All Star Weekend

Maybe I’m just getting old and crusty. Or maybe I’m just too Old School..or both!
I’m saying that to say that All Star weekend is rapidly turning into a 3 day 3 ring circus.
As years go by, I find myself enjoying it less and less.
Between some of the silly events (enough already with the slam dunk) and the silly talent employed to describe these events (Chris Webber please have several seats), its become annoying at best.
I like having access to certain players but most of them and most of the content that they provide I can do without. I only care about the players I care about and 99% of them wear green.
I try to think outside as a fan and to minimize my inside thoughts as a career member of the broadcast media and speaking as just one fan of many, outside of the 3 point shooting contest, I couldn’t care less about all of the other crap that goes on during this 3 day circus.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the TV rating results indicate just the opposite of how I feel but just curious Anyone else feel like its gone too far or is it just me?

ktronic,

I don't watch All-Star games in any sport. Not the NFL Pro Bowl, not the NBA All-Star game, none of them. I happened to be in Ozumas when the Rising Stars game was on. It was awful. If my eyes have shelf lives there's a couple of hours of wasted vision that will be taken off the back end that I'll never get back. Ben Simmons looked good because nobody tried to keep him out of the paint or from running north-south without being slowed down which we all know is what you have to do to him.

The saddest part is that there are young fans out there who watch that and think that's good basketball. Yuck.


bob


.

bobheckler wrote:ktronic,

I don't watch All-Star games in any sport.  Not the NFL Pro Bowl, not the NBA All-Star game, none of them.  I happened to be in Ozumas when the Rising Stars game was on.  It was awful.  If my eyes have shelf lives there's a couple of hours of wasted vision that will be taken off the back end that I'll never get back.  Ben Simmons looked good because nobody tried to keep him out of the paint or from running north-south without being slowed down which we all know is what you have to do to him.  

The saddest part is that there are young fans out there who watch that and think that's good basketball.  Yuck.


bob


.

So true. I’m down to watching the 3 point contest and nothing else. No Baseball, Football, Hockey all star nothing..None.
Eventually (and they’ve already started) they will find a way to compromise the 3 point contest too.
It’s gotten way of hand.
As an aside, Ive already written to them begging to end this “Players Only” fiasco. The NBA...Yucky!

Ah the annual All-Star game eye-rolling and complaining contest.

I used to debate this one all the time with Sam, too. So for the sake of continuity, I'll give my annual take. I think many of us miss the point.

The game is not for us. It's for the kids. It's to build the fan base in the next generation.

Youngsters love the slam dunk and the 3-point. My son regularly watches it with friends. These kids started watching it as first and second graders and became fans of players they saw and subsequently of their teams.

No, it's far from a fun game for us to watch, but it's not for us. We've gotten older and jaded and grumpy and we're not as much fun anymore. It's for the kids.

So let 'em watch, and then go lower the rim in the driveway and watch a kid and his friends dunk on an 8-foot hoop. Then watch 'em play CYO and AAU and school ball. Watch them follow the players they saw All-Star weekend and become big fans of the game.

It's for the kids.

NYCelt wrote:Ah the annual All-Star game eye-rolling and complaining contest.

I used to debate this one all the time with Sam, too. So for the sake of continuity, I'll give my annual take. I think many of us miss the point.

The game is not for us. It's for the kids. It's to build the fan base in the next generation.

Youngsters love the slam dunk and the 3-point. My son regularly watches it with friends. These kids started watching it as first and second graders and became fans of players they saw and subsequently of their teams.

No, it's far from a fun game for us to watch, but it's not for us. We've gotten older and jaded and grumpy and we're not as much fun anymore. It's for the kids.

So let 'em watch, and then go lower the rim in the driveway and watch a kid and his friends dunk on an 8-foot hoop. Then watch 'em play CYO and AAU and school ball. Watch them follow the players they saw All-Star weekend and become big fans of the game.

It's for the kids.

No doubt. The festivities on site are for the kids. The shenanigans at halftime shows are geared towards the younger set as well. Ask yourself how many actual fans(kids) get to go to games in their home town? Not many. How many get to attend an all star game? Even less.
The networks and the advertisers are certainly not spending millions to attract the kids. those are not sellable demos to advertisers. The kids don’t have disposable income. the parents do. those parents are in the 25-54 age demo and thats who the advertisers generally target. Just how many parents do you think are sitting in front of their TV’s late Saturday and Sunday evenings with theyre kids watching this and how many of these parents find the content compelling enough to go out and spend money on the advertised product?
I haven’t seen any rating numbers from this years broadcast-yet. Now as i revert to my outside thinking, as a fan with disposable income I’m seeing that the product has deteriorated and has gotten to the point of silliness.
I’d love to see the results of the research that most certainly do. If they’re research is pointing them in the current direction, the kids may be entertained but they’re not seeing reality which can eventually be bad for the game and future telecasts.
As i said, maybe I am old and grumpy but as a kid growing up and going to the Garden for games and watching the few games that were televised, I was entertained by the game and the players playing the game. John Kiley on the organ at halftime was fine with me. If the shenanigan are what’s truly putting more fans in the seats, and there are many who believe it is, then what are we really selling here?

