NBA All Star Game

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote,

"The All-Star starters will be revealed Thursday night on TNT before the nationally televised rematch of the Cavs' Christmas Day blowout of the Lakers. Presumably, Tracy McGrady will be watching from home, where he's spent the majority of the 2009-10 season. Hopefully, if T-Mac is awarded a starting spot in the Western Conference back court alongside Kobe Bryant, he will do the right thing. The right thing would be to thank his fans for their support and respectfully decline.

He needs to be a team player and politely decline."

So, in an effort to share my opinions with all the world concerning professional and collegiate sports I wrote back to him with the following.

Be a team player? Not in T-Mac's character. In fact, I am pretty sure that his unwillingness to play less minutes in a more reserve type role is why the Rockets aren't playing him so I wouldn't expect THAT to happen.

Setting that reason aside, McGrady has EVERY reason to go ahead and accept this offer to play in the All-Star Game. While it isn't exactly heavy on defense the All-Star Game hosts the best players in the league and has the attention of every manager and coach. McGrady is TRYING to get traded and the Rockets are not playing him in the mean time. So, if you are a player who's team is trying to trade you and not playing you what other venue is there for you to make a case for yourself? I can't think of a single one.

I am a Rocket fan, but I am NOT a T-Mac fan so I didn't/wouldn't vote for him, and would encourage all fans not to vote for him either, but to think that he should give up his spot if he gets it is just plain silly.

Why do reporters feel the need to bash the fans for their voting? Isn't this supposed to be a game between those players that the fans want to see face off against each other? Why should we be upset at T-Mac should he decide to make a GOOD career decision? However, I would like to say here and now that anyone who votes for him probably doesn't know much about how the season is going and who really should be there and they should be restricted in their ability to vote like crazy. That's the problem here, not McGrady.

So, that being said is there a way to fix the All-Star Game?

Option 1: Make people log in to something to vote and then only once each, but this can be circumvented by creating an endless supply of email aliases.

Option 2: Sportswriters vote. This creates similar problems as exist in college sports with biased reporters and lack of exposure between Eastern and Western teams.

Option 3: Players vote. This seams like the best option available, but if the fans are taken out of the equation then the fans choose not to watch because they care significantly less.

Conclusion: This whole event is fun for some fans, but those fans can't be trusted to vote so the verdict? Who cares. I care so little about the whole thing that I refuse to state my position. Take that!