Ray: Limit Fan All-Star Influence

Posted by Zach Lowe on Jan 17, 2010 54454 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F01%2F17%2Fray-limit-fan-all-star-influence%2FRay%3A+Limit+Fan+All-Star+Influence2010-01-17+18%3A51%3A13Zach+Lowehttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D5445

With Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson and (maybe) Vince Carter poised to win completely undeserved spots in the All-Star game via fan vote, Ray Allen think it’s time to take at least some control away from fans. Via ESPN.com:

“I like the fact that the fans get the opportunity to vote and pick who they’d like to see in the All-Star Game, but I don’t think it should be 100 percent,” Allen said this week.

Allen said the fan voting has made the game “watered down” and called for a change in the process.

Allen said fans should have 50 percent of the vote, with the other 50 percent being divided evenly between the media and the players. He said players know who is playing the best, and believes with his idea, “you’d look at five guys starting the All-Star team regardless of hype or highlight.”

If you know me, you’re not surprised to hear that I agree. My personal belief—and it’s just that, personal—is that the All-Star game should be a showcase for the 24 players playing the best in that particular season. Not everyone agrees with this. Some people look at the All-Star game as an opportunity for the fans to see their favorite players, even if a few of those players are aging and in decline. This group includes Larry Brown: 

“I’ve seen Willie Mays and those older guys start based on what they’ve done in their career in baseball and we’ve had that happen in basketball for years, guys that have made a contribution,” Brown said.

To me, this is nonsense.

This is the exact sort of thinking that may result in McGrady making the team, an outcome most rational people would deem stupid. In the end, it won’t really matter, since T-Mac has claimed he won’t play if elected. But few undeserving stars would make that choice. By this logic, Shaq and KG deserve a spot until they retire, simply because of their contributions to the game. Meanwhile, Deron Williams is still waiting for his first All-Star appearance.

The league says it’s good marketing for fans to have some voting impact. That may be true, but I’m not convinced that it is. Will fewer fans follow the league if they lose the right to vote Shaq into the All-Star game? 

In the end, I don’t really care, because I don’t get too riled up about All-Star appearances—precisely because the selection process is often so filled with errors. 

But here’s the trade-off: If we’re going to stick with a system that encourages these sorts of mistakes, then we have to limit the importance of All-Star appearances in Hall  of Fame selection and the general ranking of players. It’s says something about each player that Paul Pierce has made seven All-Star teams and that Allen Iverson has made 10 (and counting?), but you can’t use those numbers to argue that Iverson has had a better career than Pierce. Not when the process is so flawed.