All Star games are terrible.  They have become a popularity contest and have been for some time now.  Current proof, Steve Nash, may be on his way to his 3rd straight MVP award, is not even in the starting line up for the Western Conference at this point!  Maybe it is because he has such bad haircuts sometimes, I don't know.  Dominik Hasek who had the best GAA in the Western Conference for the Detroit Red Wings was 24-7-3 with six shut outs wasn't even on the All Star team!  Every year in all of the sports we hear about and see players getting "snubbed" based on numbers.  Would it be better if it wasn't voted on by fans?  I think so.  Besides the only All Star game that is watchable in the MLB All Star game, unless they tie.  The NFL has thiers after the season is over.  This may be the worst of all.  How about sports change to just an All Star list?  Just name the All Stars with out even having a game.  What could happen as well is they could use the best players based on stats.  Now there is a concept.

The Phoenix Suns are doing it all this year with two tremendous winning streaks.  There are truly firing on all cylinders right now with Amare Stoudemire.  They are currently on a 17 game winning streak.  Amare may be the missing piece they were lacking last year when they just couldn't get past the Mavs.  They all look fresh and energetic and they need to be to carry on through the playoffs.  The Pistons were tearing up the league like this last year and got burnt out in the playoffs by the Heat last year.  The Pistons after the last playoff game last season had played 82 playoff games in three years.  That was equivalent of an entire extra season, like playing four seasons in three years.

The Super Bowl does not seem to have the hype in it this year than it has in the past.  I have heard WAY too much about the Patriots getting screwed by the refs in the AFC Championship.  Patriot fan is definitely crying.  Patriots fan Shut up about the refs.  This is what happens.  Try being a Lions fan and seeing how many times a year this happens.  I wrote about the NFL ref staying out of my life back in August.  How about you think about Raiders fan as well when you got the benefit of the biggest scam call I have ever seen with the "tuck rule" garbage they pulled out which led to Vinateri's field goal and later getting you into the Super Bowl in which you won.  What goes around comes around so get ready for the balance to tip the scale back the other way a little.

In Detroit the Red Wings decided to bring Dominak Hasek back for the 2006-07 season.  A lot of fans questioned why they would bring him back.  He has had many injuries through out his career.  Hasek already left here once, retired, and came back with Ottowa.  There was also that nasty thing called the Lockout which had put the proverbial foot on the last finger holding on to being in the mainstream American sports landscape.  Turns out so far that Ken Holland was right again.

 I wonder why Dominik Hasek was left off the All-Star team considering he leads the league in GAA (goals against average) with 1.98.  His total record this season is 24-7-3.  He also already has six shutouts.  Lets also not forget he is doing all of this as he is about to turn 42! The Dominator and Chris Chelios, who turns 45 this month, are both old enough to be grandparents now.  As good as they have both played, I would not be surprised if they played next year as well.

With Hasek being left off the roster it just gives another example on why All-Star games dont get  good ratings in any sport.  They don't always have the best players.  Either due to injury or by incumbantcy it never really seems to be the very best.  The best thing for this though is that it gives Hasek a few days off.  A man his age needs some time here and there to relax. 

Maybe this will give him the motivation to show all those who didn't put him in the All-Star that they made a mistake.  Right now the Redwings have two goalies that they have won Stanley Cups with.  They should feel confident that  Hasek and Osgood can both lead them to another Cup.