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It’s been two weeks since the National Hockey League unveiled its 2011 NHL All-Star fan balloting experience. How has it gone for you? Because I’m kind of upset with what I see.
Sidney Crosby, of course, leads all players in votes, becoming the first to cross the million mark. Yes, the most popular player in the league should lead them all, shouldn’t he? And as for the rest, the league-leader in wins is first among netminders and the reigning Norris Trophy winner has a slim-but-strong grasp of the top spot for blueliners.
But in what universe does “Sid the Kid” not make it into the All-Star game? Or Duncan Keith? These guys are the league’s marketed players. They’re the ones featured in the advertisements on the NHL Network, in print ads. Heck, Crosby’s even got a show on HBO half-dedicated to covering him. Coincidentally, the other half of that show is dedicated to the second-place vote-getter in Alexander Ovechkin.
In fact, I’m disappointed from the start with the ballot the league presented me. Just looking at it, I notice several baffling selections, as well as some left off which do the same. Names like Tyler Myers, the 2010 Calder Trophy-winning defenseman from the Buffalo Sabres, who requires a write-in vote, while the Dallas Stars’ Stephane Robidas makes an appearance. Nothing against Robidas, but he’s a middle-of-the-road defensmeman. Myers has the potential to win Norris. Or how about Ryan Suter making the list. No offense to Nashville Predators fans out there, but he’s not likely to represent your team in Carolina in February.
What about Jordan? (Photo: Getty)
We all know fans love their star players, especially when they either play for their hometown team or grew up on the same streets as them. Cheering for that hometown success story, or the guy regularly lighting the lamp at your arena is enjoyable. It gets people to watch these otherwise pointless spectacles.
And let’s face it: From a fan perspective, there is nothing worse than the NHL All-Star exhibition. It’s really for the players and the league. We get the skill competition. That’s our treat.
So why can’t we ever do something to shake up the league’s game? We have a true method of entropy at our disposal, a way to provide something real. And we use it to put Sidney Crosby in the game? I am thoroughly disappointed in you, fans.
So I’m calling for “Vote for Rory, Part Deux.” If you remember, the campaign focused on getting enough write-in support to get league everyman, Rory Fitzpatrick, of the Vancouver Canucks, into the 2007 All-Star exhibition. Despite the appeal of the initiative, the attempt fell short due to Rory’s less-than-spectacular statistics and the bemoaning media and league, who felt he hadn’t earned the right to participate.
So why not focus this year’s might-of-the-fan into sending someone who does deserve the honor? A guy like Buffalo’s Jordan Leopold. Through 25 games this season, including Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Leopold is third on the Sabres in scoring and second in the league among defensemen in goals scored. He has seven goals, a number he registered in 61 games in Florida last season on his way to a career-best 11 last season. He’s on pace to shatter that number, even if he trails off through the rest of the season. He’s also a plus player on the Sabres, who have been an underwhelming team through the first quarter of the schedule.
And it’s not even a contract year.
But besides Leopold’s statistics, the guy also has marketability to more than just Sabres fans. He is a journeyman, having played on many teams throughout his career. With stops in Calgary, Colorado, Florida and Pittsburgh before Buffalo, that’s quite the fan base.
It doesn’t even need to be Leopold. Each team has their own version, a guy who has done better than any expectation thrust upon them. But many of them made the ballot. Leopold didn’t. My point is give your vote to someone who’s really going to use it. Because Crosby, Ovechkin and Keith won’t. They’re locks no matter what. Give someone else a chance.
Last year, Detroit Piston Ben Wallace was in the midst of a great bounce back season but was left off the All-Star ballot, which was annoying.
This year, however, Wallace is among five Pistons who are on the ballot. From a team release:
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons stars Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon were named to the 2011 NBA All-Star ballot which was unveiled today by the NBA during a special tip-off event in Los Angeles, the Official Host City of NBA All-Star 2011. NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile will begin this afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. The 60th NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at STAPLES Center on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011.
Wallace, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner and five-time All-NBA Team selection, has been named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team four times during his 14-year career. He currently ranks 27th among league leaders in rebounding (7.9) and 38th in blocks (1.00). Hamilton, a three-time NBA All-Star, ranks sixth on the Pistons’ all-time scoring list and tied Bob Lanier for the most consecutive seasons leading the team in points per game (8) a year ago.
Prince, a member of the Pistons’ 2004 NBA Championship Team, won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2008 Olympic Games in China and has been named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team four times.
Stuckey currently ranks 20th among league leaders in assists with a career-high 5.7 assists per game and leads the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game. Gordon, who was the first rookie in league history to be named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2005, ranks 20th among league leaders in free throw percentage (.889) and 27th in both field goal percentage (.520) and three-point field goal percentage (.452).
2011 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile, with associate partner 2K Sports, allows fans around the world to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. There are several ways fans can cast their votes, including: at each NBA arena; in 20 languages on NBA.com; and through mobile phones by texting the player’s last name to 6-9-6-2-2 (“MYNBA”) or by visiting m.nba.com on any wireless carrier.
For SMS voting, fans can vote for All-Stars any time by texting a player’s last name from their mobile phones on any wireless carrier. Fans can cast one SMS vote per day, per phone number. Message and data rates may apply. T-Mobile customers will receive an exclusive 15 percent discount code to NBAStore.com for voting via SMS voting. Upon voting, T-Mobile customers will get a bounceback message with a discount code for them to use on NBAStore.com.
Fans can vote directly on NBA.com or use their Facebook profile information to help create an NBA.com All-Access account, which enables them to complete a ballot. After submitting their All-Star selections, fans will have the ability to share them with their friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter, and encourage others to cast their ballots.
For the first time, fans can print paper ballots at home through their web connected HP Photosmart printer1. HP customers can simply download and launch the NBA print application directly from the touchscreen panel on the front of their printer.2 Fans can print one specially coded ballot per day and put it in the mail as directed on the form. Paper balloting at NBA arenas and through the NBA Print App on HP printers will continue through Jan. 17, while wireless and SMS balloting, and voting on NBA.com will conclude Jan. 23. Starters will be announced live on TNT on Jan. 27, during a special one-hour pregame show at 7 pm ET featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the Miami Heat at the New York Knicks (8 pm ET) and the Boston Celtics at the Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 pm ET).
Realistically, there’s little chance any Piston has a shot at getting on the All-Star team, but if anyone is deserving, it’s Wallace. And really, there isn’t a ton of competition at the center spot. Dwight Howard is a given, and Joakim Noah is probably up there in the second spot, followed by Al Horford. Neither of those guys are exactly big names, and coaches sometimes go with the lifetime achievement type picks when filling out the non-starting roster, so it’s not out of the question that Wallace could sneak onto the team.
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