All-Star process needs some tinkering By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Yao Ming's lead on Shaquille O'Neal to be the Western Conference's All-Star starter at center continues to grow, and there could be a reason for the trend if we didn't already know reason does not enter into it. It could be argued O'Neal missed the first month of the season to rehabilitate after a surgery he put off to Sept. 11, and that fans are making a statement about his absence. But Vince Carter, who has only occasionally stopped by the Raptors' lineup, leads Eastern Conference forwards, rendering any pretense that logic enters into voting foolish. But we knew no such analysis goes into it. Yao is fresh and fun and, as Cuttino Mobley described him, "lovable." He can play a little, too, but as with junior high student council elections (and many others), qualifications don't get a lot of consideration. It's a silly popularity contest, and that's fine, too, if that's what the NBA wants. Players can be chosen based on who has the most clever shoe commercial, and the league can feel proud of how many customers and future customers logged on and checked the box next to Carter's name while sitting in bedrooms from Boston to Beijing beneath a Carter poster. But if O'Neal chooses to declare the whole process a silly popularity contest and say he would rather skip the game, league, media and talk show squawkers would scream he is not showing proper respect to the game. If a player who takes such things seriously and earns a place the way we pretend it should be earned is left off, beaten by the Nike marketing machine, he better not gripe or we would consider him a self-centered whiner. Fan balloting in every sport invites odd selections and subsequent arguments over the fans' right to choose. The NBA is not about to take away something it gave its customers and potential customers, to say nothing of an effective marketing tool. But as long as the league is going have a game and expect its players to take it somewhat seriously, it is time to tinker with the process. A weighted system, in which votes from fans, coaches and players are used to select starters, would probably work. Better still, let the coaches choose the All-Star rosters as they do now with the reserves and then let the fans choose from among the players on the teams who will be the starters. Deserving players would get what they deserve. Fans would still see the players they want to see, and Yao would still start.
how would that work though in terms of time. the coaches can't pick the all-stars until a significant amount of time has gone by (if we're trying to be fair here) and then how much time would the fans have left to vote? and would they give a damn anyways after all the real choosing has been done for them?
People can vote like they always have. If one of their starters matches with a player that the coaches have in the all star game, then that player starts. That way, a player like Vince will not make it because the coaches did not select him in the first place.
But as long as the league is going have a game and expect its players to take it somewhat seriously, it is time to tinker with the process. Fans came to see an All-Star game that doesn't count in the regular season. Fans select only 5 players out of 12. Coaches select the rest whom they feel are also deserving. What's an All-Star game if fans don't get to see the player they want to see? What's an All-Star game if the commish just calls it off after 12 innings? This one game was never about zone defense, high scoring averages or team philosophy, it's about the flashy passes, outstanding dunks and the gaudy scoring averages, plus sometimes a decent show for everyone to watch. This is one game out of the entire season where the majority of the audience does not look at the performance of the entire team, but rather by their favorite player(s).
I think the NFL decides their probowlers by everybody. One Third of the votes are to the fans, One third to the media, and a third to the coaches and players. I think that seems right.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the comment about how if a player decides they don't want to play if not elected by the people or would rather sit at home, we complain that he is not respecting that game. I think for the most part that's a media thing. People like Feigen spin it that way since it makes good stories. Most people are just pissed they won't get to see there guy put on a show. Or in the case of a lot of houston fans, we won't get to see our guys prove themselves to the whole country. In all honesty, I don't care about a player not respecting the game because they would rather spend a few days off with their family.
I like the idea of alternating the all star game. For example one year it should be USA versus the world. The next West versus East The next NBA champs versus the All Stars I think it would help to keep it fresh. But who really knows. NHL should do the same thing. Even more so than the NBA.
