Which major sport has the best All Star Game?
For sports fans who like All Star Games, the end of January and beginning of February is the best time of the year. The NHL All Star Game kicks off the All Star season the last weekend of January. Then the Pro Bowl is played on the first weekend in February. Only three weeks later is the NBA All Star Game. The only other major sport without an All Star Game this time of the year is baseball, which hosts its game in July. Each game is different from the rest in how they are played. Which one is the best?
4. NFL Pro Bowl
The three other All Star Games on this list range from average to great. The NFL Pro Bowl on the other hand should honestly be ranked fifth out of the four sports for how bad it is. If all the negative parts of the other All Star Games were put together, the result would be the Pro Bowl.
For one, the game is at a poor time. In the NFL’s defense, there really isn’t a good time to schedule the game. By the time the Pro Bowl comes around, people don’t want to watch an exhibition football game. Fans want the Super Bowl.
Because the game is right before the Super Bowl, none of the players from the two teams competing in the Super Bowl participate. Rarely the best players participate anyways. There seem to be more players elected to the Pro Bowl that decide to sit out than actually play.
The game is not entertaining at all. Players don’t hit or tackle hard to prevent injuries. There is no defense played. Quarterbacks can’t get hit, the linemen are basically meaningless. The NBA All Star Game has no defense, but at least that game can be entertaining. There is nothing entertaining about the Pro Bowl.
3. NBA’s All Star Game
The NBA has a decent All Star Weekend with the All Star Game, Rising Stars Challenge, Three Point Contest, and Skills Competition, but the All Star Game is only the third best among the big four sports.
What the NBA All Star Game has going for it is that typically the best of the best do play in the game. The best and most popular players do get voted in and do play. If over-the-top high scoring games are entertaining, the NBA All Star Game holds the title. An average NBA All Star Game will have 300+ points scored in it. These high scores are not because the best players are playing, but because no one plays defense. The game has become who can have the best shot or the craziest dunk.
The players don’t have anything to play for either. It’s far from good basketball. On the other hand, it can be entertaining. The NBA has some of the best sports personalities and those shine in the game. It’s also the only All Star Game where two of the best players in the game can go one-on-one against each other.
2. NHL’s All Star Game
A couple years ago the NHL’s All Star Game would have been ranked below the NBA’s, but the NHL has helped save the game. This ranking is only considering the All Star Game itself, but hockey might have the best All Star Break overall when including the Skills Competition.
For years, the NHL’s All Star Game was similar to the NBA’s. There was no defense played at all and the players didn’t even break a sweat. In 2015, the final score of the All Star Game was 17-12. However, the NHL made radical changes last year by changing the format of the game to a mini tournament between the four divisions. The game was also changed to be three-on-three.
While some hockey fans don’t think three on three is real hockey, it has made the games more competitive. The final score of this year’s championship game was 4-3. In addition, the players on the winning team splits a pot of $1 million which gives players more incentive to win. While the game may not look exactly the same as a regular hockey game, it is very entertaining and fun.
1. MLB’s All Star Game
America’s Pastime still reigns supreme in All Star festivities. MLB’s All Star Game has the perfect combination of factors that make it so enjoyable. First, the All Star Game is played closer to how a regular season game is played compared to other sports.
Apart from the number of players on each roster, the game is mostly the same. Sure, there are many substitutions, but that is the same in every All Star Game. What makes it enjoyable to watch is that it is competitive. The players actually try and want to win. Apart from a few starting pitchers who decide not to pitch, all the players selected play because the injury risk is not very high.
Unlike All Star Games such as the NFL’s, the final scores of MLB All Star Games are very similar to what is expected in a regular game. MLB’s All Star Game is a no gimmicks game that is competitive and entertaining.