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Selection Process
The participants are currently chosen in two ways. The first is via fan ballot, with the leading vote getters at each position starting the game, secondly the reserves are chosen by the coaching staff of each conference. The coaches who currently leads the team with the most wins in their conference through the half-way mark will coach their respective conferences. The coach cannot coach the team in consecutive seasons.
The participants are currently chosen in two ways. The first is via fan ballot, with the leading vote getters at each position starting the game, secondly the reserves are chosen by the coaching staff of each conference. The coaches who currently leads the team with the most wins in their conference through the half-way mark will coach their respective conferences. The coach cannot coach the team in consecutive seasons.
QUESTION: Should the All-Star selection process be changed?
RIC BUCHER: No. It's supposed to be an event for the fans, so they should be able to vote for whom they want to see. What we have to do is overhaul our perspective of what being an All-Star means. Back when the only way a fan could cast a vote was to go to a game and punch out a paper ballot, the percentage of informed voters had to be fairly high and only quality players made it as starters.
Now that Internet voting has opened it up to fans worldwide -- some of whom see, at best, highlights -- it's much more of a popularity contest.
CHRIS BROUSSARD: Sorry Ric, but we absolutely must revamp the All-Star voting. It's become a joke, especially with China voting. They're so pro-Rockets (because of Yao Ming) that I'm surprised Chase Budinger isn't starting over Melo at small forward. Fans will tune in and turn out if the best players are selected, regardless of whether they picked them. You're right in that this event is largely about the fans, so they should still have a role in the voting.
That's why I think Ray Allen's suggestion is perfect. Have the fan vote count for 50 percent of the selection and then divide the other 50 percent between the media (25 percent) and the players (25 percent). The players know better than anyone who's really an All-Star, so they should definitely have a say in who's honored. Then you can let the coaches continue to pick the seven reserves.
RIC BUCHER: No. It's supposed to be an event for the fans, so they should be able to vote for whom they want to see. What we have to do is overhaul our perspective of what being an All-Star means. Back when the only way a fan could cast a vote was to go to a game and punch out a paper ballot, the percentage of informed voters had to be fairly high and only quality players made it as starters.
Now that Internet voting has opened it up to fans worldwide -- some of whom see, at best, highlights -- it's much more of a popularity contest.
CHRIS BROUSSARD: Sorry Ric, but we absolutely must revamp the All-Star voting. It's become a joke, especially with China voting. They're so pro-Rockets (because of Yao Ming) that I'm surprised Chase Budinger isn't starting over Melo at small forward. Fans will tune in and turn out if the best players are selected, regardless of whether they picked them. You're right in that this event is largely about the fans, so they should still have a role in the voting.
That's why I think Ray Allen's suggestion is perfect. Have the fan vote count for 50 percent of the selection and then divide the other 50 percent between the media (25 percent) and the players (25 percent). The players know better than anyone who's really an All-Star, so they should definitely have a say in who's honored. Then you can let the coaches continue to pick the seven reserves.
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