The NFL Pro Bowl is up next, and football’s all-star game 2026 just shines a light on the
fact that the once-popular exhibition and its attached contests have passed away.
Whether the games have traditionally been held mid-week or on the weekend, fans
have always tuned in to see their favorite players from around the league gathered in
one spot. Over the past decade, though, viewership has dwindled, and the excitement
no longer exists.
Major League All-Star Game
Whether it was Ronald Reagan famously calling Bo Jackson’s leadoff homerun in the
1989 All-Star game, or Ken Griffey Jr bashing balls off the B&O Warehouse during the
1993 Homerun Derby, the games and contests had always been a spectacle to behold.
They weren’t without controversy, however, as in 2002, when the game ended in a 7-7
tie after the managers ran out of pitchers to use.
At one point, the league thought the game would be more interesting if the winner
determined which league had home-field advantage in the World Series (instead of their
record). The homerun derby was always fun to watch, because who doesn’t love an
exhibition of power? The rules were simple at the start. 10 outs (any non-homerun) per
round, and the player with the most homers advances.
With the increase of power, and the understanding of launch angle, the numbers players
started to put up were astronomical, and some of their at bats lasting over 15 minutes.
The solution was a timer and unlimited outs, followed by the addition of timeouts. Now
it’s three minutes or 40 pitches (guys better make sure their thrower knows where they
like it), whichever comes first. Bonus periods of three outs or more (if a player hits one
425 feet or more) now follow the players’ 3 minutes. There’s no telling what will come
next, but the league is sure to get its ideas from reruns of MTV’s Rock n’ Jock softball
games.
NHL All-Star Game
Like the other major sports, the NHL All-Star game was just East versus West to start,
with a handful of skill exhibitions (slapshot power, accuracy, and speed skating). In
1998, the league decided to do a North America vs the World format (USA would be
embarrassed without Canada’s help). This lasted until 2002, when the league went back
to the old format.
From 2011-2015, the league had captains pick their teams, similar to playing any sport
in the school playground. In 2016, the league decided two teams were not enough, and
chose to do four teams. Instead of an All-Star game, an all-star round robin tournament.
In 2023, the league decided to combine ideas, keeping the tournament but letting
captains pick the rosters for the four teams.
NFL Pro Bowl
The selection of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders says everything
about what this game has become. It always was, but now more blatantly is, a
marketing tool for the league. When the agenda was hidden behind the game, it was fun
to see guys play with and against each other who didn’t face off in the regular season.
The days of Sean Taylor ringing the bell of the opposing kicker are long gone, however.
As time went on, and players realized that money was tied to health, both teams
refused to tackle each other. Two-hand touch contests turned into NBA defensive
scores of 80-70. The league decided to embrace the mocking cries of “flag football” by
making the game an actual flag football game. Ratings have declined every single year
over the last five seasons.
The skills competition has come and gone and come again. There are still areas in the
“side quests” that could use improvement. QB accuracy drill is fun, and could use the
old-fashioned game of “who can throw it the furthest”. A 40-yard dash contest would be
fun, at least until someone’s favorite player blew out their hamstring.
NBA All-Star Weekend
This used to be the crown jewel of all the All-Star festivities. A dunk contest and a three-point contest, then a battle between the best players in the Eastern and WesternConferences. Every aspect of it has turned into an embarrassment.
The three-point contest is still 60 seconds to make as many three pointers as possible,
but the racks went from four regular balls and a money ball to also having a rack of
nothing but money balls, and two really deep extra money balls. It’s laughable when
they keep track of who has the most points in contest history. It’s like talking about the
highest scoring team ever, but making every basket in today’s game worth 10.
The dunk contest was designed to see who could do the most athletic and difficult
dunks. If a player missed, they got to try one more time, but it would inevitably affect
their score. At one point, players were scored on a best three-dunk compilation in 90 seconds. Then a wheel was introduced that players would spin and have to recreate a dunk from the past.
The contest eventually became guys changing into capes in phone booths before their
dunks, blowing out candles on the back of the rim, and sometimes getting 20 attempts
at the same dunk, and still getting a 50 when they made it. It’s not far off from a
playerparachuting into the arena and engaging in a rap battle, then a dance battle,
before attempting a basic windmill jam.
The game itself became less and less competitive every year. The game became
riddled with turnovers, as defenders watched guys throw alley-oops off the backboard to
players for reverse jams. In 2017, the teams locked into a heated defensive battle, with
the score ending up 192-182.
They’ve tried everything from a tournament style to captains picking teams (basically
copying whatever the NHL does) but until the players actually take some pride in the
game and their abilities, the whole thing will be a farce.
The All-Star Game 2026 Finale
At the end of the day, since the games don’t matter, the fans don’t care. Players don’t
try, and every move becomes an opportunity to grow their social media followers,
increasing their brand’s value. There are no more actual games played during the
games, and the side-events have become too gimmicky to stomach. The All-Star game,
for every league, is dead.
