
Ratings for the NHL All-Star game were the same from a year ago but up 22 percent from 2009 according to sportsmediawatch.com. This despite the game being without two high profile stars in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
As far as the Pro Bowl goes, believe it or not, NBC's telecast drew approximately 12.5 million viewers, according to the USA Today website. That means the much-maligned Pro Bowl got higher ratings (by 1.5 million) than MLB's All-Star Game, shown last summer on Fox.
Apparently I must be a lone wolf when it comes to these All-Star games because I like them. They all have their flaws, of course, but what's wrong with celebrating your sport with a love fest that showcases each league's respective players?
The MLB All-Star game lost much of its appeal when interleague play was introduced back in the late 1990s. It's other major flaw, of course, is linking home field advantage in the World Series to the exhibition game. I don't know anyone that likes that idea. However, at least the offense and defenses are playing full throttle throughout the game.
That puts the MLB All-Star Game above the others since neither the NBA, NHL or the NFL care much about defense at all.
The NHL has the most to offer when it comes to the whole package surrounding the All-Star Game. I like the hockey skills contest since it does such a good job of showcasing the individual talents of its players. That was made even more fun this year by the antics of Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks — the guy who won the breakaway challenge.
In case you missed it, Kane took to the ice with a Superman cape on and Clark Kent glasses. He then executed a diving, sliding/flying maneuver against goalie Brian Elliott. He also broke out with an "exploding" puck that the fans loved, too.
Both of those shots can be found on the internet if you didn't see the highlights. While your looking that one up, go ahead and look up the goal scored in the regular game by Chicago's Marian Hossa — that was quite impressive too.
I like seeing the other skill events, as well. Just watching former Blackhawks defender Brian Campbell skate backward from end to end in less than 15 seconds is great. For the record, rookies Colin Greening and Carl Hagelin skated it forward the fastest in slightly less than 13 seconds.
After that, just knowing a player can launch a puck (Zdeno Chara) at 108.8 miles per hour is something else. Nothing more needs to be said about that.
The NFL used to incorporate something like that years ago before the Pro Bowl, but I don't think they do any more. I remember as a kid sitting slack-jawed as Dan Marino broke a water balloon that was on a moving target from 50 yards away, but apparently that's all been lost in the mix somewhere. Heck, how about an old-timers touch football game, if nothing else?
As far as the NHL is concerned, the fantasy-style draft way to pick the teams makes it difficult to determine a rooting effort. When you have East vs. West or AFC vs. NFC or AL vs. NL, you have a better sense of who is winning. Though does anyone really care who wins unless they have a betting interest in the game? To some degree, I do, and I can tell you that I was glad that the AFC won 59-41 because I'm a Miami Dolphins fan. Not to mention that Brandon Marshall won the MVP award.
When you have breakdowns like Team Chara and Team (Daniel) Alfredsson it's almost impossible to pick a team you are rooting for. Though with both Kane and Hossa on Team Chara, it was easier to go with that rooting interest. For the record, Team Chara won 12-9.
The All-Star game had a combined 94 shots over the 60 minutes of play, and similarly, the Pro Bowl had 52 first downs and 1,142 total yards. But as far as I know it was fun for everyone and that's what those games are all about.
Beats watching a regular-season NBA game any day of the week.
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