All-Star puzzle: How to make MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL showcase events better

If you took a poll of sports media, most would agree that the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is the best All-Star event of the four major North American men’s pro sports. There is a simple reason for that.

“It’s the only sport that can be played the same way in the All-Star Game,” PHNX Diamondbacks’ Derek Montilla said.  “In other sports’ defense, they have to go half speed to ensure players don’t get injured.”

That’s not all the MLB All-Star game has going for it, however. The home run derby, which took place on Monday night, may be the best of the four sports’ skills competitions. 

Even so, viewership for the MLB All-Star Game, which will take place Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, has been declining for years. The same has happened with the NBA All-Star Game, the NFL Pro Bowl and the NHL’s showcase event.

Some of that decline is due to the fractured state of TV viewership — a trend that isn’t going away. More options and more channels means less viewers will be tuned in to any particular event. The novelty of All-Star Games has also worn off. The games are meaningless and everyone knows it; even the players. 

With that in mind, PHNX Sports examined each of the four major sports’ events to determine what they do well, and what they could do better — how to lend more significance to All-Star games.

Most of us agreed that putting something on the line — whether it’s money, draft picks or home-field, home-ice or home-court advantage — makes the events more meaningful, but those suggestions aren’t always easy to perfect and implement.

From 2003 to 2017, the winner of the MLB All-Star Game between the National League and American League earned home-field advantage in the World Series for its respective league. That model was almost universally panned so the league scrapped it before the 2018 game.

Below, you’ll see suggestions for improving All-Star Games and Pro Bowls from people on each of PHNX’s four major North American men’s pro sports beats.

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MLB

Simplicity has always been part of baseball’s appeal, but maybe that should not extend to All-Star week. Aside from the home run derby and the game itself, there aren’t any major events that involve competition.

That may have to change with the audience continually shrinking.

“The home run derby is great, and I agree that it’s the best single All-Star event in sports, but MLB has had trouble getting the best home run hitters to participate,” PHNX Diamondbacks beat writer Jesse Friedman said. “I saw Ken Rosenthal the other day talking about how the strained relationship between the league and the union is causing some of that.

“The league did its inaugural Futures Skills Showcase [Sunday]. It’s basically a skills competition for top minor leaguers, which I think is a cool concept. I would love to see big-league All-Stars participate in something like that. It feels like this event was a testing ground for that. I think it still needs some tweaks, though. The first phase basically became a bunting competition because guys realized that it was easier to do that than to hit the targets that were in the outfield.”

MLB could also consider an expansion of the skills events to measure players in a variety of areas (bunting, sprints, fastest pitch, etc.). The NHL has multiple skills competitions (not all of them are great or well conceived) and some of them are highly entertaining to watch.

MLB awards $1 million to the winner of the home run derby out of a total prize pool of $2.5 million. But as of now, players on the winning team of the actual game receive just $25,000 each.

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NFL

Last season, the NFL shifted the Pro Bowl to a format that includes events over two days, leading up to 7-on-7 flag football games, rather than the traditional game.

The NFL has struggled to attract both players and fans to the event in past years. Many players opt out due to injuries, and those who participate shy away from contact and rarely go all out, leading to a watered down version of the game. 

Players from the winning 2024 Pro Bowl conference will each receive $88,000 in prize money, while the losers get $44,000.

“I would incentivize either added free agent funds or draft picks to the winning conference of the Pro Bowl to be distributed to the teams of the winning conference,” PHNX Cardinals’ Johnny Venerable said. “An added seventh rounder to the winning conference per team as well as an added $5 million in free agent funds. Then you could get more specific for MVP, which would net your team $10 million and an added fourth or fifth rounder.

“I would enable it that only so many players could play so many snaps during the game (minus OL/DL) so there’s a strategy involved of who you play and when. I would also increase the betting presence, making it mirror a regular NFL Sunday.”

The flag football concept is understandable because players are banged up enough from the season and they don’t want to get hurt in a meaningless game, but the NFL could do better than its past gimmicky skills events, which featured water balloon tosses and dodgeball, the latter of which will return. Let’s find out who is actually the best in each of the important skill sets of NFL players. Maybe even break some down by position.

“Bring back the QB Challenge and show off their skills,” PHNX Cardinals’ Bo Brack said. “Have the non-quarterbacks compete in an NFL Combine. We can see updated 40 times and strength skills.”

The NFL appears to be moving toward this model with its latest plans.

It would also help if the Pro Bowl rotated sites more often to give more fans a chance to see it in their hometown. That said, you don’t want a Pro Bowl in Minneapolis in February. Stick to multiple warm-weather climates.

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NBA

Like every other sport mentioned here, the NBA creates a weekend-long party with associated events, and it has some marquee skills events like the dunk contest that have become iconic.

“It’s simply the world’s largest marketing platform for the game and its stars and the biggest moments have helped make certain guys household names,” PHNX Suns’ Greg Esposito said. “While I’d like to act like All-Star games are really about the competition, they really aren’t. They’re about the pomp and circumstance and the NBA has always embraced that to the fullest with the dunk contest, 3-point shootout and more.”

