The NBA Should Take the All-Star Game Vote Away from the Fans

Lately, the subject has come up if fans should be allowed to vote for the NBA All-Star game starting lineup because of the possibility of Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson both being voted in as starters.

It is ludicrous if this happens, and again shows why fans should not be allowed to vote for any all-star team.  

Iverson is near the end of a brilliant career and is currently averaging 14.7 ppg.

McGrady has been riding the pines most of the season, yet he could be a starter in the West. He has only played in six games and averaged less than eight minutes a contest.  

There are players that are more deserving in both conferences that might not make the team due to this misstep by leagues that feel they have to involve their fans in the process to keep them interested.

NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said, "We look at it as a great way to engage the fans. We think it's a good system."

It's not—and it needs to be fixed.

Ray Allen of the Celtics came up with the suggestion that the fan vote should count for 50 percent with the other 50 percent split between the players and the media.

I don't agree with that either. Players are likely to vote for their friends, while the media could be biased against players they have grudges against or haven't had a chance to see play.

The NBA has allowed fans to vote for the starters since the mid-70's. 

Baseball instituted fan voting in 1947, but abandoned it for twelve years after the 1957 ballot-stuffing incident by Cincinnati Reds fans for their players. They voted in seven position starters out of the eight spots available.

It turned out that the Cincinnati Enquirer helped the fans vote early and often by printing up pre-marked ballots in the Sunday paper.  

Fans vote for the players they want to see, not necessarily the player that is having the best season.

If you want to let the fans vote for the game, then call it the "Fan Game" instead of the "All-Star" game so they can vote for whoever they like regardless of their qualifications.

Yao Ming was the all-star starter for several years because of on-line voting from China for their hero.

The All-Star game should not be a popularity contest. It should honor those players that have performed the best that season. That means it also should not be a lifetime achievement award for players that have seen their best days pass them by.

My suggestion is to let the coaches vote for the starters along with picking the reserves. They watch them play and have a better understanding of the game than the average fan.

Of course they would not be allowed to vote for a player from their team to keep it fair.

Voting is a privilege and should not be a right, whether you're voting for the starting point guard or the president.

Look at the mess this country is still in because we allow anyone over the age of eighteen to vote.

Just because you can cast a ballot doesn't mean you know what you're talking about, and what's best for the all-star team or the country.

There are many gullible and might I add stupid people that listen to lies and go along with what they're told to do by the talking voice on the radio or the boob tube.

Should they be deciding how we live or who starts the game?