All-Star Game: America’s Classic?

Jul 11, 2006 @ 4:40 By 22 Comments

One of my high school history teachers, a certain Mr. Martin, used to announce that he went to church 50 weeks a year. He avoided the two remaining Sundays, nothing less than Christmas and Easter, for those who didn’t come on the other days to make room for them. Besides, he said, he didn’t want to worship with the uncommitted. He always drew a laugh from us about that, and my recollection is that he rarely drew laughs.
I feel the same way about the All-Star Game. It’s a useless distraction from the real game of local teams in a league and division battling for six months to see who can pull themselves up into the World Series. When a game of sport is played and the winner doesn’t really matter, it becomes entertainment.
I watch real games; the entertainment-oriented fans can take my spot for the All-Star Game.
I stand with the hard guys and gals on this one: sports games have one purpose — to win. (Not at all costs, and not cheating, but the goal is to win.)
I’ll spend my time doing something besides watching that useless display of individualistic talent and endless commentary about how good someone is. The commentary, anyway, reminds me of O.A.R. songs — all alike.
Right now the best team, which is what matters most, is the Detroit Tigers. They’ve surprised us all, as have the NY Mets. I’d rather watch the Mets play the Tigers than watch an All-Star game.
Join me in reading a good book that night.

Filed Under: Sports 22 Comments
About Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author of more than thirty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL.

  • http://pastorsteveweaver.blogspot.com Steve Weaver

    Wow! That’s pretty hardcore! I agree with many of your sentiments but I still enjoy watching (or at least the idea) of the All-Star Game. It has a long history and sometimes (rarely) something special happens. I think it can be a great celebration of America’s greatest game.

  • http://mcknightro.blogspot.com Lukas McKnight

    I’m not much of an All-Star game fan, but that’s not the point.
    The point is that OAR has grown a lot as a band since their college days, and their songs are quite versatile now. You wouldn’t even recognize most of their songs these days!

  • http://www.getting-free.blogspot.com T

    Scot,
    As a recovering ‘competer’ myself, I thoroughly loved this line: “When a game of sport is played and the winner doesn’t really matter, it becomes entertainment.”
    But, as a fellow compete-aholic, from a Jesus-is the-main-character-in-the-story-of-my-life viewpoint when exactly does the winner of a game of sport “matter”? The ugly truth, I’m afraid, is that it’s just easier to trick ourselves into thinking a game matters when it takes more effort and time (a whole season) to determine the “winner” (of something small and shiny, usually). It sounds like you’re just more the ‘epic’ kind of guy as opposed to poetry when it comes to sports entertainment.
    Here’s a thought–maybe the all-star game is intended to remind all us rabids that it is, after all, a game, a diversion, where the winner (not necessarily the game, the effort, the people involved) doesn’t really matter . . .

  • http://www.napervillecovenant.com Kent

    You also could watch a couple of hours of Ken Burn’s Baseball. That has to be almost as good a “true” game.
    Golf has 8 all star “games”, the 4 world golf events and the masters, the The Open, the US Open and PGA. And they actually mean something.

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    Kent,
    Now that’s a great observation.

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    T,
    You’ve wounded my heart.

  • http://www.bibleme.org Paul D.

    Granted it’s not a “real” game, and they’re usually not even very good games. I still enjoy the All-Star game for what it is — a showcase for talent — not to be taken too seriously even with the rule change determining the Series host. And at least tonight’s game won’t have the DH. I also enjoyed the Home Run Derby last night. I have to side with “T” on this. Are you sure you’e not just bitter ’cause the AL is undefeated in 9 straight (including the infamous tie — there must be something in the Bible that a tie game in baseball is the unforgivable sin, but I digress).

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    Paul D.
    Well, I’ve examined my heart and I don’t find what you suggest. I just don’t like games that don’t matter and that interrupt a perfectly good season. Four days without baseball in the middle of our summer is too long.
    And, I will have to come back with this: there is no real “winner” in an All-Star game, even if Buddy Selig came up with the idea that the winner gets to be home team for the World Series. (Like having an east-west soccer game and the winner gets to determine where the next World Cup is even if… I could go on but it doesn’t matter what I think.)