Ktronic1 wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Ah the annual All-Star game eye-rolling and complaining contest.

I used to debate this one all the time with Sam, too. So for the sake of continuity, I'll give my annual take. I think many of us miss the point.

The game is not for us. It's for the kids. It's to build the fan base in the next generation.

Youngsters love the slam dunk and the 3-point. My son regularly watches it with friends. These kids started watching it as first and second graders and became fans of players they saw and subsequently of their teams.

No, it's far from a fun game for us to watch, but it's not for us. We've gotten older and jaded and grumpy and we're not as much fun anymore. It's for the kids.

So let 'em watch, and then go lower the rim in the driveway and watch a kid and his friends dunk on an 8-foot hoop. Then watch 'em play CYO and AAU and school ball. Watch them follow the players they saw All-Star weekend and become big fans of the game.

It's for the kids.

No doubt. The festivities on site are for the kids. The shenanigans at halftime shows are geared towards the younger set as well. Ask yourself how many actual fans(kids) get to go to games in their home town? Not many. How many get to attend an all star game? Even less.
The networks and the advertisers are certainly not spending millions to attract the kids. those are not sellable demos to advertisers. The kids don’t have disposable income. the parents do. those parents are in the 25-54 age demo and thats who the advertisers generally target. Just how many parents do you think are sitting in front of their TV’s late Saturday and Sunday evenings with theyre kids watching this and how many of these parents find the content compelling enough to go out and spend money on the advertised product?
I haven’t seen any rating numbers from this years broadcast-yet. Now as i revert to my outside thinking, as a fan with disposable income I’m seeing that the product has deteriorated and has gotten to the point of silliness.
I’d love to see the results of the research that most certainly do. If they’re research is pointing them in the current direction, the kids may be entertained but they’re not seeing reality which can eventually be bad for the game and future telecasts.
As i said, maybe I am old and grumpy but as a kid growing up and going to the Garden for games and watching the few games that were televised, I was entertained by the game and the players playing the game. John Kiley on the organ at halftime was fine with me.  If the shenanigan are what’s truly putting more fans in the seats, and there are many who believe it is, then what are we really selling here?

Ktronic,

I'm not sure of what any of that has to do with the NBA wanting to attract young fans, or my opinion that the All-Star weekend is about the kids. Maybe I wasn't clear on my point. It's not the advertisers trying to attract the kids. It's the NBA.

By the way, they spend big to do it.

According to my friend Matt at Goodby Silverstein, the NBA almost matched the NFL's spending on doing just that last year. Goodby was formerly paid for media services by the NBA, but lost the contract to Translation, LLC in Brooklyn a few years ago. Both leagues pay significant sums on developing youth interest. Unfortunately for Matt's employer, both now pay it to another firm, but they're painfully aware of how much. in 2018 the NBA paid more to Translation toward youth oriented media services than any NBA team paid in total player payroll. You don't have to take my word, it's public record, look it up online.

That just adds to my belief that the All-Star weekend is about attracting the fans of the future as much as, or maybe more than, anything else.

That's why every year I say the same thing; it's for the kids.

Regards

NYCelt wrote:

Ktronic1 wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Ah the annual All-Star game eye-rolling and complaining contest.

I used to debate this one all the time with Sam, too. So for the sake of continuity, I'll give my annual take. I think many of us miss the point.

The game is not for us. It's for the kids. It's to build the fan base in the next generation.

Youngsters love the slam dunk and the 3-point. My son regularly watches it with friends. These kids started watching it as first and second graders and became fans of players they saw and subsequently of their teams.

No, it's far from a fun game for us to watch, but it's not for us. We've gotten older and jaded and grumpy and we're not as much fun anymore. It's for the kids.

So let 'em watch, and then go lower the rim in the driveway and watch a kid and his friends dunk on an 8-foot hoop. Then watch 'em play CYO and AAU and school ball. Watch them follow the players they saw All-Star weekend and become big fans of the game.

It's for the kids.

