A casual, or serious to some, debate among sports fans is which league has the best All-Star Game.
Yes, the NBA All-Star Game has the dunk and three-point competitions, while the NHL Game has the unique format of a three-on-three tournament style. To be honest, would anyone out there really choose the NFL’s Pro Bowl as the best?
For me, the clear favorite as the best All-Star Game is the one put on in July by Major League Baseball. Full disclosure, baseball is my top pick out of the four major sports, so it’s natural their All-Star Game would be my favorite.
The primary reason for this is that growing up, the MLB All-Star Game was a summer tradition in my family. Me and my dad would make the two-hour drive to my aunt and uncle’s house and watch the entire festivities, including the home run derby. At the risk of really aging myself, this was in an era before the Internet, so most of the time I wasn’t able to watch every team throughout the league, so getting a chance to see all the best players was something special. Seeing Barry Bonds go up against Randy Johnson or Cal Ripken against Greg Maddux was incredibly cool to see.
As I grew into my teens and young adulthood, I began to move away from baseball. While I still paid attention, I wasn’t the die-hard fan I was before. At the same time, watching the All-Star Game became less of a priority as well. Over the past few years, though, I have felt myself drawn back in. I get excited about voting for the game and making sure my favorite players are on the roster. It is something I’ve grown to look forward to throughout the summer, and of course, I am excited to sit down and watch the game in Seattle. A great bonus this year is several of the Toronto Blue Jays (my team!) have a good chance of making the team.
