what's wrong with the all-star weekend these days?

[DenJ91 0]

in another topic about outdoor games, i suggested the next outdoor game should be the all-star game/weekend. i started ranting about the all-star weekend in general but thought it could use it's own thread. i was about to post:

an outdoor all star game would be a publicity giant. players would actually have fun at an all star event. it would at least triple the ratings i think. the all star game just lacks any kind of fun. i mean take this for example...remember when players like ray bourque went 4 for 4 in the target accuracy event, he skated away on one knee pumping his fist like it was the stanley cup winner, it was exciting, fans loved it. just this past all star skills competition, kaberle goes 4 for 4 and he skates away like he didn't even know or that it was a big deal. i mean there are only a few players that have ever done that. players clearly don't wanna be there, the interviews suck and they don't even try during the game itself. it's like a regular game, dump and chase, i mean there isn't hitting, why not try a spinorama, why not try between the legs on a breakaway. the all star game is for the fans, not whether the east or west win, i could care less. i think players should be encourage to make flashy plays, goalies shouldn't poke check a breakaway like legace did cause that's the most boring thing ever. instead of possibly a great goal, we don't even see a shot and the announcer goes, "wow what a great play by legace". i though the addition of the breakaway challenge was good but players other than ovechkin didn't do ANYTHING fancy. it was so boring. at least ovechkin tried whether he score or not. the fastest skater event was a flat out joke. one sprint to the far blue line, are you kidding me??? where's the suspense in that. i remember the days of fedorov vs gartner racing a full lap, it made me stand up and mimic moving my head like i was skating with them. it was exciting. that even was horrible this year. i though rick dipietro and legace were the best part of the all star event cause they were being funny and talkative while actually playing. i thought that was great. other interviews were boring, no personality, all business. "oh it's fun being here, i'm glad to be playing with great players like so and so". BOOOORING.

i could go on and on, what are some suggestions to make the all star weekend more exciting aside from me already saying it should be an outdoor event next season or elaborate on that. what don't you like and what did you like this past all star weekend?

[stevkrause 1,247]

This is an exact e-mail I sent to the NHL front office the day after the All-Star game this year -

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to you in regards to the All-Star weekend and ways to improve the Skills Competition and the game itself.

As a die-hard hockey fan and former junior hockey player, I feel I am very in touch with the roots of the game and other fans and non-fans alike, as I have spoken to may people about these issues as well.

I also made several suggestions to VS. about their coverage in early 2006... not I am not saying I am the cause for these changes, but they have made every single one of these changes and look at the ratings...

On any note - I loved the new concept for the breakaway challenge and the concept to make it more like a slam-dunk contest with a panel of judges rating their moves... however, as it was the first year doing this, I feel the execution lacked GREATLY.

For starters - No goalie, there is no one defending in the NBA and as was glaringly obvious with Nabokov's charge out of the net, it screws the players up (you will also notice from video that Ovechkin's eye's came off the puck on his spin air shot, to focus on the goalie) - Now, you do not want to leave a wide open net, as this leaves way too much open area, so here is the solution - you create a target with holes in it, much like a shooter tutor and points get added or docked, depending on if they actually score on the fixed point and also... better judges please...

Next, fastest skater - I understand the worry of injury crossing over behind the nets, but the straight shot took away a LOT of the excitement, it really killed this event. In order to correct this and reduce risk - still a full oval, but with pylons for a course not cutting as close to the boards.

Next, bring back rapid fire - Highlights the goalies and is exciting.

Finally, the relay section... this was boring and everyone looked out of place - simple solution, bring back the 3 on 0 breakout - this was VERY exciting, showed true skills and was an emphasis on team related reaction.

In conclusion - events:

Rapid Fire

Accuracy Event

Fastest Skater

Breakaway Judge Event

Hardest Shot

3-0 Breakout

[DenJ91 0]

i agree with everything you said and you're right, it was nabokov who came out to poke check, not legace like i stated.

[DenJ91 0]

ya know what else really bothers me, is that we claim that such and such players are the fatest and have the hardest shot or are the most accurate when it's so untrue. if that were the case, some players who aren't all stars would be representing. do teams still hold their own skills competitions to see who is the best like they used too?? i don't think so to my knowledge. why do you think al iafrate was at the competition cause he was an all star? no cause he won his team's hardest shot competition at practice. just an example, if curtis glencross were the fatest skater (which he's not) i'd wanna see him there, is he an all star...no, but why claim the fatest skater is in attentance when he's really not. you see what trying to say.

i know in football they have non pro bowlers doing the fastest man and bench press, stuff like that cause they really are the best at that competition in the league.

[cirov19 1]

This is interesting...

You see, I have definately not seen as many all-star games as you have, and I also definately don't know a quarter of the things about it as you do, along with several other people.

I can't really say it's boring compared to the other ones, because really, I don't know much about the other ones.

But I can say that watching this all-star game has made me NOT want to watch another one. It was slow, and dull and some of the events were ridiculous. Especially the fastest skater. Like I said, I haven't seen that many... but it does not take a complete knowledge of the game to understand that it was fourteen times better the way they used to do it.

Also, I agree, the break-away challenge should NOT have had a goalie, but have been replaced with some other object with holes...creating waaay more entertainment (as long as the players tried to spark it up), and the relay part was a snooze fest.

In fact, I actually did have my eyes closed through most of this.

I have seen other games before... but I really don't think this is the impression they want to set for people who have never seen one.

PS. I love'd the mics in the helmet... I got some laughs out of that.