No doubt. The festivities on site are for the kids. The shenanigans at halftime shows are geared towards the younger set as well. Ask yourself how many actual fans(kids) get to go to games in their home town? Not many. How many get to attend an all star game? Even less.
The networks and the advertisers are certainly not spending millions to attract the kids. those are not sellable demos to advertisers. The kids don’t have disposable income. the parents do. those parents are in the 25-54 age demo and thats who the advertisers generally target. Just how many parents do you think are sitting in front of their TV’s late Saturday and Sunday evenings with theyre kids watching this and how many of these parents find the content compelling enough to go out and spend money on the advertised product?
I haven’t seen any rating numbers from this years broadcast-yet. Now as i revert to my outside thinking, as a fan with disposable income I’m seeing that the product has deteriorated and has gotten to the point of silliness.
I’d love to see the results of the research that most certainly do. If they’re research is pointing them in the current direction, the kids may be entertained but they’re not seeing reality which can eventually be bad for the game and future telecasts.
As i said, maybe I am old and grumpy but as a kid growing up and going to the Garden for games and watching the few games that were televised, I was entertained by the game and the players playing the game. John Kiley on the organ at halftime was fine with me.  If the shenanigan are what’s truly putting more fans in the seats, and there are many who believe it is, then what are we really selling here?

Ktronic,

I'm not sure of what any of that has to do with the NBA wanting to attract young fans, or my opinion that the All-Star weekend is about the kids. Maybe I wasn't clear on my point. It's not the advertisers trying to attract the kids. It's the NBA.

By the way, they spend big to do it.

According to my friend Matt at Goodby Silverstein, the NBA almost matched the NFL's spending on doing just that last year. Goodby was formerly paid for media services by the NBA, but lost the contract to Translation, LLC in Brooklyn a few years ago. Both leagues pay significant sums on developing youth interest. Unfortunately for Matt's employer, both now pay it to another firm, but they're painfully aware of how much. in 2018 the NBA paid more to Translation toward youth oriented media services than any NBA team paid in total player payroll. You don't have to take my word, it's public record, look it up online.

That just adds to my belief that the All-Star weekend is about attracting the fans of the future as much as, or maybe more than, anything else.

That's why every year I say the same thing; it's for the kids.

Regards

NYCelt,
I didn’t and don’t completely disagree with you that the NBA Allstar festivities are for the kids. I disagree with the NBA and their strategy and tactics in gearing it toward the kids.
If indeed they are spending big bucks to translate toward youth oriented media services than television isn’t where the youth hang out anymore. Social and digital media is where the kids are spending the bulk of their time. If thats where the money is going and thats who they are attempting to translate than I don’t have a problem with it. It’s what theyre translating I have a problem with.
The ALLstar weekend is for the most part a TV event. You cannot ignore the advertisers and the sponsors and still present the event on TV. Sponsors want to see results. You cannot separate the game and events from advertisers and sponsors. Can’t have one without the other.
1n 1993 The Allstar Game in Salt Lake City attracted 22.914 million viewers. 10 years later in 2003 the game attracted 10.829 million viewers. In 2013 the game attracted 8.020 million viewers. Last year in LA the game attracted 7.654 million viewers. Recognize a trend here?
As for Allstar Saturday, 2003- 4.753 million viewers, 2013- 5.898 million viewers and 2018- 4.660 million. So basically the Saturday ratings have for the most part remained flat while the game itself continues to lose viewership in big numbers. With THE GAME of basketball becoming more and more popular worldwide, why aren’t the numbers and the interest during Allstar weekend growing along with it?
Maybe there’s a better way of presenting the product during AllStar weekend that grows the interest amongst the younger demo without alienating its core demo. I’m not going to pretend to know what that entails but i do know that what we have now certainly isn’t it.

Ktronic,

Perhaps what you're suggesting is that the NBA needs to modernize its approach to younger fans.

That may be a good point. I would think NBA 2K shouldn't be the only big online promo. You're undeniably on the money with social media being a big driver.

Regards

Just another case of modern values clashing with those of the past - a battle thats been going on for centuries. Embrace it or ignore it.

swish

NYCelt wrote:Ktronic,

Perhaps what you're suggesting is that the NBA needs to modernize its approach to younger fans.

That may be a good point. I would think NBA 2K shouldn't be the only big online promo. You're undeniably on the money with social media being a big driver.

Regards

NYCelt,
Exactly. I get that in order to grow the game it must attract the younger demos. I just am not feeling some of their methodology.
I’m sure theyre spending $ on research and I’m a firm believer in that. It’s very difficult to be all things to all people but thats the challenge. I have confidence in Adam Silver and believe he’ll find a way to appeal to as many fans possible. I used to look forward to Allstar weekend and would love nothing more than getting back there.
Peace and hair grease! :>)