Hey Now You're an All-Star... But No One's Watching

With the NBA All-Star game quickly approaching I noticed that I wasn't as excited as I used to be growing up. The dunk contest isn't really the spectacle it once was, the three point contest was never that exciting, the skills competition is pointless and the game itself is more or less a non-competitive excuse for athletes to run up and down the court showing off their dunks and three point ability anyway. That being said, it's still probably the most exciting all-star weekend of all the major sports, but thats not saying much at all. I'd like to rank the 4 major sports in their attempts at capturing some fun while displaying the best talents.

4. The NFL

They just don't get it. Something is always missing and that something is a reason to watch. There are no skills competitions and therefore no ways to showcase off some of the talents in the NFL. The game isn't that physical and it shouldn't be, but then again what's the point? Why play a game of football no one takes seriously? Especially if no one is watching.

Improvement Idea

Skills competitions! Who wouldn't like to watch Tom Brady and Peyton Manning battle others in an accuracy competition? Or Jay Cutler and Michael Vick bombing the ball as far as they can? Then we could see speed competitions between the people claiming they're the fastest, maybe a little Devin Hester vs. Chris Johnson action? Anyways the point is anything not a game would add to the Pro Bowl weekend and you'd think with the NFL's audience size, something would happen.

3. The NHL

They did a better job this year adding to some of the luster and fun by having the teams pick players in a different style and having some fun with skills competitions. The only issue with the NHL is the fact that it doesn't have as big an audience as the other sports so even if it does attempt to make some fresh changes it can't ever reach the top.

Improvement Idea

Keep it the way it is. Just get more viewers.

2. MLB

Major League Baseball almost gets it. The home-run derby has lost most of its flash and there are no skills competitions besides that, but the one thing they do right in the majors...they make the game worth something. Home-field advantage in the World Series, which could be worth a lot when it comes down to that game 7. This is why baseball gets to be number 2 on this list despite only having a home-run derby.*

Improvement Idea

Maybe a fastball competition or something to do with the pitchers? Or maybe a speed competition? I mean I know baseball players are fragile, but isn't that supposed to change after the steroids are gone?

1. The NBA

This is the most exciting All-Star weekend in major sports. Almost by default. It has flash, popularity and celebrity appeal. The skills competitions are still fun though we'd all still rather see Lebron vs. Dwight rather than Gerald Green vs anyone. The 3-point contest is also the perfect platform for players that won't ever do anything else to have a little bit of glory like Voshon Lenard and superstars to show off like Larry Bird. The game itself can be fun at times and basketball combines physicality and taking it easy enough that it still can be fun at junctures.

Improvement Idea

Make the stars always do the competitions. I want to see superstars dunk! This year we are getting a taste since Blake Griffin is in it, but then he faces no household names, how boring.

These changes will likely never occur but just thinking about some of the possibilities makes you wonder why things aren't different. These athletes get paid a lot of money! More than some people will make in consecutive lifetimes, so they can put on one extra show a year.

* I did not forget about the Future's Game... Just quite frankly who cares?

A "Growing" Issue for the Magnificent Seven

Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. All seven of these men were sure-fire, no doubt, first ballot Hall-of-Famers, now there is a chance that none of them will make it to Cooperstown. Yes I know, they all are guilty of taking some sort of "performance enhancing" drug, well at least in the minds of the fans that is. Now the question is, do they really deserve all of this persecution? I'm sorry people but I am no longer a part of the steroids crusade.

For a while I was at the same point most are at now about this topic and felt that those who took some sort of substance should in fact be judged and condemned by the baseball world. Now I think differently. Not only has this long and drawn out witch-hunt disappointed me, but it has also made me question what's really the big deal. Now before you get on that high horse of yours and rant about the purity of the sport and how steroids have tainted everything and how these athletes are despicable cheaters, why don't we put this whole incident into some persepective?

First off, most of these players weren't doing anything illegal. They were taking a substance to increase performance, like you or I would take whey protein or creatine or any other muscle building substance, just these substances were given to them by trainers or doctors and were not disallowed by baseball as of 2003. People on the 2003 list were tested in order for Major League Baseball to conclude if there should be testing. These substances were taken by the athletes to get an edge, to play better, to last longer, and to gain more muscle. So like every athlete in the world these players took something to help out, yes it has its side effects and its bad rep, but its just a substance. I've always felt that steroids make you hit better like energy drinks make me test better, sure it helps, but its still my skill on display.

Now you might be saying well these drugs are illegal and people shouldn't take them, and yes I agree with you there, but I do not feel right in condemning these athletes any further, because in all honesty I feel that if I were under that pressure I'd do the same thing. Athletes take many anabolic,"natural", and synthetic materials everyday, and if anything they are taking now becomes illegal in the future, well they are toast. There have been many athletes from the past that have even come forward and said they would have taken them. You can't tell me right now that Babe Ruth wouldn't have taken something to keep himself going if it were around then. We are judging these players wrongly and insensitively. Taking drugs that are illegal is wrong from a legal standpoint, taking a substance to help you perform better in a sport, is just the way of the world. If you play sports and want to make it big in this day and age, not the fuddy-duddy days, then you're going to take performing enhancing substances in some way shape or form, and fans, I only ask you to get over yourself.

What if the Expos Weren't Struck Out?

Ken Griffey Jr. probably summed up the 1994 season the best when he said " We picked a bad season to have a good year" Nobody felt this pain any worse than the Montreal Expos. Currently at the time of the strike they had the best record in the majors at 74-40 and were on pace for 105 wins, the best record in franchise history and before this they had only made it to the postseason one other time and that was in 1981.

The team was stacked with talent, players like Moises Alou, Larry Walker, Pedro Martinez, Marquis Grissom, Jeff Fassero, were all hitting their primes and playing well. They were 6 games ahead of the Braves and most baseball writers were on the bandwagon picking them to go to the World Series.

But as this blog of mine has clearly shown, things don't always go the way we think they should or the way we hope they will. The final 47 games of the year were cancelled along with the postseason and World Series. The great effort put forth by the Expos was forgotten because nothing became of it. Would this have saved this dying franchise? Would it have given them a fanbase to put them back on the map again? This strike severley dampened the notion to get a new stadium in Montreal and local ownership groups decided not to invest enough for the team to retain its best players.

Some may say that winning a World Series might not have done a whole lot for the already diminishing franchise in Canada, but I think otherwise. Winning does a lot more than you think. With a new stadium and high interest sprung back on the team because of their success, I think it would have only made sense for ownership to have invested in the team and keep the stars. Who knows, Pedro could have been a 3 time NL Cy Young award winner and Moises Alou and Larry Walker would have provided plenty of punch in the lineup. The Expos could still be around today.

Just as another little side note about the 1994 season though this is slightly off topic from the Expos, this season was looking quite astounding for all statistics. People don't normally remember but Matt Williams was actually on pace to top Roger Maris' record of 61 homeruns he had 43 at the time of the strike. Also Tony Gwynn was batting .394 and had a legitimate shot at being the first man since Ted Williams to top an average .400.

Picture Courtesy of Major League Baseball