I don't understand the ASG Dooming

[NZB2323]

I think youve missed the point. I brought up the pro bowl not because I claim that people "defend" it. You are correct that nobody cares about it at all, to the point where you arent even sure whether or not its been cancelled....... and YET, NFL fans dont dwell on that, and use it to make some grand narrative about the failings of the sport. Thats literally why I brought it up. Im asking why people are using their dislike of the ASG to endlessly complain and act like the sky is falling in the league.

1. You can’t act like the Sky is falling in the NFL. NFL games accounted for 72 of the top 100 broadcasts last year.

2. With how dangerous football is, it makes sense to make an all-star game less dangerous.

3. The pro-bowl never mattered as much. The season is over. I’ve never watched the pro bowl. I can’t name you iconic moments in pro bowl history. The NBA has Jerry West hitting the game winning shot in 72, Dr. J dunking on Kareem in 77 after the NBA/ABA merger, Magic winning all-star game MVP in 1992 after retiring from HIV, Jordan and Kobe going at each other in 98 and 2002, Kawhi winning All-Star game MVP after Kobe died and they named the game MVP after Kobe.

4. NBA fans complain about the NBA and are upset with the product. NFL fans, for the most part, are excited about the NFL product.

I have some coworkers who constantly moan about how trash the NFL product is now but it gives them a chance to drink with their buddies and play fantasy sports so they still tune in. I would say a lot of NFL fans would complain how watered down the product has become…don’t let the ratings fool you.

Really? I haven’t heard that. In today’s game you have passing, rushing, defense, fantasy, gambling, ect. There have been changes for player safety but I think that the vast majority of people are understanding/supportive of those changes. I know people complain about the Chiefs getting calls but that was mainly BS and NBA stars have been getting star calls forever.

I guess this is just by what I see, but from what I see people are really into their NFL teams, fantasy teams, NFL gambling, and NFL games in general whereas most people I know either don’t care about the NBA or they complain about it.

[maxpower8888]

Its also extremely unlikely that a single Pro Bowl game will result in any one player getting hurt. Injuries happen all the time in both sports, but the odds of them happening in any given game are of course slim. Yes, the chances are greater for the Pro Bowl, but contact DOES happen in a competitive NBA game so they have as much a chance of getting hurt then as they would during any other game... so if there is no incentive to put your body on the line why would you?

You can watch five NBA games in a row and not see anyone get injured. You'll be hard pressed to watch even a single NFL game and not see at least one injury. The Pro Bowl is filled with Pro Bowlers, do you think they want to **** up all that non-guaranteed money? NBA players get their money no matter what. There's a big difference between playing hard in the All-Star game and the Pro Bowl.

I dont have the statistics on this, but injuries are common enough in the NBA that you randomly selected 1 in 5 games. Thats more than enough of a risk for players not to want to put their bodies on the line. I love how your excuse here is that the risk is HIGHER for NFL players so therefor you deem it ok. You admit there is risk for NBA players, but youve deemed it not sufficient enough to do what NFL players have done forever. lol. Its silly. Look, in both cases, its an exhibition game that the players dont want to be part of. Neither case should that cause people to get this upset, in my opinion, yet the point is, only one of them does.

It's not just higher, it's substantially higher. There's a big reason the NFL season is only 17 games long compared to 82 for the NBA. You can't simply ignore the difference between the physicality of the two sports.

[The Servant]

Its a product for 12 year old boys, guys.

Who cares? Every year the same crying from 40 year olds, pathetic.

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

I didn't have an issue with the games themselves because players from as far back as I could remember never took the game seriously. Plus no one wants to get hurt so I get why the product looks like it does.

The rest of the event was a disaster. Too many pointless interviews, Kevin Hart roasting the players was awful and unfunny, music acts, then that 20 minute send off to the inside the NBA crew followed by more commercials, the constant game stoppages.

That all star game was the equivalent of a 6th grade middle school student being assigned a project 2 months prior and starting it the night before it was due.

[LockoutSeason]

A 50 year old in 1993 thought the all-star game was unwatchable too.

[NZB2323]

A 50 year old in 1993 thought the all-star game was unwatchable too.

22.91 million people watched the 1993 all-star game. Some of them were 50 year olds. It was Shaq’s first all-star game, people in Utah were happy that Karl Malone and John Stockton won co-MVPs, and people were excited to watch Jordan.

You can see in the highlights old men like Dr. J, Bill Russell, and Pat Riley enjoying the game. You can also see actual defense and strategic basketball being played, not guys taking half court shots.

Watch on YouTube

[NZB2323]

I didn't have an issue with the games themselves because players from as far back as I could remember never took the game seriously. Plus no one wants to get hurt so I get why the product looks like it does.

The rest of the event was a disaster. Too many pointless interviews, Kevin Hart roasting the players was awful and unfunny, music acts, then that 20 minute send off to the inside the NBA crew followed by more commercials, the constant game stoppages.

That all star game was the equivalent of a 6th grade middle school student being assigned a project 2 months prior and starting it the night before it was due.

