If lots of fans would love for their guys to make the team they vote for them. Not much more to that. I'm not sure where you get this yao advantage from people voting for him? So quick to pull the race card. What is not fair about voting? It is designed for people with the most votes to win. How people vote is their business. No one needs to prove their vote with statistical analysis. It is not degrading to vote for your favorite player. If you say either way you are bullying people to think how you think. Degrade the event? You do know this event is run by the Nba, and as someone has pointed out....They TELL YOU to vote for your favorite player. Not the player who has by statistical analysis proven to be the most effective player at said position in said conference. Anyway, my point is, everyone has an opinion. None is better than the next. That is why they are opinions and not fact. My opinion is not better than jeffs. I respect his view. Your opinion seems similar to jeffs which is fine by me. Just Don't bully people to think like you and vote how you vote. It makes you come off as ignorant and self absorbed especially since the event and organization you are trying to protect the integrity of don't really agree with you.
I'm a Yao fan, and I want to see him in the All-Star game. That said, I am of the belief that the All-Star Game ought to be a showcase for the best players on the planet. So I won't cast a vote unless Yao comes back two weeks from now (or whenever) and starts playing some seriously good ball. BTW, does anyone think the China Effect is overstated? It's not like Yao is getting an order of magnitude more votes than anyone else. IIRC, Yao hasn't even been the overall vote leader the past few seasons.
if all star game is just a popularity contest, then it can't be used as a proof of how good a player is, as is the case most of time. if yao fans can vote him in not because he's good but because they like him then stop using his number of all star appearances to prove he's hof worthy. anyway, i won't feel embarrassed if he's voted in. i won't feel bad for him if he gets bad press because of that. he's not the first one to be voted in based on popularity. carter, iverson, ... not a bad company at all.
Seems like a lot of deep seeded animosity coming out in this thread. Not really sure why. It's the freakin' All-star game, not a presidential election, or anything that will actually affect your life. Whether you are arguing for one side or another, doesn't even matter if you are right or wrong, why tell others how to vote? What is the point of voting at all If you are not voting on your own choice. Also where was the outrage last year for Mcgrady? And for as much supposed media flack that the Iversons and Vince Carters got for "undeserved" selections, I don't quite recall a grassroots movement from their OWN team's fans to block them from the game. Truly odd.
How people vote is their business. Suppose in your job there was a vote from the upper-level management and they decided to give you a trophy. You ask, "Why did I get this?" They answer: "Because we put it to a vote, and decided to give it to you." You respond, "Cool. Glad you guys appreciate the job I'm doing." Answer: "Nevermind that. We can't really say why you got the trophy, because we all voted independently without any established criteria. Can't say it has anything to do with your job performance. But you received the most votes, so there you go!" Should you take any pride in that? Should your family/friends be happy for you? Does such a trophy mean anything? My answer is no, and that's a shame. You can vote with only one thing in mind "Which players do I like?" Or you can put a little more thought into it and ask yourself some other questions: Who's stood out this year? Who's taken their game to another level? Who's been under-appreciated? Who'll make the all-star game fun to watch? Never said it has to be strictly about stats, or even the best of the best. But at least have some decent reasons for voting in players beyond "I really like him." That's just lazy. That the NBA allows you to vote like a lazy fan doesn't excuse it. I'll say it again, it's degrading to the event, it takes away from the prestige of being voted in, and also makes the fans look bad.
So you're suggesting that Yao's career be gauged by one set of rules and everyone else in NBA history by another set of rules?
Yes because Yao is Asian and he only gets in because of Asian votes, just like Yi and Ji and Wang before him. Just like how Obama is the president because all the black people voted for him. Seriously the people here are taking the ASG way too seriously, all that happens in the ASG are dunks and players dancing, they don't even take it seriously, why should we?
Meh, I personally don't care about who votes for Yao and what the ASG has become (it's become **** BTW). My reasons for NOT wanting Yao in the ASG is to reduce the chances of him getting hurt.
http://www.nba.com/2009/allstar2009/01/22/allstar_final.allstar09.20090122/index.html In 2009 all-star ballot, Yi JianLian finished 3rd in voting amongst forwards behind MVP candidates LeBron James and Kevin Garnett. He finished ahead of players like Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, and Danny Grainger. Perspective from Chinese media: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/05/content_10606146.htm [rquoter]But an article in the Beijing Youth Daily notes that controversy has arisen in China over whether Yi Jianlian is qualified to play in the All-Star game at all. Supporters say because the NBA has gone through a process of globalization in the past 20 years, the composition of its fans has also changed accordingly. China's 350 million basketball fans have become an important group for the NBA, so it is not surprising that Yi, a Chinese national, rank thirds in the voting. They believe the votes cast by Chinese fans should carry equal weight with those cast by American or German fans, and they have called on others to be self-confident in participating in the vote. [/rquoter] To say that the Chinese vote doesn't give players like Yao and Yi an advantage in the voting is just being in denial. Maybe you think there's nothing wrong with them having such an advantage because you think all-star voting doesn't really mean anything and it should just be treated like a popularity contest for kids, but nevertheless the advantage is still there. No denying it.
So Yi has more fans than your typical Black basketballer, big whoop, the ASG has turned into a popularity contest for kids, hell the players even act like kids during it. Do something to change the way the starters are selected in the ASG if you have to, there is no point trying to force your views on other people.
The point would be to help change the way the starters are selected (either by a change in the voting process, or by getting people to be more responsible in how they vote). If you can't convince people there is a problem, then change won't happen.
As a Chinese basketball fans living in the land of China, I feel offended by a number of posts here. When I first learned the All-Star ballot coming out, I cursed the Rockets Organization for their stupidity to put Yao into the ballot. It's can only be loss situation for Chinese Basketball fans no matter Yao was voted into the All-star game or not. Since when the results of a basketball exhibition game became the indicator of collective intelligence of the Chinese Basketball fans? What point or evidence you have in hand that if Yao was voted into the All-star game, it could only due to the votes from China?
true. if clutchfans existed in 94, voting for olajuwon wouldn't be a topic. in fact, it wouldn't even cross your mind like putting clothes on before you leave the house or breathing oxygen.
The Rockets went on a crossroad with Tmac last season. I think the same would happen with Yao. I think both the Rockets and Yao should realized that Yao is no longer part of the Rockets plan and that they both should either go separate ways or the Rockets should move onto a different path with Yao being just a role player. The longer they keep this up, the more painful it will be. Yao was never a true superstar when he was healthy and honestly, I believe that he was never that great when healthy. So whats the difference now that he's much more limited and older? The best thing they should do is start over and find a new path. Because Yao's era didn't work out before when he was young and healthy, there's no way it would work now that he's older and suffered so many serious injuries.
please vote for him that way both he and the rockets can continue to be the laughing stock of the nba and the entire world, step back and see if Morey does something about it already
Get ready to be called a McGrady only fan who hates Yao or a Yao hater. The YOF's here are out of control. If you even come close to saying the truth, you will be labled all sorts of names.
