My View/Your View: Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Games Need More Support

Those of us who follow high school basketball – I mean really follow high school basketball – know that the season really doesn’t end until the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games are in the books. Those dates this year are June 13 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Downtown Indianapolis and the next night at Bellarmine College in Louisville. That brings me to the way things used to be. Remember when the mid-summer series used to be such a big deal, when it was played on back-to-back weekends and there were two weeks of excitement leading up to the games? And, yes, when it was a revered rivalry everyone talked about? Boy, have times changed. I had a chance to talk basketball on “The Drive with JMV” at WNDE last Friday, where John Michael Vincent asked me about my take on the state of the All-Star games. Well, quite frankly, I don’t think the interest level is what it used to be. I think gate attendance figures and possibly format changes will back that up. I certainly hope things take a turn for the better. I’m sure we all do. It does appear that those overseeing the event for The Indianapolis Star, the Indiana All-Stars sponsor, are searching for ways to instill some new life into the event. And I believe those folks behind the scenes are working hard to do their best to find new ways to keep it afloat in an attempt to make it the summer showcase event it once was. And why wouldn’t they? But whatever they do, they’ll do it their way. After all, it is their Game. Last year, the normal Saturday game was moved to Friday. It was reported that only a little more than 5,000 fans attended the game at Conseco Fieldhouse. This year’s games will be played on a Saturday and Sunday. So, will the format fare better? Cross your fingers. Though most of what you here is my opinion, I can tell you that the dwindling interest level did not happen overnight. I was on The Star spots staff for 12 years, and a few of those were spent as High Schools Coordinator. It doesn’t mean I have all the answers, but it does mean I was in a position to possibly look at things somewhat differently than the average fan. I can remember how many of us at the office would just shake our heads when we talked about the state of the game. It just wasn’t the same. We all had our opinions as to what was wrong. Right or wrong. First of all, I think we all agree that it’s a great honor for the girls and boys to be chosen for the teams. The event benefits the Lions Eye Foundation in both states, which is positive. The border states have been playing the series annually since 1940, another positive point. The Indiana boys had won eight straight games until losing last year’s finale in Kentucky. And prior to 2008, the Hoosier boys and girls, who lost both games last year, each swept the series three years in a row. Yep, that’s also a pretty positive run. And for what it's worth, I think the girls team will be stronger than the boys team this year. In the past, I think the girls have taken a backseat to the boys, certainly in promotion and in hype. Also, I’ve had some coaches tell me that Kentucky’s attitude toward the series was not what it used to me, let alone what it needed to me, but that it’s getting better. Others have told me that coaches from both states weren’t always all that cooperative. How the games are promoted might be another story. All I know is that the games are not as popular as they once were. The month of June does not automatically mean a destination for basketball fans as maybe it once did. In all fairness, though, there are many options for family entertainment during the summer months – from movies to concerts to other various outdoor activities. The dollar only goes so far, you know. We all have priorities, too. Lately, basketball in June simply has not been a priority for many fans. Still ... The Star has had two game directors in as many years, and three since the late Don M. Bates, who seemed to have a good feel for working with sponsors and marketing the event. So, does that signal a red flag? I don’t know. I do know that the past two directors – Pete Smith and Charlie Hall – are good, conscientious men. And I know both well enough to know their best is what they brought to the table. The same can be said for Pat Aikman, who called the shots for several years. Yet, there are those who feel that part of the reason interest started a downhill spiral was when Aikman moved the All-Stars out of the media spotlight in Indianapolis, relocating the camps to Greencastle. You can point to a lot of things as potential problem areas, including financial issues and possibly marketing and lack of cooperation issues, I’m sure. Is better marketing needed? I think you are always looking to improve on a product. At least you should be. I know that, in terms of the total experience, there was some frustration on Pete’s part. Hopefully, things go much smoother for Charlie in his attempt to breathe new life into an event that may be lined with more challenges. Getting fans back into the seats may be the biggest challenge. Of course, a sagging economy doesn’t help the situation. Like other big-business interests and corporations that sponsor sporting events, it may even cause the newspaper reason to assess its sponsorship from a feasibility standpoint. I’m not suggesting The Star would ever drop sponsorship. That would be a publicity nightmare. They don’t need or want that, I’m sure. And I don’t think that’s very likely to happen, anyway. Then again, these are troubling times, even for newspapers. Mark Morrow is an online columnist for VYPE High School Sports Magazine, Central Indiana. He can be reached at mediamarko@sbcglobal.net or by leaving a comment.