All-Star fan survey results: NBA dunk contest past its prime, MLB Home Run Derby clear favorite – The Athletic

The NBA’s All-Star festivities are underway in Indianapolis, the third All-Star event from a major league in February after the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games and the NHL’s All-Star Weekend.

Earlier this month, The Athletic released a survey asking for your thoughts on the All-Star events from across North America’s professional sports.

We received around 3,500 responses that outline how sports fans feel about a range of All-Star-related questions. Below are the results.

Note: Some comments have been edited for style and clarity.

Despite record-low viewership in 2023, MLB and its All-Star events were the top watch according to our respondents.

MLB is followed by the NBA. Notably, more respondents voted for “none” than for the NHL’s and NFL’s All-Star events. Fans had a particular lack of interest in the Pro Bowl.

The NFL should really just give up on it. The NHL and NBA are not far behind.

The NFL Pro Bowl festivities are awful. For such a popular sport, it’s interesting that a quality product can’t be found.

The Pro Bowl is by far and away the worst of the All-Star games.

What they have done to the NFL Pro Bowl is an absolute joke. Flag football and dodgeball? Who cares.

I generally think All-Star games themselves are fine when they are played straight up or as close to straight up as possible but there is no hope with the Pro Bowl.

The NFL Pro Bowl is utterly useless.

A few respondents indicated they would watch the PWHL’s first-ever showcase during NHL All-Star Weekend. Unlike the WNBA, which has its own separate All-Star Game, the PWHL does not currently have an All-Star event, though the league was featured in a three-on-three showcase that took place after the NHL All-Star Draft (more on that later).

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The MLB Home Run Derby is the clear winner here. It was also the source of the most cited favorite moment, with 83 responses for when then-Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton hit 28 homers — including one estimated at 518 feet — in the first round of the 2008 derby under the bright lights at old Yankee Stadium.

Josh Hamilton’s 28 home runs in the 2008 derby that he didn’t even win. It was electric.

Watching Josh Hamilton try to hit a home run onto the subway tracks at old Yankee Stadium.

Josh Hamilton’s home run derby provided a glimpse into the triumphant nature of sporting accomplishment.

Josh Hamilton making Yankee Stadium look like a T-ball field.

The NBA’s events are the runners-up, with most comments highlighting the nostalgia factor of the dunk contests of the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s.

Although the dunk contest produced the highest results for the least favorite All-Star event, it also created some of the most cherished All-Star memories from respondents.

Few All-Star moments throughout sports have people talking years after they happened like those who recall when then-Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter stunned judges, fellow superstars and fans with an electrifying performance at the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in Oakland, Calif.

Carter’s 2000 dunk contest performance was picked by 105 people as their favorite All-Star memory. Eighty-five respondents chose any All-Star events involving Michael Jordan, particularly the intense duel between Jordan and Dominique Wilkins at the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest in Chicago.

Vince Carter dunk contest … although he ruined it forever for everyone else.

Vince Carter dunk contest … you know which one.

Vince Carter … it’s over.

Every dunk from Vince Carter in the 2000 dunk contest.

But what has changed? Our respondents think the players taking part in the event have something to do with it.

The dunk contest is missing star power.

The dunk contest needs to go back to having legitimate stars in it.

Since 2017, the league that wins the MLB All-Star Game no longer receives home-field advantage in the World Series.

I’m deeply disappointed they got rid of home-field advantage being at stake.

The MLB All-Star game deciding home-field advantage was not the best idea or fairest postseason format. That said, it made the result matter, so even if I didn’t watch the game I checked the box score the next day. Now I simply don’t care.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov brought this idea to light given his perceived effort level in the most recent NHL All-Star Weekend’s skills competition.

A rough showing from Nikita Kucherov in the passing challenge and the Toronto crowd lets him know#NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/mhBNWzjne1

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 3, 2024

This year, the NHL returned to the draft format after nine years, while the NBA returned to the East versus West format.

I like how the NHL and NBA have been changing back and forth.

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Many respondents mentioned the format as the reason why they are interested in the MLS All-Star Game.

It’s kind of fun watching the MLS play Euro teams, so they do a good job of maximizing what they have there, even if it’s a watered-down version of those European sides.

A USA versus the World game in the NBA has been discussed. From 1998 through 2002, the NHL pitted Team North America against Team World.

Watching the NHL game when they used to do North America versus the rest of the world. Bring it back as a three-on-three style tourney!

Bring back the team jerseys. The generic cash grabs the leagues put out every year are bleh.

I believe the players wearing their home uniforms really make the game better. As a big baseball guy, I want to see my favorites play in their original unis, not in color-blocked ones. 

Seeing every MLB jersey on the field for the All-Star Game used to be one of the coolest parts of the season.

I just want each team to wear their actual team jersey in the All-Star games — I don’t want a bunch of guys wearing an American League jersey or a West jersey. My favorite part is seeing all the different team jerseys together.

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Did any of these results surprise you? Let us know in the comments section below.

(Top photos of Vince Carter at the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest and Josh Hamilton at the 2008 MLB Home Run Derby: Jed Jacobsohn / Allsport and Rich Pilling / MLB via Getty Images)