Watch on YouTube

[Ito]

To be fair I have never in my life watched a pro bowl nfl game maybe about 5 minutes or less in my entire life but the problem with the all star game is that not only has the game gotten bad, it gotten corny its way too commercial and the things they try make it worse. Just go back to simplicity leave it East and West and if they want to go pop about it just let the money do the talking just add a prize to the winners or have the game meaning something like winners get home court in the finals like the MLB did at one point I think they stopped doing that

[dautjazz]

NBA fans are a bunch curmudgeons who like to pretend that everything was better “back in my day”

The ASG was unwatchable 20 years. If it’s slightly more unwatchable today, who cares?

I don't remember the 90s All-Star games very well, but they weren't as bad as they've been the last 20 or so years. I'm not expecting Playoffs effort, but can we atleast get the same effort they would give in a preseason game? It's embarrassingly bad, and the dunk contest is a joke, it used to have stars, now its mostly scrubs.

[zero rings]

NBA fans are a bunch curmudgeons who like to pretend that everything was better “back in my day”

The ASG was unwatchable 20 years. If it’s slightly more unwatchable today, who cares?

I don't remember the 90s All-Star games very well, but they weren't as bad as they've been the last 20 or so years. I'm not expecting Playoffs effort, but can we atleast get the same effort they would give in a preseason game? It's embarrassingly bad, and the dunk contest is a joke, it used to have stars, now its mostly scrubs.

The ASG was still bad in the 90's. It just seemed less bad because there was nothing better to watch on TV, and the internet didn't exist yet.

There's simply no market for a meaningless exhibition game, and I don't blame the players for not trying. Just get rid of the whole thing and give them a week off.

[The Servant]

To be fair I have never in my life watched a pro bowl nfl game maybe about 5 minutes or less in my entire life but the problem with the all star game is that not only has the game gotten bad, it gotten corny its way too commercial and the things they try make it worse. Just go back to simplicity leave it East and West and if they want to go pop about it just let the money do the talking just add a prize to the winners or have the game meaning something like winners get home court in the finals like the MLB did at one point I think they stopped doing that

This is part of it for me as well. I get you're a business and trying to make money, but they would be better served to start the game 10 minutes after the game is airing on TV with something as simple as: "We are just 10 minutes from tip off here at ASG # whatever, here at ________ arena. Let's take you down to the floor to introduce you to your all stars."

I have to watch it delayed and skip through 1.5 hours of corny bands, comedians, "lifestyle" whatever, 75 Sprite commercials. All to watch a lack lustre product of mostly jacking threes in an extremely low intensity scrimmage session. I think the problem people have is they see more competition at an elementary school playground, the YMCA, the lowest level of 10:30 pm Sunday night men's league and they sit through so much non basketball content to get this crap.

20 year NBA fan who completely stopped watching ASG weekend about 3 or 4 years ago now. Wemby throwing the skills comp, Mac Mclung dunking, a combined 150+ threes taken in a 190-210 game with literally 5 hours of advertising. LOL

[Ito]

To be fair I have never in my life watched a pro bowl nfl game maybe about 5 minutes or less in my entire life but the problem with the all star game is that not only has the game gotten bad, it gotten corny its way too commercial and the things they try make it worse. Just go back to simplicity leave it East and West and if they want to go pop about it just let the money do the talking just add a prize to the winners or have the game meaning something like winners get home court in the finals like the MLB did at one point I think they stopped doing that

This is part of it for me as well. I get you're a business and trying to make money, but they would be better served to start the game 10 minutes after the game is airing on TV with something as simple as: "We are just 10 minutes from tip off here at ASG # whatever, here at ________ arena. Let's take you down to the floor to introduce you to your all stars."

I have to watch it delayed and skip through 1.5 hours of corny bands, comedians, "lifestyle" whatever, 75 Sprite commercials. All to watch a lack lustre product of mostly jacking threes in an extremely low intensity scrimmage session. I think the problem people have is they see more competition at an elementary school playground, the YMCA, the lowest level of 10:30 pm Sunday night men's league and they sit through so much non basketball content to get this crap.

20 year NBA fan who completely stopped watching ASG weekend about 3 or 4 years ago now. Wemby throwing the skills comp, Mac Mclung dunking, a combined 150+ threes taken in a 190-210 game with literally 5 hours of advertising. LOL

Maybe the players don’t even feel like it’s even about them anymore.. they used to take pride being part of it back then.. might as well have the event at a circus with all the clown show.. they go cuz they have to show up it’s like a business meeting or community service or they just go with something else completely in their mind not the game obviously.. but with all the changes they prolly do show up to try a lil bit and see what it’s about but they should just go a complete different way about it like I said before have the game mean something instead

[ITYSL]

Agreed. I haven't watched the ASG for years because it's just an exhibition and a reward for good players to have a fun few days goofing around with other stars. At least they tried something different with the new format. It doesn't matter.

[ChiTownHero1992]

Cant compare NFL and NBA....ratings alone show the massive difference in interest but also in terms of All-Star Games, the Pro-Bowl is an end of the year slap stick, happy go lucky day, not necessarily a showing of the best-of-the-best, where as the NBA ALl-Star game is marketed every year as a "Night to see the Stars shine" and that it some major spectacle that is must see TV. Honestly NBA should go the route of the Pro-Bowl and do it the week before or after the Finals, showcase it as a "silly exhibition".

[Raps in 4]

I didn't even watch it. It's been at least ten years since I've watched an ASG, probably longer. I don't watch the ASG in any sport.