Unfortunately for fans, much of the former luster has worn off.

“The Slam Dunk Contest is usually a snoozefest that’s lazy, uninspired and features mediocre dunks from players who usually aren’t even prominent names (seriously, there are amateur dunkers on YouTube with far more creative dunks than the prop-heavy crap we have to endure every year),” PHNX Suns beat writer Gerald Bourguet said. “The Skills Challenge makes no sense and changes every year as they continue to try and find something with some staying power.

“And while the 3-Point Contest is now the premier event of All-Star Saturday, it’s not enough to carry an entire day of mediocrity. And that’s without even talking about the game, which lacks competitive juice, defense or effort, and typically adds on extra hours of unnecessary fat with the broadcast, pregame buildup and halftime shows.”

There are more downsides.

“It seems as though NBA All-Star weekend has become a sponsorship cash grab,” PHNX Suns’ Lindsey Smith said. “Don’t get me wrong, get your money, but also maybe ease up a bit on shoving it in our faces to the point of starting an hour late just to get in more ads if the games themselves are not even interesting. 

“The All-Star uniforms have been just OK to me over the last few years. Bring back the 90s vibes for the jerseys. At least it’ll be more fun to look at.”

Espo has ideas for how to enliven the game.

“It’s something traditionalists would scoff at, but it will bring excitement and intrigue back to the game for sure,” he said.

“You still let fans vote on who should be All-Stars, but instead of putting them on teams, we do this NBA Jam style. You take the 30 All-Stars (15 from each conference) and let them split up into 10 three-person teams. Teams that have the top two vote getters get a bye in the first round. Only two guys play at the same time with one substitute. You then play games in a randomly drawn bracket of 5-minute halves. The winner moves on until a champion is crowned.

“It breathes life back into the game by giving it a different format and a tie in to something that’s nostalgic. Plus, the players feel a little more buy-in since they picked their squad.”

And if you really want the best players playing at the top of their game, one incentive may matter more than any other in American sports.

“Offer a bigger cash prize or bonus to whoever wins the Slam Dunk Contest,” Bourguet said. “Offer every player on the winning All-Star team another cash prize (without going too far by letting that conference host the Finals or something silly like that).

“In this modern age of social media slander, players aren’t willingly putting forth effort in these events — or risking injury or ridicule — without something that properly incentivizes them to do so. You want more competitive, memorable All-Star events? Pay up.”

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NHL

The NHL hasn’t shied away from creativity in recent years to ramp up interest in the All-Star Game, whether it’s the 3-on-3 game format, drafting of teams by players, or the unique events in Las Vegas in 2022.

But it suffers the same problem as all the other sports.

“There needs to be something that gets players to buy in more,” PHNX Hockey’s Leah Merrall said. “Maybe an advantage for the winning conference or division, either by awarding home-ice advantage or even points to the teams of the winner.

“Another thing it could do is truly choose the NHL’s best stars rather than choose a representative from every team. Or if the All-Star format is by country, that country gets a seeding advantage or bye in an international event.”

PHNX Hockey’s Steve Peters knows what he doesn’t want to see.

“Get rid of the stupid breakaway skits,” he said.

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But wait. Petey has more ideas.

“Fix online voting,” he added. “I’m not sure how, but seeing all the Canucks last season there is a problem.

“Also, wear team uniforms (white or dark), more like they used to do in baseball. Continue with location-themed contests and incorporate the local landmarks like the Vegas strip more the Florida beaches.”

Merrall would like the NHL to take advantage of one of its greatest innovations by moving the NHL All-Star Game outdoors.

I love that idea, and I have more thoughts.

Voting: Fans get to vote once, but they can fill out an entire All-Star ballot for all four divisions (if that format remains). Their votes then become one-fourth of a system in which players, GMs/coaches, and media also get a vote. Each of those four voting blocks would be given equal weight in determining the All-Star games. Team members would determine the captain.

Add a sentimental roster spot: In the John Scott vein, it would be great if the league allowed each team to add a player who carries sentimental value, whether it’s because he has overcome adversity or he’s about to retire.

Charity: Tie each player to an individual charity with the league and corporate sponsors donating prize money to said charity in the name of that player, and maybe more money based on the player’s performance in the skills challenge and the game.

Modify the skills challenge: Why in the heck do we decide fastest skater by having players skate laps? That’s not what they do in games. Do a straightaway with the puck on their stick. And with each event, include the players whom peers deem the best at that particular skill, not just the guys voted in for the game. I want to know who has the hardest shot in the NHL. It may be a 6-5, poor-skating defenseman who is an absolute pylon.

3-on-3 on steroids: Give all 32 teams an All-Star team of seven players (six skaters and a goalie) to compete in a 3-on-3 bracket tournament over two days where games are seven minutes long, with ties decided by shootouts. The bracket is easy, and would be decided by the standings at the break. No. 1 vs. No. 32, No. 2 vs. No. 31 and so on. The first round gets you down to 16 teams, the next to eight, four, two and then you crown a champ.

The winning team gets an extra draft pick. Let’s make it a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. That will get GMs’ and fans’ attention.

Top photo via Getty Images

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