Super Bowl vs. All-Star Game

The state of Minnesota rejoiced two weeks ago when it was awarded the privilege of hosting Super Bowl LII. Three and a half years from now, fans will be flocking from across the world – hopefully bringing their parkas – to enjoy the greatest sporting spectacle the country has to offer.

The NFL promptly got ripped for their decision. The obvious reason being that Minnesota winters aren't conducive to party-packed Super Bowl weeks. Social media had a blast with this chilling news as well (gotta love some of these tweets and memes).

For good reason, though, Minnesotans are thrilled to have the big game within their borders. But don't forget about another historic sporting event in the Twin Cities coming this summer. In just over six weeks, in fact. Baseball's mid-summer classic – the All-Star Game – gets played at Target Field.

(And don't complain when the Twins only get a single, token invitee. Why, last year's game featured numerous Twins: J.J. Hardy, David Ortiz, Jesse Crain, Torii Hunter, Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gomez, Glen Perkins. Who cares if only one of those guys is still with the club? Isn't it noble of the Twins to share their great wealth of stars with the rest of the league?)

Digressing: the Twin Cities metropolitan area has a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to show off what it's got – not once, but twice – in the next four years. But if you, an ordinary Midwesterner, had to choose one event to attend, one event to spend your monthly salary on, which would it be?

Let me lay out the pros and cons…

SUPER BOWL PROS —Grandeur. The biggest stage in sports. Flash bulbs popping at kickoff. The season finale of the most popular sport in the United States.

—There's a chance, albeit a small one, that your favorite team could be in it. But don't put your money down on the Vikings. No team has played in their home state for the Super Bowl since San Francisco in Super Bowl XIX, and that wasn't technically a home game. It was played in Stanford.

—With your ticket you gain admission to a free halftime concert that features one of the world's most popular musical artists. Rumor has it that Prince could be on the guest list. Hopefully he doesn't sing his, ahem, rousing tribute to the Vikings from January, 2010. If he did, this would belong in the "cons" section.

—A chance to spite Green Bay fans. An opportunity to remind them that Minnesota gets to host a Super Bowl and their team doesn't and won't get to. Ever. Not unless global warming adds 50 degrees to Green Bay's winter climate and their economy grows tenfold.

SUPER BOWL CONS

—Sure, the atmosphere is cool. But unless you want to take out a loan and get really good seats, wouldn't it be favorable to watch the game on your 42-inch flat screen at home with a big bucket of popcorn that didn't cost $8 and avoid the hassle of post-game traffic? Not to mention you miss the commercials when you're at the game in person.

—Did I mention traffic? My gosh. The 394-to-94 zipper merge would be backed up to Fargo, especially if the weather didn't cooperate. On the other hand, Minnesota may get a chance to show off its top-notch snow removal services.

—No home-crowd atmosphere. This is a huge detriment. Every other game in the NFL season has a united home crowd backing one of the teams. There are momentum shifts when the crowd rises to its feet. There are frenzied reactions. There are stunning silences. In the Super Bowl, most fans are neutral, and those that aren't are split in their loyalties. Wouldn't the Super Bowl be more entertaining with a true home team? There should be a monochromatic crowd that will either be ecstatic or inconsolable after the game. The neutral Super Bowl lacks this (and for financial reasons, unfortunately, the Super Bowl will always be neutral site).

ALL-STAR GAME PROS

—Minnesota isn't a beachy paradise much of the year, but July 15? Gorgeous. And if you, by some crime, haven't been to Target Field yet – it’s also gorgeous. This is the best time of the year to experience Minneapolis: the skyline, the nightlife, the parks, etc.

—You get to see an important game played in Target Field. Doesn't happen too much. And you get to remember what the third deck looks like when fans are sitting in it.

—Opinions from the outside are fun to hear, especially when they're positive. It would be great to be at the game and hear visitors' takes. People are inevitably going to rave about Target Field. Keep in mind that the Twins were only relevant for one year since opening their brilliant new ballpark. Target Field may still be under wraps as baseball's hidden gem, but not for much longer. This may be the nicest park to host an All-Star Game since San Francisco in 2007 or Pittsburgh in 2006.

ALL-STAR GAME CONS

—An All-Star Game doesn't look any different than a regular season game sans all the histrionics. In fact, it might be more boring in terms of on-field action. The problem is that baseball has become a pitcher's game. The best pitchers always overpower the best hitters, and it's never as fun to watch a superb pitcher coax a ground ball to short as it is to watch a great hitter crank a hanging curveball into the seats. In the last two All-Star Games, the losing team got shut out. In the two All-Star Games before that, the losing team only scored one run. Just understand that the Home Run Derby will not carry over into the actual game.

—Yeah, the game means something… but only kind of. The winning league gets an extra home game in the World Series. But it's hard to imagine that Cubs and Padres fans in attendance are avidly cheering for the National League to clinch the victory. On the same token, Twins fans probably aren't too attached to the A.L. For the lion's share of patrons, the game means nothing to their team. It’s just an exhibition.

—Too many substitutions. There are new pitchers almost every inning, and each position player gets replaced after two at-bats. How does it make sense that the best players – the ones that earned the right to start the game – don’t get to finish it? What is this: the Pro Bowl?

VERDICT

The Super Bowl will be a better game; it's the championship after all. But attending such a huge event may have its share of superfluous side effects. If you're looking for a fun atmosphere that's easier to navigate, digest and enjoy, the All-Star Game would be for you.