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    Paul D.
    Admittedly the AL has the better talent right now.

  • http://www.napervillecovenant.com Kent

    Paul, we are Cubs, of course we are bitter. We have raised bitter to an art form. My God man we have over century of learning to be bitter.

  • http://www.getting-free.blogspot.com T

    Scot,
    I know, it was too cruel–but you know the proverb about wounds from a friend, right?
    If I ever get to catch a game of some kind with you (real or not), the dogs, etc. are on me.

  • http://arbevere.blogspot.com Allan R. Bevere

    I’m with you Scot. The book is ready and waiting.

  • http://jason.voxtropolis.com jason allen

    I agree, the all-star game is a waste of time. Why not just call it half-time for the season and give the guys a few uninterupted days off? Then they’ll be fresh for the games that really matter down the stretch.

  • http://huronhills.org Ken White

    The main thing I’m concentrating on is your comment about the Tigers. I’ve followed them since 1971, when Kaline and Horton and Northrup and Cash and Lolich were their mainstays. I remember that the all-star game played in Detroit in 1971 was actually a classic. Reggie Jackson hit a home run over the right field roof in Tiger Stadium. Hit the lighttower. 6 home runs in the game. That was the year the Pirates beat the Orioles and Roberto Clemente was the MVP, the year I fell in love with baseball, and the all-star game, for me was kind of a magical thing. But, I can understand your sentiments this year. I’m anxious for the season to begin again, especially with the Tigers doing so well. I feel like something bad my happen and their mojo will be broken. Baseball is the only place where I’m tempted into superstitious thought. But hopefully, the Tigers will be back, knock on wood (not aluminum).
    PS I’m reading David Maranniss’ book on Roberto Clemente, called Clemente, and it’s bringing back all kinds of memories. A nice read in the baseball nonfiction genre category.

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    Ken,
    Mojo, “we are fam-i-ly,” Pirates, 1971 — cool.
    You’ve almost written a paragraph that would make Tom Boswell stand up and take notice. Ever read him? At one time I read 20 baseball books a year; by far he’s the best writer I read.

  • http://dangreeson.typepad.com daniel greeson

    I think its great that you dissed O.A.R. ! haha

  • http://randzig.com Randy

    Do you even like the Home Run Derby? Come on man I love watching that stuff.(entertainment haha)

  • http://www.newhopevalp.org David Wilson

    Scot, as a Braves fan, I get what you’re about here. The regular season – that’s where it really matters. None of this fluff of All Star games, home run derbys, or anywhere past the first round of the playoffs. The 162 – that’s baseball.

  • http://lukebritt.com Luke

    You missed a good one if you didn’t watch.

  • http://www.JesusCreed.org Scot McKnight

    Luke,
    Finished up Havey Cox’s When Jesus Came to Harvard.

  • http://www.aeimp.com Doug

    I really enjoy your site, Scot, but I’ve gotten over the whole All-Star thing. I used to feel the same way, but have come to realize that there are much bigger, systemic problems with baseball to be rectified. There’s the designated hitter rule (instituted in early 1973, right after that other abomination, Roe v. Wade – coincidence?) and interleague play. The All-Star game, unlike those two problems, doesn’t really interfere with the real stuff of baseball – Mr. Selig’s home-field advantage silliness notwithstanding. It’s a popularity contest, to be sure, but I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with letting kids nominate their favorite players. I’ve always liked the idea of the players from one league all playing together for this one evening – kind of a break in the action – and then getting back to business of being enemies of one another. If you’ve seen the film, “A Midnight’s Clear”, it’s kind of like that. Anyway, keep up the great work, Scot. Let’s get together and dump the DH – we can all agree on that.

  • Bruce Smith

    Scot
    It is a bummer that you missed such a great game :) . For me, there are not too many events more special than to watch the All-Star game with my two older sons (ages 7&5). I love it mostly because they love it.