In honour of the five players killed in a plane crash after the 1956 CFL All-Star game, I don't believe they should resurrect the all-star game. They shouldn't have done so in the 70's or 80's either. Four Saskatchewan Roughriders (Mel Becket, Mario DeMarco, Gordon Sturtridge, Ray Syrnyk) along with Winnipeg Blue Bomber (Calvin Jones) perished in that terrible event. This national disaster which occurred on Mt.Slesse in B.C. is hardly ever mentioned anymore and many CFL fans have never heard about it.
I didnt know anything about that incident until a couple of years ago when I read the book on the Riders’ '66 Grey Cup win: “West Riders Best” by Rob Vanstone.
I was on a plane from Calgary to Victoria for work, made for an uncomfortable read…
Anyway, bringing back an all-star game in no way shows any disrespect to the victims or their families. having said that, I have NEVER been interested in an all-star game ever, and not many people are, frankly. I think it would be a flop. They should continue not doing it.
I like the idea of league showcases, but they can do neutral site games to build interest, and its more effective than an all-star game.
A few years ago they did the Quarterback challenge, it featured all of the starters and a few of the better known backups from around the league. I thought that was a very fun event even though it was tv only. I would pay to go to an event like this if it was ever an option again.
How many people watch the NFL all-star game? All-star games, for the most part, are boring. I haven’t watched the NFL’s in years. And whenever the NBA has its all-star weekend, I’m always looking forward to the skills comp and the slam dunk comp, etc. To me, those comps generate more buzz than the actual all-star game.
I would love it if they had an annual skills competition during Grey Cup week with the season's all stars and some other players voted by the fans. I don't think that the players after playing an 18 game schedule plus playoffs should have to endure going thru another game that means less than a pre-season game. It would be pretty cool to see 2 teams with super star offenses, defenses and special teams on the field though. Personally I'm not all that interested in all star games to begin with.