PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s time for pro sports to watch what the NHL is doing and scrap the all-star games with one exception.
It was mostly is an effort to get fans hyped about the Olympics next year, the NHL decided to hold what they called a ‘Four Nations Face-Off’. The United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland picked players, most of whom would be all-stars, to represent their countries in a round-robin tournament in which every team would play four games. They held half of it in Montreal and the other in Boston.
Now there many be some recent political decisions which helped with the hype, at least between USA and Canada, but did you watch? It was real competition. Pro athletes inspired to play for their countries not a bunch of superstars playing hard occasionally, if ever.
It meant something. That made it far more interesting for the fans and that’s why all-star games began. It’s not that these athletes want to get out of their routine in the middle of a season.
This should continue in every non-Olympic year. Pick a site that would have been the host of an all-star game. You structure an event at that city for eight countries (the last two likely would be combined international teams) leaving politics at the door, and play four games on a Wednesday. It would have the feel of an NCAA Tournament with seeds and the winners advancing to the semifinals on Friday and a championship game on Sunday. No players would have more than three games.
If you want to fill out the week, on Thursday and Saturday you could hold skills competitions. Do something to recognize the greats of the game. It’s a week celebrating hockey before you get back into the stretch run of the season.
I get the argument that all-star games have run their course, agreed. College sports don’t have them mid-season, neither does pro football. You don’t need them. But if you are determined to create an event to celebrate your game during the year, make it something the fans will watch. A majority of fans would get into rooting for their countries.
This is not something that can work in the NFL. They can keep having their tug-of-war and flag games. There is no great answer here because interrupting an NFL season makes no sense.
Would you watch Paul Skenes pitch for Team USA holding the World Baseball Classic midseason? It would eliminate the worry of players not being sufficiently warmed up and into a season. However, the length of that tournament is likely prohibitive.
Of all the current all-star games, there is at least intrigue to watching Skenes face the top of the American League lineup or other pitchers, like Mason Miller, get their opportunity to shine. The Home Run Derby is the best skills competition event in any sport.
With smaller rosters, imagine the combinations of countries you would have in the NBA? Divide the United States into regional teams and have them play against any number of international opponents. Would seem more interesting than half-court shots from Team Shaq.
The NHL crushed it. Will they, and other leagues, learn from the success?