NBA outshines NFL, NHL All-Star games
By Grant Hughes
The NFL and NHL shared this past weekend in showcasing their respective All-Star games. As if two games weren't enough, the NBA has its annual exhibition slated for this weekend. In the midst of so many flashbulb popping, star-studded events, a question rises to the surface of Santa Clara's campus: does anybody still care about All-Star games?
"I can't remember the last time I watched the Pro Bowl, even though I probably watch at least one NFL game a week during the regular season. Apparently the game was pretty good this year, but I didn't even know," Billy Richardson '04 said.
The issue with the NFL's Pro Bowl is unique in that no other sport waits until the season ends to have their All-Star game. In all the other major sports, the All-Star break generally falls somewhere in the vicinity of the regular season's midpoint. For this reason, the Pro Bowl suffers most from fans questioning the commitment of the players involved.
"It's hard to see why any of the players would care. They've just gone through training camp, four preseason games, 17 weeks in the regular season and possibly the playoffs. The players are burned out," Kevin Cote '04 said.
Burnout may be a problem that applies to NFL fans as much as it does to the players. Playing the NBA and NHL All-Star games at midseason, the two leagues capitalize on their fan interest when it hits its peak. The NFL, however, risks saturating its fans with too much of its product.
"After two weeks of hype around the Super Bowl and for a few days afterwards, I just don't care about the Pro Bowl. It's football overkill," said Adam Zachary, head of KSCU's sports programming department.
The plight of the NHL's All-Star Game is even more grim than the NFL's Pro Bowl. Interest in hockey generally exists in small pockets on the Mission Campus, even with the nearby San Jose Sharks. And aside from a tiny minority, most students didn't even know that the NHL game took place last weekend.
The crown jewel of All-Star games, according to most Santa Clara students, is the NBA version. Commissioner David Stern has always been lauded for his brilliant marketing and he has turned the NBA's All-Star game into a weekend spectacle that outshines its less exciting NFL and NHL counterparts.
"The actual game is less interesting than the dunk contest or the three-point contest," Bryan Kretzmer '04 said. "Plus there's the rookie game where everyone is just showing off, playing no defense. It's much more fun to watch than any of the other All-Star games."
What the NBA has done more effectively than other sports is embrace the concept of its All-Star game as an exhibition rather than a must-win game.
The NFL seems intent on convincing fans that the game is serious and that the players are all in it to win. The NBA harbors no such illusions and aims simply to thrill and entertain its audience. Everyone knows that NBA players basically agree not to play defense, but fans don't seem to care, so long as they get to see a lot of dunks.
The NBA's skills competition is very much the same, playing off the two most fan-friendly, entertaining aspects of the game: the dunk and the three-point shot.
With the NFL struggling to keep fans interested and the NHL lacking widespread interest among Santa Clara students, the NBA stands as the lone bright spot of February's All-Star events.
û Contact Grant Hughes at (408) 554-4852 or ghughes@scu.edu.