Since the NFL changed the date of the Pro Bowl from the week
after the Super Bowl to the week before two years ago, it has coincided with
the NHL’s All Star Game on the same day. Now, in the US, Football is much more
popular than hockey; it shouldn’t even be an argument. But when it comes to All
Star games? Festivities? That’s a whole different story… hockey’s got that in
the bag. Especially since they implemented the fantasy draft system last
season, maybe in efforts to have an extra edge on the NFL since they became
competition, it’s been a much more entertaining weekend, about on par with the
NBA and MLB.
Like I said earlier, Football might be the country’s
favorite sport, but when your all star game takes place in Hawaii every year,
when players from the most elite of teams are no longer able to play because
they have to prepare for the Super Bowl next week, when there’s nothing else
besides the game, which is usually lackluster, is it even worth watching?
The NHL’s All Star game is three hours before the NFL’s,
presumably because they don’t want to deal with the competition. But honestly,
as someone who is more of a football fan than hockey, I would much rather watch
the NHL All Star Game. People have the whole weekend to get into it, from
Friday’s Draft, to Saturday’s Skills Challenge, the league does a great job
hyping up its most star-studded game of the year. I didn’t watch the All Star
festivities last season just because I wasn’t home, but after watching the
draft this year and watching the festivities last night, I’m more excited for
today’s All Star Game than I’ve ever been for a Pro Bowl… even when the Eagles
had four starters after the 2004 season.
Then again, that could’ve been because they had just lost
the Super Bowl…
Regardless, I understand these All Star games are for fun.
They’re not supposed to be competitive. Even in MLB, where the winner gets
home-field advantage in the World Series, you don’t usually see serious
competitiveness until halfway into the game. But the NHL has been on its way
back up in popularity since the lockout in 2005. It’s not close to the NFL, but
the Pro Bowl is nowhere near any of the other major sports’ All Star games. The
NHL was better before, and with the league’s added all star events, it only
widened the gap.
As I write this, the All Star Game is about to begin. So I’ll
end with saying that, although Hockey isn’t as popular, it surely tries much
harder to make for a successful and fun All Star Weekend. Football just goes on
the name and hope people will watch because people always watch. It’s a Sunday.
It’s a habit. But I, for one, will not be sucked in. I watch football 21 out of
22 Sundays from September to February. On this Sunday, Hockey gets the nod.
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